Plant Biology Flashcards
What do the spongy mesophyll cells have?
Large air spaces, some vascular bundles (xylem+phloem)
Which is the main organ for photosynthesis?
Leaf
Where does photosynthesis mainly take place?
In the palisade mesophyll cells
What does the palisade mesophyll cells have?
Many chloroplasts and are located under teh upper epidermis
What feature do the cell walls of mesophyll cells have and what is it needed for?
They are moist and this is used for gas exchange
What does the waxy cuticle do?
Prevents excessive transpiration and also blocks gas exchange
What are stomata and what do they do?
Pores in the epidermis of leaves and stems which allow gas exchange of co2, o2 and water vapour
What is the function of guard cells?
Control the aperture of the stoma
Label the following diagram
Cuticle, Upper epidermis, Vascular bundle, xylem, phloem, air space, lower epidermis, stoma, guard cells, spongy mesophyll, palisade mesophyll
What is transpiration?
The loss of water vapour from the leaves and stems of plants
State how water is lost from a plant
Water evaporates from the moist cell walls of the mesophyll. This makes the air spaces saturated with water vapour and so water vapour diffuses out of the leaf through stomata
How do plants control water losses?
Through stomata using guard cells
What is the transpiration stream?
Replacement of water losses from transpiration by transporting water from the roots to the leaves through xylem vessels
What is a potometer?
A device used to estimate transpiration rates
What does the potometer measure?
The potometer does NOT measure transpiration rate directly. It measures the water uptake. The plant absorbs water to replace the losses. BUT not all water is lost in transpiration. 2% is used in photosynthesis and to maintain turgidity of cells
What is the method used for a potometer?
Distance travelled by an air bubble is recorded every minute and used to indicate the rate of water uptake
What is the experimental method and set up of the potometer?
- A potometer consists of a narrow capillary tube filled with water with a scale to measure the distance travelled by the air bubble.
- A fresh shoot is cut underwater and transferred to apparatus under water to avoid introducing air bubbles
- As plant transpires, it draws water out of the capillary tube to replace losses
- Because the capillary tube is narrow, small losses of water give measurable movements of air bubbles
- Repeat measurements are needed for reliable results
What are the main abiotic factors affecting transpiration rate?
Temperature, humidity, wind speed (light intensity)
Describe the effect of temperature on transpiration
As temp increases, rate of transpiration rate increases because increasing temperature increases the rate of water evaporation from the surface of mesophyll cells, it increases the rate of diffusion of water vapour and decreases the relative humidity outside of the leaf. At v high temperatures, stomata start closing reducing transpiration rate
Describe the effect of humidity on transpiration rate
As atmospheric humidity increases the rate of transpiration decreases because as atm humidity increases the concentration gradient between the air spaces inside the leaf and the air outside decreases so the rate of diffusion of water vapour decreases
Describe the effect of wind speed on transpiration rate
As wind speed increases, transpiration rate increases and this is because the water vapour around the leaf is blown away so the humidity around the leaf decreases thus increasing the conc gradient of water vapour so the diffusion of water vapour increases
Describe the effect of light intensity on transpiration rate
As light intensity increases transpiration rate increases. bc stomata are open with light to allow gas exchange for photosynthesis. Above a certain light intensity increasing the intensity does not affect transpiration bc all stomata are already open (exception: plants with CAM physiology which open stomata at night)
What mineral ions do plants absorb?
Phosphate, nitrate, potassium and magnesium ions
How are plants able to absorb substances?
They absorb mineral ions by active transpiration and this causes water to be absorbed by osmosis
Describe the uptake of mineral ions
Conc of mineral ions in the soil is lower than inside the root so they are absorbed by AT. Ions need to make contact with an appropriate protein pump and this occurs by diffusion or by mass flow when water carrying the ions drains through the soil
What happens as a result of the AT of mineral ions?
