Trichomes, internal excretory system.

Article for the "bio/mol/text" competition: The smell of cinnamon and apples - grandma's pie, the smell of pine and tangerines - New Year, the sweet intoxication of bird cherry - spring... Each reader will certainly be able to add to this list a long series of their own associations. The variety of plant aromas created by nature seems inexhaustible, many of them are absolutely unique. To designate such substances that do not directly participate in the growth, development and reproduction of individual cells, the term “ secondary metabolites ” was proposed more than 200 years ago. Despite the somewhat disrespectful name, these substances play an important role in the life of the plant as a whole and are involved in the interaction of plants with each other and with the environment. To date, more than 100,000 such substances have been identified, many of which are highly volatile, and people perceive them as the smell of a plant. In this article I want to talk about some of the features of odorous plants, a little about how the biosynthesis of volatile secondary metabolites is studied, as well as the prospects for applying this knowledge in practice.

What are cannabis trichomes?

The name "trichomes" comes from the Greek word meaning "hair". Indeed, marijuana trichomes look like small hairs - outgrowths consisting of epidermal cells. If you arm yourself with a magnifying glass or microscope, you can see a shiny drop of resin on each of the miniature hairs. It is this resin that contains cannabinoids and aromatic terpenes, which determine the medicinal and psychoactive properties of marijuana. The more trichomes on the bushes, the higher the quality of the finished product. During the flowering period, trichomes cover the buds, leaves and stems of plants. Most trichomes are found on unpollinated inflorescences.

Content

• 1 Algae trichomes
• 2 Plant trichomes 2.1 Hairs on aerial surfaces
• 2.2 Glandular trichomes
• 2.3 Non-glandular trichomes 2.3.1 Polyphenols

Why do cannabis need trichomes?

The most important function of trichomes is protective. With the help of these miniature hairs that secrete resin, plants are protected from:

• Insect pests and parasites. The sticky resin prevents small insects from penetrating into the hemp tissue and multiplying.
• Herbivores and birds. Some components contained in the resin make hemp unattractive to animals and birds that feed on the plants.
• Various bacteria, fungus, mold. The resin contains components that increase the plant's immunity.
• Ultraviolet radiation. Trichomes, covering the inflorescences and leaves of plants with a thick carpet, prevent the negative effects of UV rays. This is where THC's ability to absorb ultraviolet light comes to the fore.

Another important function of trichomes is the production of terpenes, aromatic substances that attract pollinating insects. This feature suggests that trichomes play an important role in the reproduction process of cannabis.

Implications for plant molecular biology

the Arabidopsis thaliana model plant

, trichome formation is initiated by the GLABROUS1 protein.
Knockouts of the corresponding gene result in naked plants. This phenotype has already been used in genome editing experiments and may be of interest as a visual marker for plant research to improve gene editing techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9.[17][18] Trichomes also serve as models for cellular differentiation as well as pattern formation in plants.[19] Bud and shoot Stylidium
species showing trichomes that can trap and kill insects

Types of marijuana trichomes

There are three types of cannabis trichomes, which differ from each other in appearance and structure:

• Bulbous - bulbous . This type of trichome is one of the smallest - their size is 15-30 microns. A single trichome consists of a head and a stalk, which contain only a few cells. Bulbous can only be examined in detail through a microscope with a magnification of 40-60 times. Bulbous trichomes cover all visible parts of the plant. Between the cutaneous part and the head, a resin with cannabinoids and other active substances is produced. Resin droplets press on the membranes, and thus nipple-like outgrowths appear on the trichomes.
• Capitate-Sessile - capitate or capitate petiolate. These trichomes can be seen with the naked eye, but for a detailed examination a microscope will be useful - the size of capitate trichomes is 25-100 microns. Most of the trichome is occupied by the head, which has a spherical shape. During the flowering period, when the trichomes actively secrete resin, their heads swell and become larger - so much so that the short stem is not visible from under them. This is where the name comes from. Trichomes of this species can be seen in large quantities on the buds and small leaves of plants.
• Capitate-Stalked – capitate-footed or capitate-petiolate. The most numerous variety of trichomes, which, during the transition of bushes to flowering, cover the stems, leaves, buds and other above-ground parts of plants. There are especially many of these trichomes on the calyxes and colas of female bushes. In terms of their structure, capitate-footed trichomes are a more complex version of capitate-petiolate trichomes. They have a fairly long stem on which a ball head with resin is located. These trichomes can be seen without a microscope - a magnifying glass will be enough for a detailed examination, since they have a size of 150-500 microns.

ALL ABOUT TRICHOMES

Young Grover Course (Source marivanych.club, hs420)

All cannabis connoisseurs have heard about hemp trichomes, but not everyone knows what they really are.

The closer the harvest, the stickier the plants become. Small fragrant white crystals appear on the leaves and inflorescences, which is why the bushes resemble snow-covered Christmas trees.

These sticky shiny crystals are trichomes - a very important part of the plant:

WHAT ARE TRICHOMES?

The name "trichomes" comes from the Greek word meaning "hair".

Indeed, marijuana trichomes look like small hairs - outgrowths consisting of epidermal cells:

Trichomes are mainly found on the buds and on the main fan-shaped leaves. However, they can also be found on the lower leaves and even on the stem, but in smaller quantities.

If you look at the buds up close, you'll see thousands of tiny, translucent shoots:

It is this resin that contains cannabinoids and aromatic terpenes, which determine the medicinal and psychoactive properties of marijuana.

The more trichomes on the bushes, the higher the quality of the finished product.

During the flowering period, trichomes cover the buds, leaves and stems of plants. Most trichomes are found on unpollinated inflorescences.

WHY ARE HEMP TRICHOMES?

The most important function of trichomes is protective.

With the help of these miniature hairs that secrete resin, plants are protected from: