Chapter 35 & 36 - Plant Physiology Flashcards
what is one very important reason that plants are unusual?
they live in a box, making up the cell wall - plant cells cant move which is beneficial in a specific aspect
photoautotrophic definition
“self-feeding” organisms; direct use of the suns energy as a carbon source - eg. plants
chemoheterotrophic definition
organisms whose energy and carbon source comes from energy-rich organic substances - eg. animals
growth in plants vs animals
plants have indeterminate growth (can continue to grow almost indefinitely) while animals have determinate (limited growth)
why can plants never develop any cancer?
cancer cells can break off and move throughout the animal body, but because there are no moving cells in plants, the cancer cannot spread like that
trace the evolution of plant diversity down to flowers and fruits plants
ancestral green alga -> vascular tissue -> seeds -> flowers and fruits
what are the three subsections of nonvascular plants?
liverworts, mosses, hornworts
what are the two subsections of vascular plants?
seedless vascular plants and seed plants
what are the two subsections of seedless vascular plants?
lycophytes (club mosses, spikemosses, quillworts) and monilophytes (ferns, horsetails, whisk ferns)
what are the two subsections of seed plants?
gymnosperms and angiosperms
what type of plant are the majority of plants?
angiosperms (flowering plants)
what are the most common type of angiosperms (flowering plants)
monocots and eudicots
define cotyledon
the first leaf that a plant makes
what characteristics define monocots?
one cotyledon, veins in leaves are parallel, vascular bundles are arranged in a complex way, floral parts are usually in multiples of three, and fibrous root system
what characteristics define eudicots?
two cotyledons, veins in leaves are branches, vascular bundles arranged in a ring, floral parts are usually in multiples of four or five, and taproot usually present
what are the three types of simple tissues in plants?
parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma
trace cells to plants
cells -> tissue -> tissue systems -> organs -> plant
define simple tissues
made up of only one cell type
define complex tissues
made up of multiple cell types
what defines parenchyma cells?
very common in plants, alive at maturity, surrounded by a thin and flexible primary cell wall (cellulose only), shape: isodiametric; connected to other parenchyma cells only in some parts
functions of parenchyma cells
most of the metabolic functions of a plant: photosynthesis, storage, seed dispersal, wound repair; and a specialized function: aeration of roots in water -> aerenchyma
in flooded areas, how do plant roots get oxygen?
the roots basically suffocate
define aerenchyma
“air tubes” from parenchyma to allow oxygen and carbon dioxide transport in suffocated root cells
what defines collenchyma cells?
common only in a few plant families, alive at maturity, unevenly thickened primary cell walls, shape: longer than wide (elongated), flexible and elastic
functions of collenchyma cells
flexible support without restraining growth
what type of cell does celery have a lot of?
collenchyma cells
does the structural support only depend on the cell wall of collenchyma cells?
cellulose walls provide some support, turgor pressure does the rest
what defines sclerenchyma cells?
thin primary cell wall and a very rigid secondary cell wall with lignin; inflexible and inelastic, dead at maturity
what are the two types of sclerenchyma cells?
fibres and sclereids
what defines the primary cell wall?
laid down by the cell immediately after cell division; made up of mostly carbohydrates (cellulose) and some proteins
what defines the secondary cell wall?
similar to the primary cell wall, but more structured; lignin (an aromatic polymer)
what is the function of secondary cell walls?
imagine the primary cell wall as a piece of paper, and the secondary cell wall makes it a piece of wood
list the functions of sclereids
stone cells in pears (gritty texture), hardness of nutshells and seed coats, defense against predators
what are the commercial uses of fibres (sclerenchyma)?
rope, clothing, linen, MDF boards (wood fibres), bioplastics
what are the commercial uses of sclereids (sclerenchyma)
walnut shells are used as an abrasive to clean cars/surfaces without damaging underlying material, or cosmetics
what are the two types of complex tissues?
xylem and phloem
what defines xylem?
composed of living (parenchyma), dead (sclerenchyma), and tracheary elements (two types - both dead) cells, involved in the transport of water from roots to cells
define tracheary elements
vessel elements and tracheids