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Biosci 102 Plant structure and function > Lecture 5: Starchy Staple, root design and function > Flashcards

Lecture 5: Starchy Staple, root design and function Flashcards

1
Q

What are the characteristics of the root?

A 
lower part of axis
subterranean
lack of chlorophyll
indeterminate apical meristem
highly branched
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2
Q

How many axes and laterals does winter rye have?

A

13 million (about 1 million per day)

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3
Q

What is the total length on average occupied by the roots of winter rye?

A

greater than 500 km

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4
Q

What is the average surface area covered by the roots of winter rye?

A

greater than 200 m^2

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5
Q

What are the functions of roots?

A 
anchorage
absorption (water and minerals)
storage (has parenchyma)
rhizosphere
synthesis ( roots can make particular compounds)
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6
Q

What does it mean by rhizosphere?

A

the bacteria and fungi extend the plants’ reach into the soil

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7
Q

Describe dicot roots

A

branch acropetally
the tap root penetrate deeper than monocots
due to acropetal structure; binds less tightly to soil
suberized (make wood)
secondary growth ( the formation of vascular cambium and cork cambium)

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8
Q

Describe monocot roots

A

wide branch angle (enables it to bind more tightly to soil)
sclerenchyma cells conger rigidity
shallow roots

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9
Q

Describe the penetration process of a dicot?

A

radicle to
tap root to
lateral roots

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10
Q

Describe the penetration of monocot roots

A

tap root to

fibrous adventitious

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11
Q

Define contractile roots

A

eg. carrots, hyacinth, sugar beet
- contracts up to 70%
- swells outwards
- draws apex down the soil
- contracted part may be a storage organ

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12
Q

What is the benefit of contracting these organs?

A

So that it won’t get eaten; keep the energy

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13
Q

true or false; soil structure affects growth

A

true

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14
Q

How does compact soil affect root growth?

A

resistance to root growth

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15
Q

How does lots of water in the soil affect root growth?

A

slows down root growth

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16
Q

How does less water in the soil affect root growth?

A

speeds up root growth; extensive branching

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17
Q

Why does less water speed up root growth?

A

because there is less amount of nutrients available

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18
Q

What is the flood response of roots?

A

formation of aerenchyma

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19
Q

What are hard pans?

A

iron rich soils
rigid pore structure
roots only grow in cracks

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20
Q

What happens when a root meets a pore smaller than itself (in hard pan soil)

A

the root forces the crack to open

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21
Q

How does the root force the small pore to open?

A

diameter of the root increases
tissue distortion
small extension zone
many root hairs grow in the zone of maturation thus increasing anchorage for pushing

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22
Q

What do you call roots that extract O2 from the atmosphere?

A

pneumatophores (mangroves)

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23
Q

What is the purpose of pneumatophores?

A

so that the starch (energy) stored in the roots can be released via respiration

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24
Q

What are epiphytes

A
  • don’t grow on soil

- can absorb atmospheric moisture and nutrients via VELAMEN

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25
Q

What are flower pot plants characteristics

A
  • leaf forms FLATTENED succulent structures (pot)

this collects - debris and rainwater

26
Q

What is the purpose of ants living in flower pot plants?

A

ants deposit nitrogen

27
Q

What is the purpose of adventitious roots of flower pot plants?

A

adventitious roots from node above grows down into ‘pot’ to absorb water and minerals

28
Q

What are examples of root crops?

A

carrots
sugar beet
kumara
cassave

29
Q

Where were carrots first domesticated?

A

Afghanistan

30
Q

What was the color of the first domesticated carrot?

31
Q

How did the orange strain of carrot species come about?

A

16th century pale yellow variety was cultivated in Europe

32
Q

Who cultivated the orange species?

A

Dutch breeders

33
Q

What is the advantage of the orange colored carrots to its consumers

A

had more carbohydrate content

  • has beta carotene which breaks down to vitamin A
  • Vitamin A is a precursor for retinol
  • retinol is light absorbing pigment in rod cells in the eye
34
Q

Are carrots biennial or perennial?

35
Q

What happens during these 2 years of carrot growth

A

1st year: stores reserves in swollen taproot

2nd year: reserves used to form flowers (release seeds)

36
Q

Why does the storage tap root shrink during the second year of growth?

A

This is because energy is being used to produce leaves and flowers

37
Q

How much % of parenchyma in cortex (starch and sucrose) are carrots composed of (dry weight)

A

20% sucrose

6% starch

38
Q

Where did kumara originate?

A

South America

39
Q

Where were Kumara first domesticated?

40
Q

Who introduced Kumara to Europe and when?

A

Columbus (1492)

41
Q

Where is the most Kumara grown nowadays?

42
Q

Where is kumara an important staple food?

A

warm temperate countries

livestock feed in tropics

43
Q

How much in % does the parenchyma of kumara contain (starch and succrose and protein)

A

30% starch + sugars

2% protein

44
Q

How is kumara likely to be propagated nowadays?

A

from cuttings

45
Q

true or false; 40% of the table sugar in the world today is from sugar beet?

46
Q

Where is sugar beet native to?

A

the Mediterranean

47
Q

How has selective breeding increased the sucrose content of sugar beet?

A

from 2% to 20%

48
Q

What in its structure does sugar beet have a lot of ?

49
Q

What does supernumerary cambia mean?

A

phloem
cambia
xylem

50
Q

Where did cassava originate?

A

South America

- domesticated more than 3000 years

51
Q

How much weight of the cassava in % is in the central pith of root

52
Q

How many people consider cassava as their staple food

A

800 million people; including 250 million in the sub- Saharan desert

53
Q

how much in % is the calorie intake of cassava in Africa?

54
Q

true of false; cassava grows well in relatively dry regions?

55
Q

How many years can cassava be stored?

56
Q

true or false; cassava produces more starch per hectare under relatively dry conditions than any other known crop

57
Q

Why is cassava poisonous if it wasn’t boiled?

A

contains cyanogenic compounds
cyanide is released when cells rupture
thus roots must be boiled or soaked & dried

58
Q

How much is the estimated population growth of humans in the year 2050

59
Q

How many people in the world are under nourished?

A

1/7 of the world population

1.02 billion

60
Q

What are the staple crops?

A

cassava, sweet potato, sugar beet, yams (rice, potato, maize, wheat, soybeans)

61
Q

What is BioCassava plus

A

research

  • international integrated team of scientists
  • reduce malnutrition through improved cassava
  • provide complete and balanced nutrition
  • readily marketable higher yielding food crop
  • aim for field testing in two african nations in 2010
  • greater than 12.1 million dollars grant by Bill and Melinda Gates foundation
62
Q

What are the aims of BioCassavaPlus

A
  • increase the content of zinc and iron content in cassava tubers
  • increase protein content of cassava
  • increase vitamin A and E content of cassava tubers
  • decrease cyanogen content
  • delay post harvest deterioration of cassava tubers
  • develop virus resistant cassava varieties

Biosci 102 Plant structure and function (9 decks)

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