Senescence Processes in Plants

Plants exhibit both mitotic and postmitotic senescence. Mitotic senescence occurs when meristem cells lose their ability to undergo mitotic cell division. Postmitotic senescence, an active degenerative process, occurs in organs such as leaves and flowers that are at their last stage of development. With the tools of molecular genetics, recent years have seen remarkable advances in our understanding of plant senescence, which is of major importance to agriculture. This volume provides an overview of the recent advances in the physiology, biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology of mitotic and postmitotic senescence in plants, and discusses the genetic manipulation of senescence for agricultural improvement.