The current state of the problem of heat production (thermo-genesis) in plants is analyzed. Thermogenesis is an adaptive feature that facilitates cross-pollination in some species of Cycadaceae, Araceae, Annonaceae, Nymphaeaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Arecaceae and Cyclanthaceae, Magnoliaceae, Nelumbonaceae, Rafflesiaceae. The release of heat energy in the cells of thermogenic flowers or inflorescences is mainly due to the acceleration of mitochondrial respiration. According to current views, the basis of the molecular mechanism of thermogenesis is the dissipation of energy produced in the mitochondrial respiratory chain by means of alternative oxidase and mitochondrial uncoupling proteins.
Keywords: thermoregulation, respiration, uncoupling proteins, alternative oxidase, bisexual flowers
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