phytochrome

noun

phy·​to·​chrome ˈfī-tə-ˌkrōm 

: any of a group of proteins bound to light-absorbing pigments in many plants that play a role in initiating floral and developmental processes when activated by red or near-infrared radiation

Examples of phytochrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The phytochrome detects both red light and far-red light to establish circadian rhythms. —Lydia Rivers, Discover Magazine, 20 July 2021

Nyctinastic plants know when to seal and unfurl thanks to phytochrome, a blue-green pigment associated with the absorption of light that helps regulate different types of growth and development. —Lydia Rivers, Discover Magazine, 20 July 2021

Word History

Etymology

phyto- + -chrome

Note: The term phytochrome was introduced by the American botanist Harry A. Borthwick (1898-1974) and the biochemist Sterling B. Hendricks (1902-81) in 1960, apparently first in an article coauthored with S. Nakayama, "Failure of photoreversible control of flowering in Pharbitis nil," Botanical Gazette, vol. 121, no. 4 (June, 1960), p. 242, and more formally in the article "Photoperiodism in plants," Science, vol. 132, issue 3435 (October 28, 1960), pp. 1223-28.

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above