Ch 1 vocab (Raven) COPY Flashcards
stromatolites
fossilized microbial mats consisting of layers of filamentous and other microorganisms and trapped sediment.
evolve
change over time
heterotroph
an organism dependent on an outside source of organic molecules for its energy.
autotrophs
an organism that can feed itself.
biosphere
the living world and its environment
respiration
molecules are broken down by oxygen-utilizing process
aerobic
with oxygen
anaerobic
without oxygen
prokaryotic
simple cells that lack a nuclear envelope and do not have their genetic material organized into complex chromosomes.
eukaryotic
cells with nuclear envelopes, complex chromosomes, and organelles, surrounded by membranes.
roots
anchor the plant in the ground and collect the water required for maintenance of the plant body and for photosynthesis.
stems
provide support for the principal photosynthetic organs (leaves.)
epidermis
the outermost layer of cells
cuticle
covers epidermis of plants; retards water loss
stomata
structure in plants; pair of specialized epidermal cells (guard cells) w an opening between them that can close or open in response to environmental and physiological signals, helping the plant maintain a balance between water loss and its oxygen and carbon dioxide requirements.
annuals
plants with a life span of one year
perennials
longer lived plants
cork
retards water loss; appears in the stem of perennials
vascular system
conducting system; conducts a variety of substances between the photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic parts of the pant body. Two major parts: xylem and phloem.
xylem
part of the vascular system of plants that allows water to pass upward through the plant body
phloem
part of the vascular system of plants through which food manufactured in the leaves and other photosynthetic parts of the pant is transported throughout the plant body.
vascular plants
main group of plants
meristems
where plant growth originates; embryonic tissue regions capable of adding cells indefinitely to the plant body.
apical meristems
meristems located at the tips of all roots and shoots; involved with the extension of the plant body.
primary growth
growth that originates from apical meristems
secondary growth
thickening of stems and roots; originates from two lateral meristems, the vascular cambium and the cork cambium.
seed plants
include almost all familiar plants except the ferns, mosses and liverworts; embryo is enclosed within a specialized covering provided by the parent.
seed coat
specialized covering around a seed provided by the parent plant.
seed
consists of the embryo, supply of stored food and the seed coat.
biomes
natural communities of wide extent, characterized by distinctive, climatically controlled groups of plants and animals.
ecosystem
a kind of corporate entity made up of transient individuals. stable, integrated units that are dependent on photosynthetic organisms. the non-living environment plants and animals inhabit.
botany; plant botany
the part of biology that deals with plants and with prokaryotes, fungi, and algae.
plant pysiology
study of how plants function
plant morphology
the study of the form of plants
plant anatomy
the study of the internal structure of plants
plant taxonomy and systematics
involves the naming and classifying of plants; the study of the relationships among them.
cytology
the study of cell structure, function and life histories
genomics
the study of the content, organization, and function of genetic information in whole genomes
molecular biology
the study of the structure and function of biological molecules
economic botany
the study of the past, present, and future uses of plants by people
ethnobotany
the study of the uses of plants for medicinal and other purposes by indigenous peoples.
ecology
the study of the relationships between organisms and their environment.
paleobotany
the study of the biology and evolution of fossil plants.
global warming; green-house effect
increase in global temperature due to the trapping of heat radiating from the earth’s surface out into space being intensified through the increased amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, CFCs, and methane in the atmosphere that result from human activity.
phytoremediation
a way to clean up polluted environments through the educated use of specific plants.
genetic engineering
transferring genes from one source to a different species of plant in order to produce specific desirable characteristics in the recipient plant.
transgenic plants
plants that contain genes from entirely different species that display new properties
