What Is the Function of a Raphide Crystal?
Last Updated Apr 11, 2020 9:45:24 AM ET
A raphide crystal occurs in plant cells, and its main function is to repel animals away from plants. The crystals are shaped like needles, and are formed from calcium oxalate.
Raphides and raphide crystals are found in more than 200 different species of plants. Raphides have a sharp end, and when consumed, release a toxin that is harmful to a plant's predator. Stinging and burning can occur in the mouth of a predator who has eaten a raphide crystal, and esophageal damage can occur. A lethal dose of raphide crystal to an animal like a field mouse is 15 mg/kg.
More From Reference
Your Guide to Renewable Energy Resource Types
Here’s How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed In-Person Retail Shopping in Lasting Ways
A Brief History of Insults: How Different Cultures Use Spoken and Written Verse to Mock and Mediate
Monkeydactyl and the Little Foot Fossil: Major Evolutionary Breakthroughs of 2021 (So Far)
Fact Check: How Accurate Are Farmers Almanac Weather Forecasts in Comparison to Weather Apps?
What Annual Income Is Considered Poverty Level & How Was the Federal Poverty Level Established?