Little Drop of Poison

Glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp) is systemic, meaning that it’s water soluble, and therefore easily absorbed and transported within organic tissue. It works by inhibiting an enzymatic pathway, known as the shikimic acid or shikimate pathway, responsible for growth in plants, fungi and some bacteria. Inhibition of the shikimate pathway leads to rapid cell death in the affected organism. It’s non-selective, meaning that it will act upon any plant or microorganism that’s exposed to it, killing it within a matter of days.