Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Annotation of Plant Gene Function via Combined Genomics, Metabolomics and Informatics
08:09

Annotation of Plant Gene Function via Combined Genomics, Metabolomics and Informatics

Published on: June 17, 2012

Convergent evolution in plant specialized metabolism

Eran Pichersky1, Efraim Lewinsohn

  • 1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. lelx@umich.edu

Annual Review of Plant Biology
|February 1, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Plant specialized metabolism showcases frequent convergent evolution, where different species independently develop similar compounds for adaptation. This evolutionary strategy is common across diverse plant lineages.

More Related Videos

13C6-Glucose Labeling Associated with LC-MS: Identification of Plant Primary Organs in Secondary Metabolite Synthesis04:32

13C6-Glucose Labeling Associated with LC-MS: Identification of Plant Primary Organs in Secondary Metabolite Synthesis

Published on: March 22, 2024

A Multi-Omics Extraction Method for the In-Depth Analysis of Synchronized Cultures of the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii07:51

A Multi-Omics Extraction Method for the In-Depth Analysis of Synchronized Cultures of the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Published on: August 8, 2019

Related Concept Videos

C4 Pathway and CAM01:27

C4 Pathway and CAM

Most plants use the C3 pathway for carbon fixation. However, some plants, such as sugar cane, corn, and cacti that grow in hot conditions, use alternative pathways to fix carbon and conserve energy loss due to photorespiration. Photorespiration is the process that occurs when the oxygen concentration is high. Under such conditions, the rubisco enzyme in the Calvin cycle binds O2 instead of CO2, which halts photosynthesis and consumes energy.
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Overview of Metabolism01:40

Overview of Metabolism

Living cells constantly carry out various chemical reactions which are necessary for their proper functioning. These reactions are interlinked to one another via multiple pathways. The collection of these chemical reactions is known as metabolism.
Plant Metabolism
Sunlight, the primary source of energy in plants, is first absorbed by the chlorophyll pigments present in their leaves. Plants then use this energy to carry out photosynthesis, where water is oxidized into oxygen and carbon dioxide...
Non-vascular Seedless Plants02:26

Non-vascular Seedless Plants

The diverse plant life on Earth—consisting of nearly 400,000 species—can be divided into three broad categories based on biological characteristics: nonvascular, seedless vascular, and seed plants.
Introduction to Plant Diversity02:22

Introduction to Plant Diversity

From Water to Land
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the biosynthesis of the...