Kairomon
A kairomone (from ancient Greek Καιρός , opportunistic) is a messenger substance for the transmission of information between different species (so-called allelochemical ), which is only useful to the receiving organism , the recipient. The term serves to distinguish it from the allomones , which are useful for the donating organism (sender), and the pheromones , which convey information within a species. The term was coined in 1970 by WL Brown, T. Eisner and RH Whittaker.
Classification
One can subdivide this class of messenger substances according to their function. For example, plant fragrances that show insects the way to their host plants are called foraging kairomones . But also fragrances that indicate the presence of enemies to organisms belong to the kairomones (Feindvermeidungskairomone, enemy avoidance kairomones ).
A further classification is possible if one considers the type of reaction a kairomone elicits. This classification is also analogous to pheromones : immediate behavioral responses are triggered by so-called releaser kairomones , while primer kairomones trigger slow physiological reactions. An example of the last class are substances released by predators such as fish, which induce the formation of morphological defense structures in zooplankton organisms (for example "helmets" in daphnia or thorns in some rotifers ).
literature
- J. Ruther, T. Meiners and JLM Steidle: Rich in phenomena lacking in terms - A classification of kairomones . In: Chemoecology . Volume 12, 2002, pp. 161-167.
Individual evidence
- ^ Albert Gossauer: Structure and reactivity of biomolecules , Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zurich, 2006, p. 133, ISBN 978-3-906390-29-1 .
- ^ WL Brown Jr., T. Eisner, RH Whittaker: Allomones and kairomones. Transspecific chemical messengers. In: Bioscience , 20 (1970), pp. 21-22.