Biodiversity & Natural resources Flashcards
Describe a cell wall
A rigid structure that surrounds plant cells. It’s made mainly of the carbohydrate cellulose.
What is the function of a cell wall?
Supports plant cells.
Describe the middle lamella.
The outermost layer of the cell
What is the function of the middle lamella ?
This layer acts as an adhesive, sticking adjacent plant cells together. It gives the plant stability.
Describe the plasmodesmata
Channels in the cell walls that link adjacent cells together.
What is the function of the plasmodesmata?
Allow transport of substances and communication between cells.
Describe pits
Regions of the cell wall where the wall is very thin. They’re arranged in pairs — the pit in one cell is lined up with the pit in the adjacent cell.
What is the function of pits
Allow transport of substances between cells.
Describe a chloroplast
A small, flattened structure. It’s surrounded by a double membrane, and also has membranes inside called thylakoid membranes.
These membranes are stacked up in some parts of the chloroplast to form grana. Grana are linked together by lamellae — thin, flat pieces of thylakoid membrane.
What is the function of a chloroplast?
The site where photosynthesis takes place. Some parts of photosynthesis happen in the grana, and other parts happen in the stroma (a thick fluid found in chloroplasts).
Describe an amyloplast
A small organelle enclosed by a membrane. They contain starch granules.
What is the function of an amyloplast?
Storage of starch grains. They also convert starch back to glucose for release when the plant requires it.
Describe a vacuole and tonoplast
The vacuole is a compartment surrounded by a membrane called the tonoplast.
What is the function of a vacuole and tonoplast?
The vacuole contains the cell sap, which is made up of water, enzymes, minerals and waste products. Vacuoles keep the cells turgid — this stops plants wilting. They’re also involved in the breakdown and isolation of unwanted chemicals in the cell. The tonoplast controls what enters and leaves the vacuole.
What are the structural isomers of glucose ?
Alpha and beta
How do the structural isomers of glucose differ?
Position of -OH group . Bottom is alpha , top is beta
Describe cellulose
A polysaccharide made of thousands of B glucose monomers arranged in single unbranched chain bonded by stable 1-4 glycosidic bond
In plants cellulose makes up the bulk of cell wall, what does this provide?
Strength required to maintain the cells shape
Support for the plant stem or trunk
Describe the structure of cellulose
Every other glucose molecules rotates 180 so that the -OH group on each molecule are adjacent to one another
Condensation reaction between them links the 2 molecules
What feature of cellulose gives rise to its great tensile strength ?
Hydrogen bonds between the chain
Describe how 2 betas glucose molecules must be positioned relative to each other for a condensation to take place between them
One molecule will be rotated 180 so two -oh. Groups lie alongside and cant react
Explain why the bond between each pair of glucose molecules in cellulose is called 1-4 glycosidic bond
It links the -oh group on the carbon 1 of one glucose with he -oh group of carbon 4 of another
Describe the structure of a cellulose molecule and compare it to starch
Cellulose is a linear molecule consisting of up to several thousand of B glucose molecules bonded by a 1-4 glycosidic bond
Starch is composed of two main molecules: amylose which forms a helix and a branched molecule called amylopectin. Amylose consists of A glucose monomers bonded by 1-4 glycosidic bonds. Amylopectin also consists of a glucose monomers but also 1,6 glycosidic bonds which causes it to branch
Explain the purpose of cellulose and starch in plant cells
Cellulose has a structural role, providing strength and support to plant cells.
Starch provides plants with a means of storing energy.
Glucose molecules are stored inside amyloplast in a compact form which can be easily hydrolysed to be released as an energy source when required
Explain why wood has such a high strength to weight ratio
The lattice structures of the cells in the wood provide a low density structure while the cellulose provides strength
Explain the reason for cellulose possessing such a high tensile strength
Cellulite’s microfibrils are composed of molecules that posses strong intermolecular bonds as well as having strong hydrogen bonding between cellulose molecules
Roughly how many glucose units does cellulose contain ?
Each cellulose chain contains between 1000-10000 glucose units - all contained in a straight chain
How is the cell wall arranged?
Contains cellulose microfibrils in a net like arrangement
Microfibrils are bundles of about
60-70 cellulose molecules wound in a helical arrangement around the cell.
How is the rope like structure of microfibrils held together?
Held together with polysaccharide glue hemicellulose + pectin
What are the properties of cellulose?
Insoluable - no osmotic effect
Strong + sturdy - prevents cell from bursting when turgid
Flexible - allow changes in osmotic pressure
Structural component
What is the function of xylem vessels ?
is to transport water and mineral ions up the plant, and provide support.
Describe the xylem vessel
They’re very long, tube-like structures formed from dead cells, joined end to end.
The tubes are found together in bundles.
The cells are longer than they are wide, they have a hollow lumen (they contain no cytoplasm) and have no end walls.
Why does having a uninterrupted tube beneficial for the xylem vessel?
allowing water and mineral ions to pass up through the middle easily.
What is the role of lignin in the xylem vessel?
