trichome

Biology

(noun)

a hair- or scale-like extension of the epidermis of a plant

Related Terms

Microbiology

(noun)

Certain (usually filamentous) algae have the terminal cell produced into an elongate "hair-like" structure called a trichome. The same term is applied to such structures in some cyanobacteria.

Examples of trichome in the following topics:

  • Leaf Structure, Function, and Adaptation

    • Other leaves may have small hairs (trichomes) on the leaf surface.
    • Trichomes help to avert herbivory by restricting insect movements or by storing toxic or bad-tasting compounds.
    • Trichomes give leaves a fuzzy appearance as in this (a) sundew (Drosera sp.).
    • Leaf trichomes include (b) branched trichomes on the leaf of Arabidopsis lyrata and (c) multibranched trichomes on a mature Quercus marilandica leaf.
    • The bumps protruding from the lower surface of the leaf are glandular trichomes.

  • Movement of Water and Minerals in the Xylem

    • Xerophytes and epiphytes often have a thick covering of trichomes or stomata that are sunken below the leaf's surface.
    • Trichomes are specialized hair-like epidermal cells that secrete oils and other substances.

  • Chloroflexus and Relatives

    • The individual bacteria tend to form filamentous colonies enclosed in sheaths, which are known as trichomes.

  • Stem Anatomy

    • Trichomes are hair-like structures on the epidermal surface.