Durh....what does this mean?

Watcher

Junior Poster
Apr 16, 2005
23
0
1
50
College Station, Tx
Sorry, dumb question.

What does the acronym SAM stand for? I keep reading it in Tom's articles but can't find out the meaning. :confused:

(EDIT) Actually, can there be a common acronym link set up? What does CAM stand for? I'm experiencing impairment in understanding on Tom's lessons for lack of knowing them.(/Edit)
 

fosteder

Guru Class Expert
Feb 3, 2005
123
0
16
Rochester, NH
Re: Durh....what does this mean?

Submerged Aquatic Macrophyte....I think I got that right. :D

It is referring to aquatic higher order plants specifically. Not algae.
 

Paul

Guru Class Expert
Jan 24, 2005
169
0
16
50
Droitwich, UK
Re: Durh....what does this mean?

Watcher said:
Sorry, dumb question.

What does the acronym SAM stand for? I keep reading it in Tom's articles but can't find out the meaning. :confused:

(EDIT) Actually, can there be a common acronym link set up? What does CAM stand for? I'm experiencing impairment in understanding on Tom's lessons for lack of knowing them.(/Edit)

Not a dumb question at all, have a look here , the thread I seem to read the most, you are not the only one who struggles with the acronyms
 

Greg Watson

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
5,023
3
38
United States
Re: Durh....what does this mean?

Watcher said:
Sorry, dumb question.

What does the acronym SAM stand for? I keep reading it in Tom's articles but can't find out the meaning. :confused:

(EDIT) Actually, can there be a common acronym link set up? What does CAM stand for? I'm experiencing impairment in understanding on Tom's lessons for lack of knowing them.(/Edit)

Fosterd got the SAM right - Submersed Aquatic Macrophyte (i.e. plants) as opposed to Microphytes (algae generically speaking) ...

As for the CAM definition, I had to ask Tom ... now try to wrap your head around this one :

CAM is the abbreviation of Crassulacean acid metabolism. The name points at the fact that this pathway occurs mainly in Crassulacean species (and other succulent plants). The chemical reaction of the carbon dioxide accumulation is similar to that of C4 plants but here the carbon dioxide fixation and its assimilation not separated spatially but in time.

... I'm going to have to work on that one for a few weeks !!!!

Greg
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
Re: Durh....what does this mean?

C4 spatial separation
CAM temporal separation

C4 plants concentrate CO2 around Rubisco, this is sometimes referred to a Carbon Concentrating Mechanisms(CCM).
Hydrilla is a C4 plant and there are others that are aquatic.

CAM plants grow slower, Isoetes is the only genus I can think of that is aquatic. CAM basically takes up CO2 at night and stores is as malic acid for use during the day. This means for a desert plant, they will not have to lose water during the hot day to get the CO2.
Submersed, this allows the CO2 to be removed at night when the CO2 levels are high, then use the stored CO2 during the day when it's low from other plants/algae etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
Re: Durh....what does this mean?

Don't fear a PhD or a professor, they are as dumb as the rest of us. Sometimes more so in quite a few areas.

Supersonic Atomic Missle is the SAM acronym most in the media think of......these are a little less benign:)

Don't worry, there is no test at the end here, unless you want one:)
I can write those. But as you wade through the articles, some gets fairly technical but there is support for what might seem a subtle point, but they are not. I do try and put Submersed aquatic macrophyte and then SAM from then on, but I may be getting rusty as new folks come on board and are unfamilar with the term.

It's used to represent Chara, Nitella and other larger plant like algae as well as non and vascular plants.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

chubasco

Guru Class Expert
Jan 24, 2005
284
0
16
Re: Durh....what does this mean?

Hummm,
Surface-to-Air Missile is also an acronym :)

Bill