Walls of the xylem lined with a waterproof polymer - lignin
Structural support - spiral thickening around wall of the vessel - strength, rigid + upright
Describe the movement of water up the stem in a xylem
Water travels up the xylem via cohesion tension
As the water from mesophyll evaporates into airspaces, a transpiration pull is created, more water is needed for leaves
Water diffuses into roots via osmosis - down the water gradient , water potential at bottom is low hence water is pulled up
Describe cohesion tension theory
H20 molecules from hydrogen bonds between one another stick
Water forms continuous unbroken dumn
What is the function of phloem tissues?
is to transport organic solutes (mainly sugars like sucrose) from where they’re made in the plant to where they’re needed.- translocation
Describe sieve tube elements
Living cells that form the tube for transporting organic substances
Contains cytoplasm but no nucleus
Wall made of cellulose
Describe companion cells
Connected to sieve tube elements via plasmodesmata
Provides energy required for active transport
Allow cytoplasm to be shared and has a nucleus
Describe sieve plates
Either end of sieve tube element
Has large pores that allow sap to move through sieve tube
Allow sugars to be transported through phloem
What is translocation ?
Translocation is the process where sugars produced in photosynthesis is transported from the leaves to other parts of a plant
Describe mass flow in translocation
- Active transport used to actively load solutes from companion into sieve tube at source
- At the sink end, solutes are removed from phloem to be used up
- Results in pressure gradient from source to sink - sink gradient pushes solutes along
During translocation, what type of cell is sucrose actively transported to?
Companion cells
Where is sucrose unloaded ?
At the sink cells
What type of gradient is there from source to sink?
From source to sink
Discuss the structural and functional differences between xylem and phloem (3)
Xylem is a dead issue whereas phloem is alive.
Xylem transports water and dissolved minerals around the plant
Phloem conducts dissolved sugar around the plant from it place of production to where it is required
Describe a way in which xylem is strengthened in mature plant
Strengthened by having hard fibre cells and spiral thickening of the vessel walls
Explain the purpose of the holes in the sieve plate at the ends of each sieve tube cells
The perforations of sieve planet enables the sugar solution to pass through and along the sieve tubes
Name the cell type in the phloem that actually conducts the sugar solution
The sieve tube
Describe the purpose of the companion cells in the phloem tissue
The companion cell keeps the sieve tube cell alive and controls its activity
What is a sclerenchyma?
is a non-living tissue in plants which provides strength and support.
What type of tissue is sclerenchyma ?
Simple tissue
Describe the structure of sclerenchyma
Sclerenchyma cells walls are lignified as well as containing cellulose and hemicellulose. This makes the walls thicker.
Mature sclerenchyma cells are dead.
What are the two main types of sclerenchyma and how do they differ ?
Fibres and sclereids
Sclerenchyma fibres are longer, and are usually found in bundles in plants. -Sclereids are star-shaped, and they have very thick cell walls. Sclereids are responsible for the gritty texture in fruits like pears.
What are the functions of sclerenchyma ?
Sclerenchyma supports and strengthens the plant.
Sclerenchyma is found in many plants, and in most parts of the plant. Sclerenchyma fibres tend to be associated with the vascular bundles
What are the different uses of plants? 4
Provide oxygen via photosynthesis
Source of food and metabolic energy for nearly all consumers
Provides raw materials from which innumerable other products are made
As technology has improved, more plant compound identified and no. Of product derived from it
Uses of plants in manufacturing
Car tyres, latex gloves rubber made from plant extracts
Essential oils + plant based pesticides
Uses of plants in fuels
Biofuels
Uses of plants in clothings and textiles
Fibres produced into range of materials - linen
Properties of fibre depend upon type
Uses of plants in plastics
Plant fibres - fibres e.g dialysis tubes + sellotape
Food packaging - fully biodegradeable
Uses of plants as shelters
Provides wood to build structures
Uses of plants in medicine
Rich source for pharmaceuticals - modern medicine , aspirin from willow bark
Recreational usage
Uses of plants as paper
Made by digesting wood pulp with sulphates
Can be recycled into paper products
Uses of plants as food
Plant tissue provide energy for almost all living life
Selective breeding has reproduced veg + fruit many times larger and more nutritious
Sustainability is
Avoidance of the depletion natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance
Ability to repurpose
Reusability
Explain why plant based plastics provide an environmentally friendly solution to the problem of plastic pollution
Plastics from plant materials do not use fossil fuels as the base material. PLA products can be broken down and reused to make new bioplastics. The CO2 produced from the bioplastics manufacture is absorbed by plant. The net levels of C02 produced is very low and will reduce greenhouse gases.
Describe some of the disadvantages of manufacturing PLA products
PLA is produced from the useful starchy parts of the plant, and so diverts food crops and land use into plastic production. It could result in food shortages. Composted PLA gives off methane - potent green house gas
What are the role of water?
Solvent
Thermal properties
Cell turgidity
Acts as a reactant
Water transcription
Water as solvent?
Water is used in plants to transport dissolved substances in the xylem and phloem around the plant.
Water in plant cells provides an aqueous environment for reactions to take place, as well as taking part in reactions itself.
Thermal properties of water plants?
Water is able to maintain a reasonably stable temperature independent of its surroundings
This helps plants to maintain a reasonably constant internal temperature.