Abstract
Global warming is the term used to describe the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface, air and oceans. High temperature increases due to global warming can cause injury and may finally lead to the death of plants by many mechanisms. Although plants have natural defense mechanisms for their survival under high temperature stress, some of them are sensitive to high temperature stress and cannot adapt themselves. Current advances in science and technology enable the application of molecular biology techniques helful for studying the effects of high temperature on plants related to their gene expression. The knowledge gained from research can help us to understand sensitive and tolerant plants in respect of high temperatures with control provided by multigene families. Cloning gene(s) responsible for the heat tolerance of plants and the transfer to other plants sensitive to heat stress can increase heat tolerance in transgenic plants. This results from doing basic research. Therefore, it is necessary for scientists to use advanced science and technology to reduce the adverse effects of global warming on plants, especially economic and medicinal plants.
