Článek přináší přehled současných znalostí o fylogenezi mnohobuněčných živočichů, tak jak vycházejí ze současného fylogenomického výzkumu. Zvláštní pozornost je věnována skupinám s konfliktním postavením (Ctenophora, Xenacoelomorpha, Bryozoa) a skupinám, o jejichž postavení dosud nevíme téměř nic (Dendrogramma, Dicyemida, Orthonectida)., We present an overview of current knowledge on the phylogeny of multicellular animals, based on current phylogenomic research. This overview pays special attention to groups with uncertain positions (Ctenophora, Xenacoelomorpha, Bryozoa) and groups whose position is still largely unknown (Dendrogramma, Dicyemida, Orthonectida)., and Jan Zrzavý.
Both molecular and palaeoecological methods enable us to study past changes in plant distribution. The results of recent phylogeographical studies have demonstrated that Central Europe was not only at a crossroads of postglacial migration routes, but also an area where many species might have survived during glacial periods. and Tomáš Fér, Karol Marhold.
Od dob, kdy Galileo Galilei položil základy matematického popisu přirozených procesů, musela fyzika projít ještě složitou cestu, než zacílila se vší vážností a energií tento popis na živé organismy. Neobyčejně smělý rozvrh Reného Descarta, jehož matematicky chápaná rozprostraněnost zahrnovala i živé organismy jakožto mechanismy podléhající stejným zákonům jako cokoli neživého, ovšem nenabízel žádnou cestu, jak fyziku systematicky provozovat. Tuto cestu vytyčil až Isaac Newton. Jeho program průzkumu fyzikální reality je však založen na zkoumání pohybů a hledání sil, které tyto pohyby odchylují od pohybu rovnoměrného a přímočarého. V tomto pojetí se tak živé organismy jeví jako prakticky nepřístupné nějakému fyzikálnímu průzkumu. Pojem pohybu chápaného jako geometrická trajektorie zde ztrácí svůj zásadní význam (je řada jiných podstatných "pohybů", jako růst či rozmanité změny vnitřní struktury) a pojem síly se stává problematickým (jaké "síly" zastaví pohybující se myš?). Až ve dvacátém století se fyzika začala vážně a systematicky zabývat i živými strukturami. Bylo to zejména díky rozvoji termodynamiky, molekulární fyziky, počítačových simulací a vysoce sofistikovaných experimentálních a zobrazovacích metod., The paper deals with living matter (living tissues and individual cells) from the point of view of physics. It passes through several upůto-date approaches that are clearly physical. Starting with thermodynamics that brings us to study the free-energy dependence on microscopic parameters of living tissues, we continue with special mechanical properties of living cells and the important role of pre-stress in their "skeleton". We mention the "tensegrity approach" and review briefly the approach in which a cell is understood as a soft glassy material. Then we discuss problems of description and experimental identification of properties of living tissues and present an example outlining a pure mechanical explanation how smooth muscle cells may efficiently control mechanical behaviour of the whole tissue. The concluding discussion tries to elucidate the role of physics in understanding the secret of life., Miroslav Holeček, Petra Kochová, Zbyněk Tonar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Leaf gas exchange of terrestrial and epiphytic orchids from the Atlantic Rainforest in northeast Brazil was investigated under artificial growth conditions. The terrestrial orchids showed higher values of all photosynthetic parameters in comparison to epiphytic ones. There was a close relationship between PN and gs for both terrestrial and epiphytic orchids. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the photosynthetic parameters were related to the specific growth habits of the orchids under study., M. V. Pires ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) is the main (23 individuals) breathing mode in resting adult Platynus assimilis. Few of the beetles tested (13 individuals) displayed a pattern of cyclic gas exchange or CGE. The burst of CO2 release in DGE and CGE was always accompanied by abdominal pumping (active ventilation or V). Seven individuals displayed a pattern of continuous respiration, characterized by regular abdominal pumping. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) in continuously breathing beetles was higher than in those using DGE and CGE. After treatment with sub-lethal doses of alpha-cypermethrin DGE ceased. Treated beetles were characterized by continuous pumping and almost regular periods of activity. RMR increased significantly after treatment with a pyrethroid., Irja Kivimägi ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The aim of this study was to characterize the key physiological aspects of three sugarcane cultivars (RB92579, RB867515 and RB872552) under biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Plants were generated in tubes containing aseptic substrates and these plants were transferred to pots containing washed sand, but watered with a mineral fertilizer, and inoculated with a mixture of five diazotrophic bacteria three times at seven-day intervals. Under BNF, all of the cultivars contained half of their total leaf nitrogen content and 50% less shoot dry mass. The leaves of plants under BNF showed approximately 65% less of the total protein content (TP). The
