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Related Concept Videos

Responses to Salt Stress02:02

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.
Tonicity in Plants01:20

Tonicity in Plants

Plant cells maintain appropriate osmotic balance in extreme conditions. For instance, plants in dry environments store water in vacuoles, limit the opening of their stoma, and have thick, waxy cuticles to prevent unnecessary water loss. Some species of plants that live in salty environments store salt in their roots. As a result, water osmosis occurs in the root from the surrounding soil.
Tonicity
Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water depending on the solute...
Tonicity in Plants00:53

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water. It depends on the quantity of solute that does not penetrate the membrane. Tonicity delimits the magnitude and direction of osmosis and results in three possible scenarios that alter the volume of a cell: hypertonicity, hypotonicity, and isotonicity. Due to differences in structure and physiology, tonicity of plant cells is different from that of animal cells in some scenarios.
Plant Hormones01:56

Plant Hormones

Plant hormones—or phytohormones—are chemical molecules that modulate one or more physiological processes of a plant. In animals, hormones are often produced in specific glands and circulated via the circulatory system. However, plants lack hormone-producing glands.
Plant Hormones01:56

Plant Hormones

Plant hormones—or phytohormones—are chemical molecules that modulate one or more physiological processes of a plant. In animals, hormones are often produced in specific glands and circulated via the circulatory system. However, plants lack hormone-producing glands.
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress02:45

Responses to Heat and Cold Stress

Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements
09:13

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

Published on: July 13, 2016

Do toxic ions induce hormesis in plants?

Charlotte Poschenrieder1, Catalina Cabot, Soledad Martos

  • 1Lab. Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad Biociencias, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.

Plant Science : an International Journal of Experimental Plant Biology
|October 8, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Hormesis in plants, often triggered by low toxic metal ion concentrations, involves complex adaptive and non-adaptive mechanisms. Researchers recommend using "hormesis" descriptively for this growth stimulation, specifying underlying mechanisms when known.

Keywords:
AcclimationAntioxidantDefenseHormesisMetal ionToxicity

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13:14

Measuring Fluxes of Mineral Nutrients and Toxicants in Plants with Radioactive Tracers

Published on: August 22, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Plant toxicology
  • Environmental stress response
  • Molecular plant science

Background:

  • Hormesis describes growth stimulation at low toxicant doses.
  • Plant responses to toxic trace elements involve complex mechanisms.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for plant toxicology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review the concept of hormesis in plants.
  • To highlight the mechanisms underlying hormesis induced by toxic trace elements.
  • To refine the usage of the term 'hormesis' in plant toxicology.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and conceptual analysis of hormesis in plants.
  • Examination of adaptive and non-adaptive mechanisms in ion-induced growth responses.
  • Analysis of signaling pathways involving reactive oxygen species and antioxidants.

Main Results:

  • Hormesis involves both non-adaptive and adaptive plant responses.
  • Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant induction are key in metal ion-induced hormesis.
  • The term 'hormesis' is currently an umbrella term for diverse mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Hormesis in plants is a complex phenomenon involving various mechanisms.
  • The term 'hormesis' should be used descriptively for low-dose toxicant effects.
  • Specific terms like 'amelioration' or 'priming' are preferred when mechanisms are identified.