claviceps purpurea
Học thuậtThân thiện
A scientist examines a rye plant infected with Claviceps purpurea in a laboratory.
Definition
- Noun:
- A parasitic fungus: Claviceps purpurea is a species of fungus that infects the flowering heads of various cereal grasses and related plants.
- Source of compounds: It is the source of several medicinally and historically significant alkaloids, including ergotamine and lysergic acid.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The presence of Claviceps purpurea in the rye crop caused a significant yield loss.
- Historically, outbreaks of ergotism, a disease caused by consuming grain contaminated with Claviceps purpurea, were common.
Advanced Usage
- Scientific and agricultural context: The term is used almost exclusively in scientific, medical, agricultural, or historical discussions concerning plant pathology, mycology, or the history of medicine.
- Researchers study the life cycle of Claviceps purpurea to develop strategies for protecting cereal crops.
Variants and Related Words
- Ergot: This is the common name for both the disease caused by the fungus and the hard, dark sclerotium (the compact mass of fungal tissue) produced by .
- The ergot sclerotia contain potent alkaloids.
- Ergotism: The name of the human and animal disease resulting from the ingestion of alkaloids produced by the fungus.
- Ergotism, also known as St. Anthony's Fire, has neurological and vasoconstrictive symptoms.
Synonyms
- Ergot fungus: A common synonym referring to the same organism.
- Purple ergot: A descriptive synonym based on its appearance.
Related Phrases
- Ergot alkaloids: A phrase referring to the class of chemical compounds derived from this fungus.
- Ergot alkaloids are used in pharmaceuticals to treat migraines and induce labor.
- Ergot contamination: A phrase describing the presence of the fungus or its sclerotia in grain.
- Strict regulations exist to prevent ergot contamination in food supplies.
Related Idioms
(This term is a specific scientific name and is not used in idiomatic expressions.)
A scientist examines a rye plant infected with Claviceps purpurea in a laboratory.
Noun
- a fungus that infects various cereal plants forming compact black masses of branching filaments that replace many grains of the plant; source of medicinally important alkaloids and of lysergic acid