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heavy-metal-tolerance

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Heavy-metal tolerance refers to the ability of certain plants to withstand and often accumulate elevated concentrations of toxic metals such as zinc, cadmium, and lead in their tissues without suffering significant growth impairment. This trait is of major interest in plant science because it underlies the phenomenon of hyperaccumulation, offering insights into specialized transport proteins, chelation mechanisms, and cellular detoxification pathways. Understanding the genetic and physiological basis of heavy-metal tolerance has practical applications in phytoremediation, where plants are used to extract or stabilize metal contaminants from polluted soils.