“Phorbol” refers to a family of related organic molecules that have two terpene chemical groups.

“佛波醇”指的系列相关的有两个萜烯化学基的有机分子。

Plants can even use terpenes as a chemical cry for help.

植能通过萜烯传递求救的化学信息。

Lots of sweet-smelling flowers, for instance, use terpenes to attract pollinators.

比如许多有香味的花朵，使用萜烯来吸引传粉者。

One reason these smells are strong is that terpenes tend to be volatile, meaning that they evaporate easily.

这些气味浓重的个原因萜烯会挥发——意思就说，它们很容易就蒸发掉了。

In April Ichitan, Thailand's biggest teamaker, launched two drinks infused with terpene, a compound responsible for cannabis's pong.

今年4月，泰国最大的饮品制造商Ichitan推了两种含有萜烯的饮料，萜烯种与大麻相互作用的化合。

Based on the specific chemicals detected, the protist can identify the terpene sender's species.

原生生便可辨识萜烯的发送者。

We might even be able to genetically engineer plants or microorganisms to produce these terpenes.

我们也许可以对植或微生进行基因改造来生产这些萜烯。

Most organisms produce complex mixtures of terpenes, not just one or two, which allows for a wider vocabulary and a more complex conversation.

大多数有机体都会产生萜烯化合，两种，这就能够支持更广的词汇和更复杂的沟通。

So, if scientists can work out how the different molecules signal different species, we can use terpenes to issue our own orders.

如果科学家能够搞清楚同分子指示何种信号，我们可以使用萜烯来发自己的指令。

All a molecule has to do to be considered a terpene is have the right structure.

分子想要成为萜烯，只需要有正确的结构就可以了。

But researchers have seen what appears to be more of an actual conversation using terpenes.

但研究者已经发现了似乎更像用萜烯进行真实的交流。

Some terpenes are used to communicate within the same species, in which case we'd call them a pheromone.

些萜烯被用于进行种内交流，这样的萜烯我们称之为信息素。

But because terpenes are so diverse, some can be used to send information between entirely different kingdoms. Kingdoms of life, I mean.

但因为萜烯非常多样，其中些也可用于在整个动界传递信息，这里说的生上的界。

I'm talking about terpenes—a multipurpose class of chemical compounds that can be used to communicate both within and across species.

我说的萜烯——种多用途的可以用于种内和种间沟通交流的化合。

Because it's so broad a label, terpenes can have lots of different biological functions—like as vitamins, hormones, or part of the immune system.

因为萜烯包罗广泛，因此它们有多种同的生学功能——比如说维生素、激素或者作为免疫系统的部分。

Terpenes aren't the only kinds of molecules species use to communicate with each other, but they are some of the most common.

萜烯生间彼此交流的唯分子，但却使用最为普遍的种。

One of those terpenes goes by the name sodorifen, which has a super unusual structure compared to all the other terpenes we've studied.

有种名叫发汗剂的萜烯，和研究过的其他萜烯相比相比，拥有非同寻常的机构。

With more research, terpenes could eventually be used to protect crops from hungry pests or fungal and bacterial infections, or to improve crop growth and health.

经过更多的研究，萜烯还可以最终用来保护作免受饥饿的害虫、真菌和细菌的侵袭，或改善作的生长和健康状况。

If a caterpillar picks the wrong leaf to munch on, it might just find itself a meal because the plant releases terpenes that attract one of that caterpillar's natural predators or parasites.

如果毛毛虫挑错了树叶并大嚼特嚼，它自己很可能刚好被当做顿大餐，因为植会释放以些萜烯，吸引毛毛虫的天敌或者寄生虫。

They're also a really common source of scents in plants—you might've heard people talk about terpenes as the chemicals that give different strains of cannabis different aromas, and they're responsible for the scent of things like peppermint and fir trees.

它们同样也植气味的常见来源——你或许听过人们讨论萜烯时，将它视作能使同的大麻发同香味的化学药品，同时它们也对薄荷和杉树的气味起主导作用。