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Dimethylsulfoniopropionate
Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), is an organosulfur compound with the formula (CH3)2S+CH2CH2COO−. This zwitterionic metabolite can be found in marine phytoplankton, seaweeds, and some species of terrestrial and aquatic vascular plants. It functions as an osmolyte as well as several other physiological and environmental roles have also been identified. DMSP was first identified in the marine red alga '' Polysiphonia fastigiata''. Biosynthesis In higher plants, DMSP is biosynthesized from ''S''-methylmethionine. Two intermediates in this conversion are dimethylsulfoniumpropylamine and dimethylsulfoniumpropionaldehyde. In algae, however, the biosynthesis starts with the replacement of the amino group in methionine by hydroxide. Degradation DMSP is broken down by marine microbes to form two major volatile sulfur products, each with distinct effects on the environment. One of its breakdown products is methanethiol (CH3SH), which is assimilated by bacteria into protein sul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dimethyl Sulfide
Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) or methylthiomethane is an organosulfur compound with the formula . It is the simplest thioether and has a characteristic disagreeable odor. It is a flammable liquid that boils at . It is a component of the smell produced from cooking of certain vegetables (notably maize, cabbage, and beetroot) and seafoods. It is also an indication of bacterial contamination in malt production and brewing. It is a breakdown product of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), and is also produced by the bacterial metabolism of methanethiol. Occurrence and production DMS originates primarily from DMSP, a major secondary metabolite in some marine algae. DMS is the most abundant biological sulfur compound emitted to the atmosphere. Emission occurs over the oceans by phytoplankton. DMS is also produced naturally by bacterial transformation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) waste that is disposed of into sewers, where it can cause environmental odor problems. DMS is oxidized in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CLAW Hypothesis
The CLAW hypothesis proposes a negative feedback loop that operates between ocean ecosystems and the Earth's climate. The hypothesis specifically proposes that particular phytoplankton that produce dimethyl sulfide are responsive to variations in climate forcing, and that these responses act to stabilise the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere. The CLAW hypothesis was originally proposed by Robert Jay Charlson, James Lovelock, Meinrat Andreae and Stephen G. Warren, and takes its acronym from the first letter of their surnames. CLAW hypothesis The hypothesis describes a feedback loop that begins with an increase in the available energy from the sun acting to increase the growth rates of phytoplankton by either a physiological effect (due to elevated temperature) or enhanced photosynthesis (due to increased irradiance). Certain phytoplankton, such as coccolithophorids, synthesise dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), and their enhanced growth increases the production of thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seafood Products
Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus and squid), crustaceans (e.g. shrimp, crabs, and lobster), and echinoderms (e.g. sea cucumbers and sea urchins). Historically, marine mammals such as cetaceans (whales and dolphins) as well as Pinniped, seals have been eaten as food, though that happens to a lesser extent in modern times. Edible sea plants such as some Edible seaweed, seaweeds and microalgae are widely eaten as :edible seaweeds, sea vegetables around the world, especially in Asia. Seafood is an important source of (animal) protein in many Diet (nutrition), diets around the world, especially in coastal areas. Semi-vegetarianism, Semi-vegetarians who consume seafood as the only source of meat are said to adhere to pescetarianism. The harv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osmolyte
Osmolytes are low-molecular-weight organic compounds that influence the properties of biological fluids. Osmolytes are a class of organic molecules that play a significant role in regulating osmotic pressure and maintaining cellular homeostasis in various organisms, particularly in response to environmental stressors. Their primary role is to maintain the integrity of cells by affecting the viscosity, melting point, and ionic strength of the aqueous solution. When a cell swells due to external osmotic pressure, membrane channels open and allow efflux of osmolytes carrying water, restoring normal cell volume. These molecules are involved in counteracting the effects of osmotic stress, which occurs when there are fluctuations in the concentration of solutes (such as ions and sugars) inside and outside cells. Osmolytes help cells adapt to changing osmotic conditions, thereby ensuring their survival and functionality. Osmolytes also interact with the constituents of the cell, e.g., the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Methanethiol
Methanethiol (also known as methyl mercaptan) is an organosulfur compound with the chemical formula . It is a colorless gas with a distinctive putrid smell. In small amounts, it is pervasive in nature and found in certain foods, such as some nuts and cheese. It contributes to many odors including the emissions from pulp mills, bad breath, and flatus. Methanethiol is the simplest thiol and is sometimes abbreviated as MeSH. It is flammable. Structure and reactions The molecule is tetrahedral at the carbon atom, like methanol. It is a weak acid, with a p''K''a of ~10.4, but is about a hundred thousand times more acidic than methanol. The colorless salt can be obtained by treatment with sodium methoxide: :CH3SH + CH3ONa → CH3SNa + CH3OH The thiolate anion in sodium methanethiolate is a strong nucleophile. It can be oxidized to dimethyl disulfide: :2CH3SH + → CH3SSCH3 + H2O Further oxidation takes the disulfide to two molecules of methanesulfonic acid, which is odorl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
