Sunscreen of plants

Plants do not get sunburn because they secrete substances that act as sunscreens, helping to protect them from harmful sun rays.

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According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, plants survive by absorbing sunlight energy, but they never get sunburned because there is a special "sunscreen" on them. The leaves and twigs, Nature World News said.

Sinapate ester molecules coated on leaves help plants fight harmful UV rays.(Photo: Pixabay)

Like humans, too much sun exposure to harmful UV rays not only causes plants to burn but also seriously damages DNA. As a result, plant growth can be hampered if not protected by the shade of the next tree and its own natural sunscreen.

Chemist Timothy Zwier and colleagues at Purdue University, USA, said plants create special molecules, called sinapate esters, to prevent ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from penetrating deeper into the leaves, monitor the normal development of plants.

The team converted sinapate ester molecules into gaseous state and fired UVB radiation on them. They found that sinapate ester molecules are capable of absorbing radiation at all wavelengths in the UVB spectrum.

A sinapate ester coating on the plant is not thick, which is why it is difficult to recognize them on the leaves of most plants.