Name: Braxton Cole Burchfield

Read Borrell et al. (2009), watch The Real Reason Peppers are Spicy (in video lecture) and answer
the following questions for a 15 pt. homework assignment.

Your answers must be TYPED, in complete sentences, AND in your own words.

Bring TWO copies. One to turn in and one to use for discussion!

Also-please answer all parts to each question for maximum credit.

Questions from Borrell et al. (2009)

1. What are the various hypotheses that are proposed to explain why chilis are so popular as a food
additive? Why do people use chilis? (1 pt)
There are a couple of theories as to why people use chilis and why they are a popular food
additive. One theory is that chilis taste good so people add them to foods. Another theory is
that early people realized chilis preserved their food better. A different theory is that chilis
were used as medicine.
2. What question did the authors ask? Note that there is no explicit hypothesis/prediction. Develop
your own hypothesis and prediction based on the information given in the article. Did the authors
findings support or refute the hypothesis you developed? Is it clear at this point or is there more
work to be done? (2pts)
Does capsaicin protect chilis differently in spicy and mild chilis?
Hypothesis: Spicy chilies will protect against rodents better than mild chilies will.
The results supported the hypothesis.
The point is clear but studies can and should always be repeated for accuracy.
3. What types of plant-animal or plant-fungal interactions are affected by the production of
capsaicin? Include in your answer what affect capsaicin has on fungi, birds, and mice. Why do
populations of pepper plants moist, humid environments typically produce more capsaicin than
populations in dryer climates? (2pts)
There are several types of plant-animal and plant-fungal interactions that are effected by
capsaicin entering their systems. Starting with plant-animal interactions with the capsaicin
being eaten by birds causing their digest system to start to slow down. With capsaicin
entering rats systems by rats eating them in chilis and deterring them away from that chili
plant. In plant-fungal, the chilis in humid environments contain more capsaicin too deter
the fungus there from infecting it.
4. What hypothesis can you test in the plant-fungal lab? How could the results of your experiment
add to the big picture? In other words, what implications could your results have for helping to
explain the interactions between plants and fungi? (2pts)
Hypothesis: The more capsaicin in the chili the less fungi that will be on the chili.
In the big picture these results mean that certain plants are able to keep harmful fungus
away by having a response that predators (fungi) don’t like.
5. What further questions could the authors ask to better understand what’s going on in the big
picture)? Give an example of an experiment they could carry out to answer additional questions.
(2pts)
The researchers could ask questions such as: Because chilis produce capsaicin, does this
mean they are less like to be eaten by animals and have their seeds spread from this?
 They could have different animals that are known to spread seeds such as birds and
squirrels eat the chilis with capsaicin and chilis without it and compare how the anmials
spread the seeds.

Questions for The Real Reason Peppers are Spicy

6. What was the original scientific explanation for peppers to contain capsaicin? (1 pt)
Originally, scientists thought peppers became spicy, contain capsaicin, was to deter mammals
from eating them.
7. In what way do insects contribute to infections of pepper plants? (1 pt)
Insects can contribute to infections in pepper plants by creating little holes in peppers called scars
that help the infection and fungus.
8. What could we expect to find in an area of peppers which tend to have higher levels of scarring
on average? (2 pts)
We would expect these peppers to be more spicy in this given area due to the fact they need
more protection due to the fungus that will be growing in the scars..
9. Why do pepper tend to increase in ‘heat’ as they mature? (2 pts)
Peppers get spicier as they ripen/mature because they have to deter insects and fungi and as
they get older they create more capsaicin to do this.