S-Methylmethionine
''S''-Methylmethionine (SMM) is a derivative of methionine with the chemical formula (Methyl, CH3)2S+CH2CH2CH(NH3+)CO2−. This cation is a naturally-occurring intermediate in many biosynthetic pathways owing to the sulfonium functional group. It is biosynthesized from L-methionine and S-adenosylmethionine, ''S''-adenosylmethionine by the enzyme methionine S-methyltransferase, methionine ''S''-methyltransferase. ''S''-methylmethionine is particularly abundant in plants, being more abundant than methionine. ''S''-Methylmethionine is sometimes referred to as ''vitamin U'', but it is not considered a true vitamin. The term was coined in 1950 by Garnett Cheney for uncharacterized anti-ulcerogenic factors in raw cabbage juice that may help speed healing of peptic ulcers. Biosynthesis and biochemical function ''S''-Methylmethionine arises via the methylation of methionine by S-Adenosyl methionine, ''S''-adenosyl methionine (SAM). The coproduct is S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine, ''S''-aden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solar Radiation
Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrared (typically perceived by humans as warmth) and ultraviolet (which can have physiological effects such as sunburn) lights. However, according to the American Meteorological Society, there are "conflicting conventions as to whether all three ..are referred to as light, or whether that term should only be applied to the visible portion of the spectrum." Upon reaching the Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through the Earth's atmosphere as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon. When direct solar radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light and radiant heat (atmospheric). When blocked by clouds or reflected off other objects, sunlight is diffused. Sources estimate a global average o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an organosulfur compound with the formula . This colorless liquid is the sulfoxide most widely used commercially. It is an important polar aprotic solvent that dissolves both polar and nonpolar compounds and is miscible in a wide range of organic solvents as well as water. It has a relatively high boiling point. DMSO is metabolised to compounds that leave a garlic-like taste in the mouth after DMSO is absorbed by skin. In terms of chemical structure, the molecule has idealized Cs symmetry. It has a trigonal pyramidal molecular geometry consistent with other three-coordinate S(IV) compounds, with a nonbonded electron pair on the approximately tetrahedral sulfur atom. Synthesis and production Dimethyl sulfoxide was first synthesized in 1866 by the Russian scientist Alexander Zaytsev, who reported his findings in 1867. Its modern use as an industrial solvent began through popularization by Thor Smedslund at the Stepan Chemical Company. Dimeth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Global Climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and Statistical dispersion, variability of Meteorology, meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the Meteorology, meteorological variables that are commonly measured are temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, and precipitation. In a broader sense, climate is the state of the components of the climate system, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere and biosphere and the interactions between them. The climate of a location is affected by its latitude, longitude, terrain, altitude, land use and nearby body of water, water bodies and their currents. Climates can be Climate classification, classified according to the average and typical variables, most commonly temperature and precipitation. The most widely used classification scheme is the Köppen climate classification. The Thornth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herbivory
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat non-vascular autotrophs such as mosses, algae and lichens, but do not include those feeding on decomposed plant matters (i.e. detritivores) or macrofungi (i.e. fungivores). As a result of their plant-based diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouth structures ( jaws or mouthparts) well adapted to mechanically break down plant materials, and their digestive systems have special enzymes (e.g. amylase and cellulase) to digest polysaccharides. Grazing herbivores such as horses and cattles have wide flat- crowned teeth that are better adapted for grinding grass, tree bark and other tougher lignin-containing materials, and many of them evolved rumination or cecotropic behaviors to better extract nutrients from plants. A large perce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hygroscopy
Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance's molecules, adsorbing substances can become physically changed, e.g. changing in volume, boiling point, viscosity or some other physical characteristic or property of the substance. For example, a finely dispersed hygroscopic powder, such as a salt, may become clumpy over time due to collection of moisture from the surrounding environment. ''Deliquescent'' materials are sufficiently hygroscopic that they dissolve in the water they absorb, forming an aqueous solution. Hygroscopy is essential for many plant and animal species' attainment of hydration, nutrition, reproduction and/or seed dispersal. Biological evolution created hygroscopic solutions for water harvesting, filament tensile strength, bonding and passive motion – natural so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
