Y12 C12 L2 - Plant and animal diseases

How do plant diseases threaten people/ecosystems?

• When crop plants fail , people may starve

• They can alter the genetics of natural plants

• They can go on to infect humans

• They can cause mass extinction events

What type of disease is ring rot?

• Protoctista

• Fungal

• Bacterial

• Viral

What type of plant does ring rot affect (one example)?

• Rhubarb

• Strawberries

• Tobacco

• Aubergines

What parts of crops does ring rot affect?

• Leaves

• Leaves and stems

• leaves, tubers and fruit

• flowers

What is TMV caused by?

• Protoctista

• Fungi

• Bacteria

• Virus

Why does TMV affect plant yield?

• Prevents reproduction of plant

• Causes plants to die

• damages leaves, flowers and fruit, stunting growth

• damages plant cells and prevents cellular respiration

What are available methods for preventing TMV?

• None - other than producing resistant crop strains

• use of insecticides to prevent spread

• prevent spread

  regular spraying with antivirals

• antibiotic chemicals mixed with soil fertilisers

What is tomato blight caused by?

• fungus

• protoctist

• virus

• bacteria

How does the climate affect the spread of late blight?

• the heat increases the hyphae production

• late blight is more common during the wet summers because the spores need water to spread

• moist and warm conditions make plants more susceptible and permit faster spread

• dry conditions allow fungus to reproduce

Why are plants yields affected by late blight

• Damages/destroys vascular tissue

• Damages leaves , tubers AND fruit

• roots are eventually destroyed, preventing asexual reproduction

• Destroys the flowers