Chapter 3 - Vocabulary Flashcards
Amniotic Egg
an egg with an outer leathery or hard shell and specialized internal membranes that protect and nourish the embryo.
Angiosperm
a plant that produces flowers; angiosperms form the largest group of living plants.
Antheridium
the specialized structure on a gametophyte that produces sperm.
Archegonium
the specialized structure on a gametophyte that produces eggs.
Bilateral Symmetry
symmetry around a midline.
Bryophyte
a small seedless plant that lacks vascular tissue.
Charophyte
the common name for organisms in the order Charophyceae; green algae in the kingdom Protista.
Chitin
a complex chemical found in the cell walls of fungi and in the external coverings of insects and crustaceans such as lobsters and crabs.
Coelom
a body cavity present in some animals; contains the animal’s internal organs.
Cone
in plants, the reproductive structure of a conifer; produce either pollen or ovules.
Cotyledon
a structure in the seeds of flowering plants that stores nutrients.
Cuticle
a waterproof, waxy coating produced by the epidermis of most plants.
Deuterostome
an animal with bilateral symmetry’ during embryonic development, the anus forms before the mouth.
Dikaryotic
containing two separate nuclei.
Flower
the specialized reproductive structure of an angiosperm; produces pollen and/or ovules.
Frond
a fern leaf; young curled fronds are often called “fiddleheads” because of their distinctive shape; some fiddleheads are edible, but many are toxic.
Fruit
mature ovary of an angiosperm, which contains the seed(s).
Gemma
a small clump of haploid photosynthetic cells produced in little cup-shaped structures on the gametophyte plant; dispersed by splashes of rain to grow into another gametophyte plant
Germ Layer
one of three layers that form during early embryonic development in most animals.
Gymnosperm
a vascular plant that produces seeds in special structures called cones; gymnosperms are a major plant group.
Hypha
a thin filament that makes up the body of a fungus.
Invertebrate
an animal that does not have a backbone; the great majority of animal species are invertebrates.
Lignin
an important structural compound found in the vascular tissues of plants; it is responsible for the strength of wood.
Lycophyte
a seedless vascular plant; club mosses are examples of lycophytes.
Meiosis
a form of cell division in which a single cell gives rise to four haploid daughter cells.
Mycelium
a branched mass of hyphae.
Mycorrhiza
a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a plant root.
Nematocyst
a capsule within specialized cells of cnidarians containing toxins that can be propelled toward attackers and prey, causing them to become paralyzed; calso called a stinging cell.
Notochord
a flexible rod found in some chordates; in most modern chordates it is replaced by vertebrae during embryonic development.
Ovule
a small structure that contains a microscopic haploid female gametophyte.
Pollen
small structures called “grains” that contain a microscopic haploid male gametophyte.
Protostome
an animal with bilateral symmetry; during embryonic development, the mouth forms before the anus.
Pterophyte
a seedless vascular plant; ferns are examples of pterophytes.
Radial Symmetry
symmetry around a central axis.
Rhizome
a horizontal underground stem.
Seed
a plant structure containing an embryo and a food supply, surrounded by a protective outer covering called the seed coat.
Sporangium
the structure in which spores are produced.
Stoma
a small opening in the epidermis of a plant that allows gas exchange.
Vertebrate
an animal with a backbone or a notochord.
