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Solanaceae

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	Solanaceae
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	Topics Solanaceae Topic Home The Solanaceae is a familyFamily (biology) In biological classification, family is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank.... of flowering plantFlowering plant Overview The flowering plants are a major group of land plants.... s, many of which are edible, while others are poisonPoison In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause injury, illness, or death to organisms, usually by chemical... ous (some have both edible and toxic parts). The name of the family comes from the LatinLatin Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome.... SolanumSolanum *Solanum* is a large, variable genus of annual plants and perennial plants, forbs, vines, sub-shrubs, shrubs, and small tr... "the nightshade plant", but the further etymology of that word is unclear; it has been suggested it originates from the Latin verbVerb A verb is a part of speech that usually denotes action , occurrence , or a state of being .... solari, meaning "to soothe". This would presumably refer to alleged soothing pharmacologicalPharmacology Pharmacology is the study of how substances interact with living organisms to produce a change in function.... properties of some of the psychoactive speciesSpecies In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity.... found in the family. It is more likely, however, that the name comes from the perceived resemblance that some of the flowers bear to the sun and its rays, and in fact a species of Solanum (Solanum nigrumSolanum nigrum *Solanum nigrum* is a species in the Solanum genus, native to Eurasia and also introduced in the Americas.... ) is known as the sunberry. The family is also informally known as the nightshade or potatoPotato The potato is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber.... family. The family includes the DaturaDatura Overview *Datura* is a genus of 12-15 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae.... or Jimson weed, eggplant, mandrakeMandrake (plant) Mandrake is the common name for members of the plant genus *Mandragora* belonging to the nightshades family .... , deadly nightshadeDeadly nightshade Deadly nightshade or belladonna is a well-known perennial shrub, with leaves and berries that are highly toxic.... or belladonna, capsicumCapsicum *Capsicum* is a genus of plants from the nightshade family .... , potatoPotato The potato is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber.... , tobaccoTobacco Tobacco refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, or to the ... , tomatoTomato The tomato is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central, South, and southern North America from Me... , and petuniaPetunia Summary *Petunia* is a widely-cultivated genus of flowering plants, in the family Solanaceae.... . The Solanaceae family is characteristically ethnobotanicalEthnobotany Ethnobotany is the study of the relationship between plants and people: From"ethno" - study of people and "botany" - study o... , that is, extensively utilized by humans. It is an important source of foodFood Summary Food is any substance, usually comprised primarily of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, water and/or proteins, that can be eate... , spiceSpice A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food ... and medicineMedicine Medicine is the branch of health science and the sector of public life concerned with maintaining or restoring human health ... . However, Solanaceae species are often rich in alkaloidAlkaloid An alkaloid, strictly speaking, is a naturally-occurring amine produced by a plant, but amines produced by animals and fungi... s that can range in their toxicityToxicity Toxicity is a measure to the degree to which something is toxic or poisonous.... to humans and animals from mildly irritating to fatal in small quantities. Flowers are typically conical or funnelform with five petals, usually fused. The leaves are alternate, often with a hairy or clammy surface. Solanaceous plants produce a fruitFruit The term fruit has different meanings depending on context.... that is either a berryFacts About Berry In botany, the berry is the most common type of simple fleshy fruit; a fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an e... , as in the case of the tomatoTomato The tomato is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central, South, and southern North America from Me... or wolfberryWolfberry Wolfberry is the common name for the fruit of *Lycium barbarum* or L.... , or a dehiscent (breaks open upon drying, or dehiscing, releasing the seeds) capsuleCapsule (fruit) In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants.... as in the case of Datura. The seeds are usually round and flat, being 2-4 millimeters in diameter. The stamens are usually present in multiples of four (most commonly four or eight). The ovaries are inferior. The hypogynus gynoecium is a syncarp located obliquely in relation to the median. Alkaloids The Solanaceae are known for possessing a diverse range of alkaloids. As far as humans are concerned, these alkaloids can be desirable, toxic, or both, though they presumably evolved because they reduce the tendency of animals to eat the plants. One of the most important groups of these compounds is called the tropaneTropane Summary Tropane is a nitrogenous bicyclic organic compound with chemical formula 815.... alkaloids. The term "tropane" comes from a genusGenus In the binomial nomenclature used worldwide, the name of an organism is composed of two parts: its genus name and a species... in which they are found, AtropaFacts About Atropa Atropa is a genus of plants in the nightshade family.... (the belladonnaBelladonna Belladonna may refer to:In plants:... genus). The belladonna genus is so named after the GreekGreek mythology Greek mythology consists in part of a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the l... FateMoirae The Moirae or Moerae in Greek mythology, were the white-robed personifications of destiny .... , AtroposAtropos In Greek mythology, Atropos was the third of the Moirae.... , who cut the thread of life. This nomenclature betrays the toxicity and lethality that has long been known to be characteristic of these compounds. Tropane alkaloids are also found in the DaturaDatura *Datura* is a genus of 12-15 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae.... , Mandragora, and BrugmansiaBrugmansia *Brugmansia* is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae, native to subtropical