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M$1.00  Funded By Mahalo ? |  March 05, 2009 03:19 AM

Do plants get viruses? Do they have immune systems to fight the viruses?

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March 05, 2009 03:27 AM
Yes, they do get viruses. For example, roses can be susceptible to the Mosaic Virus, which causes their leaves to loose chlorophyll and then to drop off. Eventually the bush will die if the virus isn't stopped. Tobacco plants have their own mosaic virus:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec03/SABP2-silenced72.jpg

Plants can be bred to be resistant to particular viruses, but their immune systems aren't like those of animals. Obviously, no white blood cells to swallow them whole. They do have their own version, though. Instead of having specialized cells to fight infections, each cell has its own immunity factors and can send chemical signals to other cells to warn them.

It goes a lot deeper than that, but that's it in a nutshell.
Source(s):
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7117/full/nature05286.html

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec03/take_two_aspirin.hrs.html

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March 05, 2009 03:30 AM
Yup they do get viruses and they also have immune systems to protect themselves against them
Source(s):
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7117/full/nature05286.html


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March 05, 2009 03:31 AM
Plants do not get tumors, yet plants can get galls or uneven growths that are caused by the reaction between plant hormones and chemicals that come from some insects or mites. Galls can be located on the leaves, bark, flowers, or buds.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Pepper_mild_mottle_virus.png/180px-Pepper_mild_mottle_virus.png

Plants do not have active immune systems in the sense that humans or animals do, like antibodies that help us fight off infection, yet plants have more passive mechanisms of protection. Some plants secrete a waxy liquid or juice that protects the plant from being eaten.

Source(s):
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/newton/askasci/1993/biology/bio035.htm


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