Intro

Question 1

Plant development

Answer 1

Most is post embryonic
Flexible - responds to env signals and flexible development
Germ cells aren’t present at fertilisation

Plants immobile as cells bounded by cellulose cell walls - constrains growth and development

Question 2

Apical meristem

Answer 2

Root and shoot - give rise to below and above ground parts
Connected by hypocotyl - pushes cotyledons above soil and into light

If damaged, can create new structures - totipotency

Internal signals: coordinate plant development between cells, gives rise to diff cells
External signals: e.g. light and moisture

Question 3

Signalling

Answer 3

Environmental signal - local response; transmitted within cell to neighbours and around plant

Intracellular
Local
Systemic
Between plants
Between generations

Question 4

Regulation of meristem activity

Answer 4

Small peptides and their receptors
Transcription factors - switch genes on and off
Epigenetic signals
microRNAs - generate signal to make RNA and regulate gene activity
Plant growth regulators - larger scale; control shape and function of whole plant inc. auxin, ET, cytokinin, ABA, SA, JA

Question 5

Ca signalling

Answer 5

Intracellular signal in cytosollic system
Ca hard to measure - low conc and transiet changes