Comments on: The Water Chestnut http://www.jamesandthegiantcorn.com/2009/12/12/the-water-chestnut/ Genetics: Studying the Source Code of Nature Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:50:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James http://www.jamesandthegiantcorn.com/2009/12/12/the-water-chestnut/comment-page-1/#comment-4244 James Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:52:35 +0000 http://www.jamesandthegiantcorn.com/?p=1082#comment-4244 From my reading of <a href="http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/full/127/4/1524#SEC4" rel="nofollow">this section</a> of the review article (makes me wish I'd taken more botany in school), it sounds like individual photosynthetic stems are fixed as either C4 or C3 photosynthesis, but when the plants are transplanted from one environment to another, they grow new <s>leaves</s>photosynthetic stems that use the appropriate form of photosynthesis for their new environment. I'm surprised there hasn't been more study of E. vivipara, it sounds like a fascinating plant, and can you imagine having crops that could respond to water or heat stress by growing new C4 photosynthetic leaves. I sure hope someone has checked if water chestnuts are anti-nutritive, but if one is going to eat phenolic compounds, having them crosslinked with undigestible cell walls is probably the safest way to do so. From my reading of this section of the review article (makes me wish I’d taken more botany in school), it sounds like individual photosynthetic stems are fixed as either C4 or C3 photosynthesis, but when the plants are transplanted from one environment to another, they grow new leavesphotosynthetic stems that use the appropriate form of photosynthesis for their new environment.

I’m surprised there hasn’t been more study of E. vivipara, it sounds like a fascinating plant, and can you imagine having crops that could respond to water or heat stress by growing new C4 photosynthetic leaves.

I sure hope someone has checked if water chestnuts are anti-nutritive, but if one is going to eat phenolic compounds, having them crosslinked with undigestible cell walls is probably the safest way to do so.

]]> By: Anastasia http://www.jamesandthegiantcorn.com/2009/12/12/the-water-chestnut/comment-page-1/#comment-4243 Anastasia Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:36:15 +0000 http://www.jamesandthegiantcorn.com/?p=1082#comment-4243 Cool! I didn't know that plants existed that could switch between C3 and C4 photosynthesis. Do you know if it's fixed for the life of the plant, or can it go back and forth? Polyphenols have anti-nutrient properties - they reduce the bioavailability of some minerals. I wonder if the phenols in the cell walls of water chestnuts do this as well. If so, that could be a problem for vegetarians who rely on stir fries with water chestnuts for a lot of their meals. Interesting. Cool! I didn’t know that plants existed that could switch between C3 and C4 photosynthesis. Do you know if it’s fixed for the life of the plant, or can it go back and forth?

Polyphenols have anti-nutrient properties – they reduce the bioavailability of some minerals. I wonder if the phenols in the cell walls of water chestnuts do this as well. If so, that could be a problem for vegetarians who rely on stir fries with water chestnuts for a lot of their meals. Interesting.

]]>