User talk:Myn1354/sandbox

Thermogenesis
Kite and Hetterschieid used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to collect odor during the female phase that ultimately draws odor through the trap using a portable pump (Raman, 2017). Primary odorant causing the smell during anthesis was DMTS, a sulfur-smelling compound. Trimethylamine was responsible for the rotting-fish smell emitted at the end of flowering. This carrion smell was objectively described as “decayed cabbage, garlic and pungent sour” using an electronic nose and standard gas descriptors (Chicago website). The volatile profiles of the appendix, male flowers, female flowers and spathe were clearly different from each other (UCSB Corpse Flower). The odor of the corpse flower was due to a complex mixture of volatile compounds produced by different floral parts. The strongly unpleasant odor compounds are due, in part, to the presence of butyric acid, isovaleric acid, phenol, and trimethyl pyrazine located within the appendix part of the inflorescence. There are additional sweet-smelling compounds observed, such as butyl acetate, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2-ethyl hexanol, linalool, and benzylalcohol (UCSB Corpse Flower). Volatile compounds are significant in plant-insect interactions. Each fragrant compound behaves differently to different insects. Individual compounds may also act differently when they are within volatile mixtures (Korotkova and Wilheim). For example, acetoin attracted Drosophilia melanogaster (common fruit fly). Benzyl alcohol together with 2-phenyl ethanol and phenyl aldehyde attract honey bees. The quality and quantity of the scent’s volatile composition may vary between flowers, places, and different times of flowering (Korotkova and Wilheim). The volatile compounds produced by the flower in the evening may be different from those produced during full bloom at midnight and so and so in the following hours. The thermogenesis of the common corpse flower has been through extensive research. Nadja Korotkova and Wilhelm Barthlott executed an experiment to understand thermogenesis during the second male flowering phase (Korotkova and Wilheim). They discover that the male flowering phase clearly produces heat at a maximum of 96.62 degrees Fahrenheit and slowly cools down to 74.3 degrees Fahrenheit during the nighttime. This thermogenic phase occurs during a strict attraction period during the first flowering phase, referred to as the Female Flowering Phase, and during the nighttime. Evidence suggests that some insects are able to perceive infrared light and that the floral heat could be beneficial for insects. The two thermogenic phases are clearly linked with flowering phase and their complex relationship with pollinators.