regions of Sout... genera, as well as many others in the Solanaceae family. Chemically, the molecules of these compounds have a characteristic bicyclic structure and include atropineAtropine Atropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from the deadly nightshade and other plants of the family Solanaceae.... , scopolamineScopolamine Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug obtained from plants of the family Solanaceae , such a... , and hyoscyamineHyoscyamine Summary Hyoscyamine is a chemical compound, a tropane alkaloid it is the levo-isomer to atropine.... . Pharmacologically, they are the most powerful known anticholinergics in existence, meaning they inhibit the neurological signals transmitted by the endogenous neurotransmitterNeurotransmitter Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron and another... , acetylcholineAcetylcholine The chemical compound acetylcholine, often abbreviated as ACh, was the first neurotransmitter to be identified.... . Symptoms of overdose may include mouth drynessXerostomia Xerostomia is the medical term for a dry mouth due to a lack of saliva.... , dilated pupilsMydriasis Mydriasis is an excessive dilation of the pupil due to disease or drugs.... , ataxiaAtaxia Ataxia is unsteady and clumsy motion of the limbs or trunk due to a failure of the gross coordination of muscle movements.... , urinary retentionUrinary retention Urinary retention also known as ischuria is a lack of ability to urinate.... , hallucinationHallucination An hallucination is a sensory perception experienced in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, w... s, convulsionsSeizure Summary Seizures are temporary abnormal electrophysiologic phenomena of the brain, resulting in abnormal synchronization of electri... , comaComa In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness.... , and deathDeath Death is the full cessation of vital functions in the biological life.... . Despite the extreme toxicity of the tropanes, they are important drugs when administered in appropriate (and extremely small) dosages. They can reverse cholinergicCholinergic A synapse is cholinergic if it uses acetylcholine as its neurotransmitter.... poisoning, which can be caused by overexposure to pesticides and chemical warfareChemical warfare The Battle of Barnet, which took place on April 14, 1471, was a decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, near the town of B... agents such as sarinSarin Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a nerve ... and VXVX (nerve agent) VX\|-\| align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" colspan="2" \| ... . More commonly, they can halt many types of allergic reactions. ScopolamineScopolamine Overview Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, is a tropane alkaloid drug obtained from plants of the family Solanaceae , such a... , a commonly used ophthamologicalOphthalmology Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the eye ... agent, dilates the pupils and thus facilitates examination of the interior of the eye. They can also be used as antiemetics in people prone to motion sicknessMotion sickness Motion sickness, kinetosis, is a condition in which the endolymph becomes 'stirred up', causing confusion between the diffe... or receiving chemotherapyChemotherapy Chemotherapy is the use of chemical substances to treat disease.... . Atropine has a stimulantStimulant A stimulant is a drug that increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and produces a sense of euphoria or the ... effect on the central nervous systemCentral nervous system The central nervous system represents the largest part of the nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord.... and heart, whereas scopolamine has a sedativeFacts About Sedative A sedative is a substance that depresses the central nervous system, resulting in calmness, relaxation, reduction of anxiety... effect. A famous alkaloid from the Solanaceae family is nicotineNicotine Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants , predominantly in tobacco, and in lower quantities in toma... . Like the tropanes, its pharmacology acts on cholinergic neurons, but with the opposite effect (it is an agonistAgonist An agonist is a molecule that selectively binds to a specific receptor and triggers a response in the cell.... as opposed to an antagonistReceptor antagonist In medicine and biology, a receptor antagonist is a ligand that inhibits the function of an agonist and Inverse Agonists fo... ). It has a higher specificity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors than other ACh proteins. Its effects are well known. NicotineNicotine Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants , predominantly in tobacco, and in lower quantities in toma... occurs naturally in the NicotianaNicotiana *Nicotiana* refers to a genus of herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, Austral... or TobaccoTobacco Tobacco refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, or to the ... genus. Nutritional importance The most important species of this family for the global diet is the potatoPotato The potato is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber.... or Solanum tuberosum, whose carbohydrateCarbohydrate Carbohydrates are chemical compounds that contain oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon atoms.... -rich tuberTuber Overview A tuber is a part of a rhizome thickened for use as a storage organ.... s have been a staple foodStaple food A staple food is a food that forms the basis of a traditional diet, particularly that of the poor.... in many times and places, and which is one of the most grown crops today. In many genera, the fruits are the desirable item, for example, tomatoTomato The tomato is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central, South, and southern North America from Me... es, tomatilloTomatillo The tomatillo is a small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit surrounded by a paper-like husk formed from the calyx.... s, eggplants, uchuva, and peppersCapsicum *Capsicum* is a genus of plants from the nightshade family .... . Some people experience sensitivity or allergyAllergy An allergy can refer to several kinds of immune reactions including Type I hypersensitivity in which a person's body ... -like symptoms in response to nightshade plants. External links - A worldwide taxonomic monograph of all species in the genus Solanum. in http://delta-intkey.com in USDA Plants Database. See also List of plants poisonous to equinesList of plants poisonous to equines This is a list of plants which are poisonous to equines.... Additional reading