Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Responses to Salt Stress

Responses to Salt Stress

Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.

C4 Pathway and CAM

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...

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

Elements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally occurring, and only a few of them are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.
Periodic Table Provides Information...

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

OverviewElements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally-occurring, and fewer still are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.The Periodic Table Provides Information...

Toxicity Testing in Animals

Toxicity Testing in Animals

Toxicity tests in animals are grounded on two main assumptions: first, the effects observed in laboratory animals can be extrapolated to humans, especially when adjusted for body surface area; second, high-dose exposure in animals is essential to identify potential human hazards from lower doses. This is based on the quantal dose-response concept, which faces the challenge of extrapolating results from relatively few test animals to much larger human populations. For example, a 0.01% incidence...

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

CYSTEINE-RICH RLK2 regulates development via callose synthase-dependent symplastic transport in Arabidopsis.

Plant physiology·2026

Same author

Synchrotron X-rays elucidate the intracellular storage of the iodide and bromide antioxidant system in the kelp Laminaria digitata.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026

Same author

Gain and loss of gene function shaped the nickel hyperaccumulation trait in Noccaea caerulescens.

The Plant cell·2025

Same author

Metalloproteome Factory: From Crude Extract to Identification of Metalloproteins via 3-Dimensional HPLC-ICP-MS.

Analytical chemistry·2025

Same author

How eriophyid mites shape metal metabolism in leaf galls on Tilia cordata.

The New phytologist·2025

Same author

Identification and characterization of transition metal-binding proteins and metabolites in the phloem sap of Brassica napus.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements

Published on: July 13, 2016

Cadmium toxicity in plants.

Elisa Andresen¹, Hendrik Küpper

¹Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.

Metal Ions in Life Sciences

|February 23, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic environmental pollutant that plants absorb, causing oxidative stress and inhibiting growth. This review details Cd toxicity reasons, plant uptake, and its harmful effects on plant physiology.

More Related Videos

An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium

An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium

Published on: December 17, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements

Published on: July 13, 2016

An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium

An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium

Published on: December 17, 2018

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Plant Biology
Toxicology

Background:

Cadmium (Cd) is a pervasive environmental pollutant with significant toxicity to organisms.
Plants readily absorb Cd from soil and water, accumulating it in roots and shoots.
Cd contamination poses a potential threat to human health through the food chain.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the natural and anthropogenic causes of Cadmium toxicity.
To evaluate the phytotoxic effects of Cadmium on plants.
To elucidate the interactions between different Cadmium toxicity mechanisms.

Main Methods:

Literature review of natural and anthropogenic sources of Cadmium.
Evaluation of experimental studies on plants exposed to Cadmium-rich environments (soil/nutrient solution).
Analysis of physiological responses and toxicity mechanisms in plants.

Main Results:

Cadmium uptake by plants leads to significant phytotoxicity.
Observed effects include oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and impaired photosynthesis and root metabolism.
Multiple toxicity pathways interact, exacerbating Cadmium's impact.

Conclusions:

Cadmium poses a significant environmental and health risk due to its uptake and toxicity in plants.
Understanding Cadmium's phytotoxic effects and interactions is crucial for environmental risk assessment.
Further research should focus on the environmental relevance and physiological responses to Cadmium exposure.