Chemotaxonomy

Chemotaxonomy

Chemotaxonomy (from chemistry and taxonomy), also called chemosystematics, is the attempt to classify and identify organisms (originally plants), according to demonstrable differences and similarities in their biochemical compositions. The compounds studied in most of the cases are mostly proteins, amino acids and peptides. Examples of chemotaxonomic markers are phospholipid-derived fatty acids and enzymes.

E.G. Family Rutaceae can be distinguished by the presence of oil glands; Families Aschepiadaceae and Apocyanaceae can be differentiated based on the presence of latex.

Chemosystematics can be viewed as a hybrid science that complements available morphological data to improve plant systematics.

John Griffith Vaughan was one of the pioneers of chemotaxonomy.

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • chemotaxonomy — [kem′ōtaks än′ə mē] n. the biological classification of plants and animals using comparative biochemistry, esp. by studying certain proteins …   English World dictionary

  • chemotaxonomy — noun Date: 1963 the classification of plants and animals based on similarities and differences in biochemical composition • chemotaxonomic adjective • chemotaxonomist noun …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • chemotaxonomy — chemotaxonomic /kee moh tak seuh nom ik, kem oh /, chemotaxonomical, adj. chemotaxonomically, adv. chemotaxonomist, n. /kee moh tak son euh mee, kem oh /, n. Biochem., Biol. the identification and classification of organisms by comparative… …   Universalium

  • chemotaxonomy — noun the classification or taxonomy of organisms based on differences and similarities in biochemistry, especially on differences in amino acid sequence in proteins that the organisms have in common …   Wiktionary

  • chemotaxonomy — che·mo·taxonomy …   English syllables

  • chemotaxonomy — che•mo•tax•on•o•my [[t]ˌki moʊ tækˈsɒn ə mi, ˌkɛm oʊ [/t]] n. bio biochem. the classification of organisms by comparative analysis of their biochemical composition • Etymology: 1960–65 che mo•tax o•nom′ic səˈnɒm ɪk adj. che mo•tax o•nom′i•cal•ly …   From formal English to slang

  • chemotaxonomy — …   Useful english dictionary

  • chemotaxonomic — adjective see chemotaxonomy …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • chemotaxonomist — noun see chemotaxonomy …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Систематика — (от греч. systematikos упорядоченный, относящийся к системе)         область знания, в рамках которой решаются задачи упорядоченного определённым образом обозначения и описания всей совокупности объектов, образующих некоторую сферу реальности.… …   Большая советская энциклопедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”