Plant Physiology - Musienko M. M. 2001

Preface

Dedicated to the memory of our teacher, Dmytro Pylypovych Protsenko

Preface TO THE First Edition

The appearance of this book is driven by the profound changes that have taken place in plant physiology over recent decades. At the present stage, The Study of life processes in plants is carried out across an exceptionally wide range of scientific approaches, from molecular-biological, biochemical, and cellular levels to the highly integrated levels of the whole plant Organism or even plant communities. At the same time, 17 years have passed since the last university textbook was published in Ukraine (D. P. Protsenko, Plant Physiology. Kyiv: Vyshcha Shkola, 1978). Over this period, not only have the techniques and Methods of physiological experiments changed significantly through mutual influence and contact with biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, and genetics, but even some of the principles clarifying The Nature of physiological phenomena have evolved. Based on methodological principles, the opening chapters of the book examine primarily The chemical composition, Structure, and GENERAL PATTERNS OF plant life activity, followed by more specialized sections of plant physiology.

In the traditional sections of plant physiology textbooks—which discuss the Structure and function of The plant Cell, Water regime, Photosynthesis, Respiration, mineral Nutrition, heterotrophic nutrition, plant growth, development and morphogenesis, light regulation in plants, their regulatory and integration systems, genome expression and physiological Functions, reproductive physiology, and Plant Movements—the author has sought to characterize the functional and Structural Organization of these processes in light of modern data in physiological science. One of the central problems of biology is ecological physiology, which investigates the processes of adaptation of organismal structure and function to environmental conditions. Therefore, the textbook offered to the reader includes the chapter "Adaptation and Plant resistance mechanisms", which examines Stress physiology in the plant world and The problem of the Specificity of Adaptive responses to adverse abiotic and biotic factors.

Modern plant physiology makes extensive use of the principles of physicochemical and biological modeling, which allow for the exclusion of correlative "connections and effects" characteristic of the intact plant organism. For instance, Methods of Cultivating isolated plant Organs, Tissues, and Cells, which emerged over half a century ago, now enable researchers to address various fundamental and applied problems in the physiology of GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

Plant cell cultures are used not only for genetic manipulations in plants but also as a Source of Enzymes and secondary metabolites, and as model systems for studying differential Gene Expression. As a fundamental biological discipline, plant physiology serves as the theoretical foundation not only for plant cultivation (crop production) but also for a variety of modern biotechnologies.

This explains the necessity of including a chapter titled "Plant Physiology and Biotechnology: Achievements and Development Prospects" in the textbook. The book presents modern concepts regarding the mechanisms of the main physiological functions of green plants: energy exchange processes, assimilation of substances, growth, development, and reproduction. The analysis of these functions is presented from an evolutionary perspective. The General Principles of organization and Mechanisms of action of regulatory systems at both the cellular and organismal levels are also discussed. Considerable attention is devoted to the ecological problems of plant physiology.

The author expresses sincere gratitude to the staff of the Department of Plant Physiology and Ecology at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv for their invaluable assistance at various stages of preparing this textbook for publication.

M. M. Musienko

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

A second edition became necessary, on the one hand, because the first edition of this book sold out immediately after its publication in 1995 and became a bibliographic rarity, and on the other hand, due to The Emergence of new knowledge in the field of plant physiology. The author sought to create a modern textbook on plant physiology—an integrative discipline studied by students in biological, ecological, agricultural, pedagogical, and other academic programs. The textbook covers a wide range of problems, starting from the methodology of investigating integrative physiological processes, the functioning of MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF energy conversion and regulatory signal Transduction, and concluding with an examination of The Role of green plants in the biogeochemical cycles of biogenic elements.

The textbook maintains the traditional sequence of the "Plant Physiology" course in accordance with the curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education and Science. At the same time, concepts concerning the Functions of the plant organism have been clarified and updated in line with contemporary scientific development. We aimed to reflect the major achievements of traditional areas as well as MODERN TRENDS IN The Development of new branches of plant physiology that are crucial for training young specialists.

Most chapters of the book have been significantly expanded and revised. The opening chapters now include a Discussion of certain biophysical and physicochemical aspects of plant cell physiology and plant physiology in general.

In our view, one of the pivotal directions in modern plant physiology is the Study of the mechanisms underlying the phototrophic function of plant organisms. Significant success has been achieved here in uncovering the molecular mechanisms of the Primary processes of solar energy conversion and storage, and in elucidating the structural ORGANIZATION OF THE functional complexes of the photosynthetic apparatus, particularly ATP-synthesizing systems. This prompted us to synthesize the main theoretical concepts and experimental data of recent years and present them in a completely revised chapter dedicated to photosynthesis.

Currently, research into the internal Regulatory Systems of the plant organism is acquiring special significance; these systems determine the intensity of photosynthetic reactions and respiration processes, coordinate the uptake and assimilation of mineral nutrients, ensure the coordinated functioning of all PARTS OF THE plant, its growth, development, assimilate transport, and storage, and consequently, The formation of crop yield. The development of Introduction/32.html">Genetic Engineering METHODS opens up new possibilities for engineering plants with novel, practically important traits. These pressing issues are reflected in the corresponding chapters of the book. Familiarizing oneself with the book will enable the reader to understand how various problems in the fields of ecology, Bioenergetics, signal transduction, information transmission, and the rational use of environmental resources are resolved in the plant world.

Greater attention has been paid to issues highlighting The Significance of plant physiology as the scientific foundation of modern crop production and biotechnology, as well as its role in shaping ecological thinking.

An ecological approach permeates the entire content of the textbook, culminating logically in the new chapter "Plants and the Biosphere. Ecological Cycles of Matter and Energy Flow".

The author paid special attention to the evolutionary principle when discussing various physiological processes.

To reflect the Current state of knowledge in plant physiology on the eve of the third millennium—an integrative science and mediator that has adopted the language and ideology of physicochemical biology and demonstrated The ability to translate it into the language of the functional problems of the plant organism—was the task the author set himself when preparing the second edition of this textbook.

This work takes into account comments published in reviews and received from other specialists regarding the first edition of the textbook. The remarks of Academician of the NAS of Ukraine D. M. Hrodzynskyi, Prof. L. Ya. Sirenko, as well as students of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, have been gratefully incorporated.

The author is sincerely grateful to the entire staff of the Department of Plant Physiology and Ecology at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv for their constant assistance in preparing this edition. Special thanks go to Prof. O. V. Braion, Assoc. Prof. P. S. Slavnyi, department staff N. I. Lavreniuk, T. V. Bilous, and A. M. Kosian for their help in preparing the manuscript for publication, as well as to my wife, Nadiia Mykolaivna, whose constant support has always inspired my creative work.

Deep gratitude is expressed to the reviewers—the HEAD of the Department of Plant Physiology at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Higher Education of Ukraine O. I. Terek, and Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences A. A. Bulakh—for their critical remarks and useful advice.

The author will be grateful to colleagues and all readers of this book for any comments regarding potential shortcomings in this work.

M. M. Musienko