Definition of allelochemical in English:
allelochemical
noun əˌliːləʊˈkɛmɪk(ə)ləˌlēlōˈkemikəl
A chemical produced by a living organism that exerts a detrimental physiological effect on individuals of another species when released into the environment.
Example sentencesExamples
- The question of what happens to suspected allelochemicals once they enter the soil also remains an incredibly complex matter.
- Various plant species are known to suppress other species by the production of allelochemicals from leaves, flowers, seeds, stems, and roots of living or decomposing plant materials.
- Other allelochemicals have been found to be mineralized by micro-organisms under similar conditions.
- And most important, we need to be sure that allelochemicals don't harm non-target organisms, including humans.
- These allelochemicals are concentrated in the photosynthetic layer of the stem which is located directly under the skin of the cactus.
Origin
1970s: from Greek allēl- 'one another' + chemical.