Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations
Secondary plant products are the basis for complex interactions between plants and their environment. By protecting plants against pathogens and herbivores or by attracting potential pollinators, they accomplish various and distinct ecological functions. The enormous diversity of these natural compo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Julius Kühn-Institut
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality |
| Online Access: | https://ojs.openagrar.de/index.php/JABFQ/article/view/15293 |
| _version_ | 1819293562909491200 |
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| author | Dirk Selmar |
| author_facet | Dirk Selmar |
| author_sort | Dirk Selmar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Secondary plant products are the basis for complex interactions between plants and their environment. By protecting plants against pathogens and herbivores or by attracting potential pollinators, they accomplish various and distinct ecological functions. The enormous diversity of these natural compounds is the result of evolutionary processes that have been driven by the selection of corresponding advantageous properties. Unfortunately, when discussing this con-text, we frequently formulate statements such as “Plants have ac-quired the ability to synthesize secondary plant products in order to...” without realizing that such assertions contradict the Darwinian principles of evolution and thus represent the Lamarckian view of a teleological evolution. The primary reason for these unconscious misapprehensions seems to be the ambiguous usage of the term “biological function”, whose denotation frequently includes an inten-tion or a special purpose. In this treatise, the related associations and conclusions are outlined and depicted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T04:12:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d27261e137884bd199653f71484bfc5f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1613-9216 1439-040X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T04:12:24Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Julius Kühn-Institut |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality |
| spelling | doaj.art-d27261e137884bd199653f71484bfc5f2022-12-21T17:16:01ZengJulius Kühn-InstitutJournal of Applied Botany and Food Quality1613-92161439-040X2020-12-019324524710.5073/JABFQ.2020.093.03015293Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretationsDirk Selmar0Instiute for Plant Biology,TU Braunschweig, GermanySecondary plant products are the basis for complex interactions between plants and their environment. By protecting plants against pathogens and herbivores or by attracting potential pollinators, they accomplish various and distinct ecological functions. The enormous diversity of these natural compounds is the result of evolutionary processes that have been driven by the selection of corresponding advantageous properties. Unfortunately, when discussing this con-text, we frequently formulate statements such as “Plants have ac-quired the ability to synthesize secondary plant products in order to...” without realizing that such assertions contradict the Darwinian principles of evolution and thus represent the Lamarckian view of a teleological evolution. The primary reason for these unconscious misapprehensions seems to be the ambiguous usage of the term “biological function”, whose denotation frequently includes an inten-tion or a special purpose. In this treatise, the related associations and conclusions are outlined and depicted.https://ojs.openagrar.de/index.php/JABFQ/article/view/15293 |
| spellingShingle | Dirk Selmar Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality |
| title | Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations |
| title_full | Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations |
| title_fullStr | Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations |
| title_short | Opinion: The accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology – Enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations |
| title_sort | opinion the accustomed inconsistency in biochemical ecology enhanced knowledge of the evolution and function of natural products frequently implies teleological misinterpretations |
| url | https://ojs.openagrar.de/index.php/JABFQ/article/view/15293 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dirkselmar opiniontheaccustomedinconsistencyinbiochemicalecologyenhancedknowledgeoftheevolutionandfunctionofnaturalproductsfrequentlyimpliesteleologicalmisinterpretations |