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Impact of Heavy Metals on Physiological Processes of Plants: With Special Reference to Photosynthetic System

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Plant Responses to Xenobiotics

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution is one of the major environmental problems which is caused by unchecked and uncontrolled discharge of hazardous chemicals consisting of heavy metals. Heavy metals affect agricultural land and plant’s productivity by affecting its most vital process, i.e., photosynthesis. Exposure of plants to heavy metals leads to generation of ROS, and few heavy metals are directly involved in electron transport. It also leads to lipid peroxidation destroying plant’s cell membrane and its associated organelles. Chlorophyll biosynthesis is affected by heavy metals as it substitutes Mg ion from chlorophyll. Few heavy metals also affect enzyme involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis as well as disturb electron transport in light reactions and affect various enzymes in dark reactions. This detailed information helps us to understand the mechanism linked with the impact of heavy metals on physiological responses affecting plant biomass and productivity which is of concern for agriculture. Therefore, the present chapter consists of whole information regarding the impact of heavy metals on photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic apparatus, and light and dark reactions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Head of the Department of Botany for all the laboratory facilities and to the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, for providing financial support to the work. Richa Rai is grateful to the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, for awarding Fast Track Young Scientist.

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  1. Laboratory of Air Pollution and Global Climate Change, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Richa Rai, Madhoolika Agrawal & S. B. Agrawal

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  1. Richa Rai
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  2. Madhoolika Agrawal
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  3. S. B. Agrawal
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Correspondence to Madhoolika Agrawal .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ranjan Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Anita Singh

  2. Ranjan Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory Department of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Sheo Mohan Prasad

  3. Faculty of Science, Institute of Sustainable Development Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rajeev Pratap Singh

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Rai, R., Agrawal, M., Agrawal, S.B. (2016). Impact of Heavy Metals on Physiological Processes of Plants: With Special Reference to Photosynthetic System. In: Singh, A., Prasad, S., Singh, R. (eds) Plant Responses to Xenobiotics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2860-1_6

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