The solute concentration becomes higher in the cytoplasm then in the soil’s water and so root cells absorb water by osmosis
Describe the movement of water in the roots
Once the water is in the roots, it travels from the epidermis to the cortex then to the endodermis and inside the xylem vessels
State the two ways water moves in the root
Apoplast route (through cell walls)
Symplast route (through cytoplasm- connected via narrow cytoplasmic connections called plasmodesmata)
What happens at the endodermis?
The Casparian strip blocks the apoplast route and water has to pass through the cytoplasm of the endodermis
What are adaptations of roots for absorption?
- Branching of roots - increased SA
- Root hairs in root epidermal cells- increased SA
- Root hair cells have many mitochondria because they release a lot of ATP to perform AT. Also many pumps for active transport
- Have a symbiotic relationship with a fungus. mutually beneficial- fungus hyphae grow into soil and absorb mineral ions for plant and plant supplies sugars and nutrients to fungus.
What are xerophytes?
Plants that are adapted to grow in dry habitats
Adaptations of cacti?
- Vertical stem to absorb sunlight early and late in the day but not at midday when light is more intense
- Thich waxy cuticle to reduce transpiration
- Spines instead of leaves to reduce SA for transpiration
- Stems with water storage tissue
- CAM physiology- opens stomata during the night than during the day and so the absorbed co2 is stored as malic acid and during the day co2 is released from the malic acid which allows photosynthesis even when the stomata are closed
What are adaptations of Ammophilia Arenaria that grows in sand dunes?
- Rolled leaves and the lower epidermis and stomata on the inside- sunken stomata
- Few stomata
- Hairs on the inside of the folded leaves that stop air movement
- Thick waxy cuticle
- Smaller air spaces in the mesophyll
What are halophytes?
Plants that are specially adapted and thrive in saline soils (high conc of Na+ and Cl-)
What are adaptations of halophytes?
- High concentration of other solutes such as sugars and K+ are maintained in the cytoplasm
- Conc of Na+ and Cl- higher than those of the saline soil can be maintained in the vacuoles
- They get rid of excess Na+ by methods such as AT back into the soil, excretion from special glands and accumulation of the ion in certain leaves and shedding them
- They also have adaptations similar to xerophytes for water conservation
What is the vascular tissue?
It contains vessels that transport materials
What are the two types of vascular tissue?
Xylem and phloem
Where are vascular bundles found?
Leaves, stems and roots
Draw and label the cross section of a dicotyledonous plant’s stem
Epidermis, Cortex, Xylem, Phloem, Vascular bundle, Cambium and Pith
Draw and label the cross section of a dicot root
Endodermis, Cortex, Epidermis, Root hair, Xylem, Phloem, Vascular bundle
What is the xylem?
A tissue in plants that transports water and minerals and provides support
What is the main route for water in floering plants?
Xylem vessels
Describe the movement of water in xylem vessels
One direction from roots to leaves and is passive
Describe how the transpiration stream works
When water evaporates from the mesophyll cells in transpiration, adhesion between water and cellulose in leaf cell walls causes water to be drawn from the nearest xylem vessel. This reduces pressure in the xylem near the leaves and generates tension forces in the leaves. The tension generated in the leaves is transmitted through water due to cohesion all the way down the xylem vessels to the roots. This is the transpiration pull and causes water to move up against gravity.
What is cohesion?
Water molecules stick to each other because they are polar and form hydrogen bonds between them o water columns rarely break
What is adhesion?
Water is polar so it adheres to cellulose which is also water/hydrophilic
Describe the structure of xylem
- Long tubes that develop from columns of cells that break down their end walls, plasma membranes and cell contents -non living
- Continuous tubes and their lumen is filled with sap.
- Side walls of xylems are strong bc at times of max transpiration the pressure inside the vessel is v low and the walls need to be strong to prevent inward collapse
- Cell walls have pores called pits to conduct water out of xylem vessels and into cells walls of adjacent leaf cells