ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the classification of metal ions according to their toxicity and physico-chemical characteristics. It summarizes the adverse effects of toxic metals on Rubisco and on photosynthetic electron transport with specification of their sites of action in the photosynthetic apparatus. The chapter presents an up-to-date review of the recent findings related to the impact of toxic metals on woody plants, some important agronomic crops and medicinal plants, including defense reactions, and detoxification mechanisms induced by toxic metals in plants. There are 350,000 plant species in the world, and about 80,000 are edible for humans. The life functions of woody plants grown under different stress conditions are negatively affected, and the adverse effects of the environment reflected especially in biochemical, and physiological processes photosynthesis is finally manifested in a lower biomass production. Low molecular weight antioxidants were suggested to play the determinant role in the prevention of oxidative stress in the organs of P. sylvestris seedlings.
