Reductive Analysis of Factors Limiting Growth of Cadmium-treated Plants: a Review

A reductive analysis of factors limiting growth of plants subjected to Cd treatment is made in this review. The non-specific character of Cd phytotoxicity and its negative effects on the basic growth components: RGR, NAR, LAR, SLA, etc. are presented. An attempt to connect the changes in plant growth with some effects of Cd on water relations, dark respiration, and photosynthesis was made. It was established that growth inhibition is mainly due to disorders both in dark respiration and photosynthesis. Decreased photosynthetic rate is a consequence of the negative Cd effects on a number of different sites of this process and mainly on the biochemical reactions of Calvin’s cycle. Some unclear sides of the problem of Cd phytotoxicity that could be the object of further investigations are pointed out.