Organisation 4 Flashcards
Plant organisation
Examples of plant tissues
-epidermal tissues
-palisade mesophyll
-spongy mesophyll
-xylem and phloem
-meristem tissue
The leaf is a…
plant organ
Epidermal tissue
Covers the whole plant
Palisade mesophyll tissue
The part of the leaf where photosynthesis happens.
Spongy mesophyll tissue
-In the leaf
-Contains big air spaces to allow gases to diffuse in and out of cells
Xylem and Phloem (brief)
Transport things like water, mineral ions, and food around the plant.
(Through the roots, stem, and leaves).
Meristem tissue
-Found at the growing tips of roots and shoots
-Is able to differentiate into lots of different types of plant cell, allowing the plant to grow.
What is the order of tissues top to bottom in a leaf?
-epidermal
-palisade mesophyll
-spongy mesophyll
-epidermal
How are the epidermal tissues adapted to their function?
Covered with a waxy cuticle which helps to reduce water loss by evaporation.
How is the upper epidermis adapted to its function?
Transparent so light can pass through it to the palisade layer.
How is the palisade layer adapted to its function?
It has lots of chloroplasts.
This means they are near the top of the leaf where they can get the most light.
What do xylem and phloem tubes do?
They form a network of vascular bundles which deliver water and other nutrients to the entire leaf, and take away the glucose produced by photosynthesis.
They also help to support the leaf’s structure.
How are the tissues of leaves adapted for efficient gas exchange?
-Lower epidermis is full of little holes called stomata, which let CO2 diffuse directly into the leaf.
-The opening and closing of stomata is controlled by guard cells in response to environmental conditions.
-Air spaces in the spongy mesophyll tissue increase the rate of diffusion of gases.
What is the role of guard cells?
To control the opening and closing of the stomata in response to environmental conditions.
The organ system for transport of substances around the plant is made of…
the roots, stem, and leaves.
transpiration stream
the movement of water from the roots, through the xylem, and out of the leaves.
why might water escape from the stomata by diffusion?
(If) There’s more water in the plant than in the air outside, the water escapes from the leaves through the stomata by diffusion.
Transpiration (step 1)
- Transpiration is caused by the evaporation and diffusion of water from a plant’s surface.
Most transpiration happens at the leaves.
Transpiration (step 2)
- This evaporation creates a slight shortage of water in the leaf, and so more water is drawn up from the rest of the plant through the xylem vessels to replace it.
Transpiration (step 3)
- This in turn means more water is drawn up from the roots, and so there’s a constant transpiration stream of water through the plant.
What factors affect the rate of transpiration?
-Light intensity
-Temperature
-Air flow
-Humidity
Which factor decreases the rate of transpiration?
Humidity.