title: Secondary metabolites and their role in evolution.
abstract: The role of secondary metabolites in evolution will be examined with the view that they are chemicals released within a system by one component which have evolved to affect other component(s) within the system. Secondary metabolites are a natural outgrowth and consequence of an increase in complexity, and they are a critical part of the chemical "glue" that holds a system together. An analysis of secondary metabolites from a broad perspective (e.g. genetics, ecology, evolution, etc.) suggests that the nature of secondary metabolism can be viewed as a critical component of an emergent system (ecological) arising from a host of interlocking cycles and feedback processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Jarvis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents