xenohormesis
Type: concept Aliases: xenohormetic pathway
Systems Analogy
An early warning radar interface where a device reads distress signals from neighboring units to prepare for incoming environmental load.
The hypothesis that animals have evolved to respond to stress-induced chemical signals synthesized by plants, using them as early warnings to upregulate endogenous defense mechanisms.
Scientific Sources & Verbatim Definitions
- Empirical StudyHowitz KT, Sinclair DA. Xenohormesis: sensing the chemical cues of other species' adversity. Cell. 2008;133(3):387-391. ↗
"Xenohormesis explains how plant distress molecules activate survival mechanisms in heterotrophs."