Organism
Tobacco Plant
TL;DR
Tobacco plants demonstrate sophisticated chemical defense responses.
Tobacco plants demonstrate sophisticated chemical defense responses. When caterpillars attack, the plant detects both mechanical damage and chemical signatures in caterpillar saliva. Within minutes, it produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that serve multiple functions: direct defense (producing bitter/toxic compounds), indirect defense (attracting predators of the herbivore), and within-plant signaling (coordinating defense across the entire plant faster than vascular transport).
Notable Traits of Tobacco Plant
- Herbivore-induced VOC production
- Distinguishes mechanical vs herbivore damage
- Systemic defense response