gas-exchange control plants had twice the CO2 assimilation rates than the BNF plants. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) was increased in all cultivars under BNF when compared with the control; thus, the content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was also increased in these plants. The results of this study indicate that after acclimatization, the inoculation of young plants from tissue culture with diazotrophic bacteria could supply approximately 50% of their nitrogen requirement., C. D. Medeiros ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The response of some photosynthetic parameters (CO2 assimilation, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, water-use efficiency, and chlorophyll content), shoot development, and the morphological features of the root system to differentiated conditions of nitrogen supply was tested in festulolium (Festulolium braunii K. Richert A. Camus) varieties (Felopa and Sulino). Nitrogen fertilization with no nitrogen added
[0 g(N)], single dosage [0.23 g(N)], and double dosage [0.46 g(N)] per pot and per year was applied. Lack of nitrogen resulted in formation of longer and finer roots and lowered chlorophyll content, CO₂ assimilation, and water-use efficiency, resulting in lower dry matter accumulation. Application of both dosages of nitrogen resulted in improved aboveground features, while root features were enhanced without nitrogen fertilization. Dependence between physiological parameters and morphological traits was significant and positively correlated in the case of the aboveground parts of plants and negatively correlated to the belowground parts., G. Mastalerczuk, B. Borawska-Jarmułowicz, H. M. Kalaji, P. Dąbrowski, J. Paderewski., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We studied water relations and gas exchange in six almond genotypes grafted on GF677 in response to withholding irrigation for 14 days and a subsequent 10-day rehydration period. The responses to drought stress significantly differed in the almond genotypes; the tolerant plants were distinguished and monitored. Leaf relative water content (RWC) decreased by more than 23%, leaf water potential dropped to less than -4.3 MPa, and electrolyte leakage increased to 43% in dehydration-sensitive genotypes. Photosynthesis (PN) and stomatal conductance (gs) of drought-sensitive genotypes were significantly reduced by 70% and 97% in response to water deficiency. Water stress significantly enhanced wateruse efficiency up to 10 folds in drought-tolerant almonds. The difference between leaf temperature and its surrounding air temperature (ΔT) increased significantly to more than 187% under water stress in drought-tolerant genotypes. In addition, the reduction in the g s and further ability to preserve RWC were involved probably in drought-tolerance mechanism in almond. Negative significant correlations were found between ΔT, PN, and gs. Based on the correlations, we suggested that ΔT could be used as a simple measurement for monitoring water stress development in the irrigation management of almond orchards. In conclusion, ‘Supernova’ and the Iranian genotypes ‘6-8’ and ‘B-124’, were found to be more droughttolerant compared with other genotypes in this experiment., S. Karimi, A. Yadollahi, K. Arzani, A. Imani, M. Aghaalikhani., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In this work, photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry, leaf water potential, and pigment contents of male and female Pistacia lentiscus L. were investigated during a seasonal cycle at three different, arid locations: superior semiarid, inferior semiarid, and arid. The results showed that the gender, season, and the site conditions interacted to influence the quantum yield and pigment contents in P. lentiscus. Predawn leaf water status was determined only by the site and season. The annual patterns of PSII maximum quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm) were characterized by a suboptimal activity during the winter, especially, populations with the more negative water potential exhibited a lower chlorophyll (Chl) a content and chronic photoinhibition irrespective of a gender. We also demonstrated that both photochemical or nonphotochemical mechanisms were involved to avoid the photoinhibition and both of them depended on the season. This plasticity of photosynthetic machinery was accompanied by changes in carotenoids and Chl balance. In the spring, the female Fv/Fm ratio was significantly higher than in male individuals, when the sexual dimorphism occurred during the fruiting stage, regardless of site conditions. P. lentiscus sex-ratio in Mediterranean areas, where precipitations exceeded 500 mm, was potentially female-biased. Among the fluorescence parameters investigated, nonphotochemical quenching coefficient appeared as the most useful one and a correlation was found between Chl a content and Fv/Fm. These results suggest that functional ecology studies would be possible on a large scale through light reflectance analysis. and S. Ait Said ... [et al.].