Cellular Absorption of Herbicides Glossary

Process of moving a substance from one matrix into another.

Process of moving a substance from one matrix into another.

Basic; having a pH higher than 7; having a lower concentration of H⁺ ions.

An ion with a negative charge.

Having a negative charge.

Regions or cells in the plant not bound by a membrane (i.e. the cell wall region between cells or xylem tissue; apoplastic means 'non-living' tissue. 

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA); the first plant hormone discovered; a plant hormone involved in many plant growth processes including embryo development, root and flower development, vascular differentiation, stem elongation, apical dominance and tropic response.

A chemical compound that accepts a proton.

A positively-charged ion.

Having positive charge.

A thin, mechanically strong structure surrounding all plant cells consisting of a complex mixture of polysaccharides and other polymers that are secreted by the cell and are assembled into an organized network linked together by a mixture of covalent and noncovalent bonds. Cell walls regulate cell volume and determine cell shape.

The organelle in plant cells that contains chlorophyll and is the site of photosynthesis.

A compartment in a plant or animal cell surrounding the nucleus in which many cell organelles and molecules are suspended.

The liquid substance of protoplasm, excluding all the organelles such as nuclei, plastids, ribosomes.

Process whereby molecules move from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration.

(dissociation) – The splitting of a single chemical species into two ions, for example H₂O to produce H⁺ and OH^-.

The release of a proton from a molecule due to a change in pH.

Movement from the cytoplasm to the cell wall region; out of the cell.

Gradients of concentration and electric potential across cell membranes.

Found naturally in an organism.

an atom or group of atoms within a molecule that shows a characteristic set of physical and chemical properties.  For example, hydroxyl groups (-OH) are present in alcohols, carbonyl groups (-C=O) are present in ketones and aldehydes, and carboxyl groups (-COOH) are present in carboxylic acids.

A herbicide which inhibits the production of amino acids.

A pesticide used to kill plants.

A pesticide used to kill plants.

Water loving; having chemical properties relating to water (water-like); polar compounds that are highly soluble in water or polar solvents

Water "fearing"; compounds that are relatively insoluble in water and other polar solvents and soluble in lipids and other nonpolar solvents.

Movement from the cell wall region into the cytoplasm; into of the cell.

Molecules with a positive or negative charge.

Octanol/water partition coefficient; relative measurement of how water soluble a chemical is; a compound with a low K_ow would be more water-soluble than a compound with a high K_ow.

Made up of compounds which have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties, this is the structure of membranes such as the cellular membrane.

Made up of compounds which have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties, this is the structure of membranes such as the cellular membrane.

A structurally diverse group of hydrophobic compounds that are soluble in organic solvents and highly insoluble in water.

Having chemical properties relating to lipids (lipid-like), nonpolar compounds that are highly soluble in organic solvents, but not water; hydrophobic.

Octanol/water partition coefficient, relative measurement of how water soluble a chemical is. A compound with a low log Kow would be more water-soluble than a compound with a high log Kow.

Alteration in the herbicide chemical structure usually detoxifies the herbicide. Metabolism is the most important mechanism of herbicide selectivity among weed and crop plants.

Negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration (pH = -log [H⁺]), the higher the pH of an environment the less H⁺ ion concentration, the more basic the environment becomes.

Used, instead of phosphorus, in fertilizer technology to refer to available phosphoric acid (P2O5).

The conversion of light energy into chemical energy by plants using low-energy inorganic compounds (carbon dioxide) to produce high-energy organic compounds (sugars)

An agent which is toxic to plants.

The semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the protoplasm of a cell.

More hydrophilic or water loving.

Hydrophilic solvent; molecules containing functional groups with dipole moments.

Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific order. Proteins are necessary for the structure, function, and regulation of the organism's cells, tissues, and organs. Each protein has a unique function determined by its shape.

A positively-charged atomic particle; a hydrogen ion H+.

Having a proton attached, usually it is a H+ when considering herbicides.

The exact binding spot of a herbicide.

The exact binding spot of a herbicide.

The ability of a solute to dissolve in a solvent.

A state change when a solid material is put into a solvent. The molecules leave the solid phase and go into the liquid phase of the solvent

A liquid matrix where a solute has been dissolved in a solvent.

The vacuolar membrane in plant cells.

A membrane-bound (tonoplast) space larger than a vesicle which stores material, either dissolved in water or as a crystalline or flocculent mass. Vacuoles are key organelles for storage of compounds and osmoregulation in plants.

An organic acid which is incompletely inonized in aqueous solution.