Plant Biology Flashcards
Explain the role of auxin in phototropism
auxin is a plant hormone;
produced by the tip of the stem/shoot tip;
causes transport of hydrogen ions from cytoplasm to cell wall;
decrease in pH / H+ pumping breaks bonds between cell wall fibres;
makes cell walls flexible/extensible/plastic/softens cell walls;
auxin makes cells enlarge/grow;
gene expression also altered by auxin to promote cell growth;
(positive) phototropism is growth towards light;
shoot tip senses direction of (brightest) light;
auxin moved to side of stem with least light/darker side
causes cells on dark side to elongate/cells on dark side grow faster;
Describe the process of mineral ion uptake into roots.
absorbed by root hairs / through epidermis
root hairs increase the surface area for absorption
uses active transport / uses ATP / uses energy
use of proteins / pumps to move ions across membrane
against concentration gradient / diffusion gradients into cell / root
can enter cell wall space / be drawn through cell walls / apoplastic pathway
selective / only specific ions absorbed
Describe how water is carried by the transpiration stream
transpiration is water loss (from plant) by evaporation;
flow of water through xylem from roots to leaves is the transpiration stream;
evaporation from spongy mesophyll cells;
replaced by osmosis from the xylem;
(diffusion of water vapour) through stomata;
water lost replaced from xylem / clear diagram showing movement of water from xylem through cell(s) (walls) to air space;
water pulled out of xylem creates suction/low pressure/tension; transpiration pull results;
water molecules stick together/are cohesive;
due to hydrogen bonding/polarity of water molecules;
xylem vessels are thin (hollow) tubes;
adhesion between water and xylem due to polarity of water molecules;
creates continuous column/transpiration stream;
Explain how abiotic factors affect the rate of transpiration in a terrestrial plant
less transpiration as (atmospheric) humidity rises
smaller concentration gradient ( of water vapour)
more transpiration as temperature rises
faster diffusion / more kinetic energy (of water molecules)
faster evaporation (due to more latent heat available)
more transpiration as wind (speed) increases
humid air / water vapour blown away from the leaf
increasing the concentration gradient (of water vapour)
more transpiration in the light
due to light causing stomata to open
wider opening with brighter light hence more transpiration
CAM plants opposite
narrower stomata with high carbon dioxide concentration hence less transpiration
adaptations of xerophytes
xerophytes are plants that live in dry conditions;
reduced leaves/spines to prevent water loss (by transpiration);
rolled leaves to prevent water loss / stomata on the inside / sunken stomata;
thick waxy cuticle/hairs on leaves to prevent water loss (by transpiration);
reduced stomata to prevent water loss (by transpiration) /
stomata on one side of leaf;
d
eep/widespread roots to obtain more water;
special tissue for storing water;
take in carbon dioxide at night / CAM plant to prevent water loss;
the role of the phloem in the active translocation
- living tissue
- composed of companion cells / sieve tube members
companion cells involved in ATP production - sucrose / amino acids / assimilate / products of photosynthesis transported
- bi-directional transport
- source / leaves to sink / fruits / roots /storage organs / named storage organ
- pressure flow hypothesis / movement of water into phloem causes transport
Explain the functions of the different tissues of a leaf
cuticle (produced by epidermis) prevents water loss
epidermis protects cells inside the leaf
stomata (in epidermis) for gas exchange
palisade parenchyma / mesophyll / layer for photosynthesis
spongy parenchyma / mesophyll / layer for photosynthesis
air spaces for diffusion of O2 / CO2 / gases
spongy mesophyll for gas exchange / absorption of CO2
xylem transports water / mineral salts / ions to the leaves
phloem transports products of photosynthesis / sugars (to flowers / new leaves / stem / roots / fruit)
stomata allow transpiration (which helps transport of mineral nutrients)
guard cells open and close stomata
guard cells close stomata to reduce transpiration
Outline the adaptations of plant roots for absorption of mineral ions from the soil.
mineral ions are absorbed by active transport;
large surface area;
branching (increases surface area);
root hairs;
root hair cells have carrier protein/ion pumps (in their plasma membrane);
(many) mitochondria in root (hair) cells;
to provide ATP for active transport;
connections with fungi in the soil/fungal hyphae;
Explain how abiotic factors affect the rate of transpiration in a terrestrial plant.
less transpiration as (atmospheric) humidity rises
smaller concentration gradient ( of water vapour)
more transpiration as temperature rises
faster diffusion / more kinetic energy (of water molecules)
faster evaporation (due to more latent heat available)
more transpiration as wind (speed) increases
humid air / water vapour blown away from the leaf
increasing the qconcentration gradient (of water vapour)
more transpiration in the light
due to light causing stomata to open
wider opening with brighter light hence more transpiration
CAM plants opposite
narrower stomata with high carbon dioxide concentration hence less transpiration
List abiotic factors which affect the rate of transpiration in a typical mesophytic plant.
light
temperature
wind
humidity
transpiration
is the germ given to the loss of water vapour from leaves and other aerieal parts of the plant which is replaced by water absorption
cuticle
- outermost layer of a leaf
- protects the plant from water loss and insect invasion
epidermis
secondary outermost leayer that protects the plant
vascular tissue
-phloem
-xylem
together in vascular bundles
xylem
- brings water to the leaves
- its red and dead
phloem
- carries the products of photosynthesis to the rest of the plant
palisade mesophyll
- densely packed region of cylindrical cells in upper portion of leaf
- contain many chloroplasts for photosynthesis
spongy mesophyll
- loosely packed cells with few chloroplasts
- many air spaces for gas exchange
stomata
are pores that are on the bottom of the leaf surface for oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange between leaf and surrounding environement
- on bottom to allow for less light/temperature to minimize water loss
guard cells
specialized cells that control the opening and closing of the stomata
- have uneven cell wall thickness
tracheids
dead cells in the xylem that taper at the ends and connec to one another to form a continious column
xxlem vessel elements
cells involving water transport; also dead and have thick lignified secondary walls
xylem transport + function
- transports water from roots to upper parts of the plant and supports the plant (by transpiration)
- any water lost used to cool leaves and stems
xylem primary walls
pits and pores for lateral water movement
xylem secondary walls
lignin often interupted by areas of the primary walls
lignin
complex organic compounds that greatly strengths cell wall of vascular plant
- also water profs plant and add protection against pathogens
- primary cell wall made up of cellulose; in some plants they form a secondary cell wall of lignin
stomata and guard cell action
- stomata can only be closed on short-term basis in reponse to turgor pressure of the surrounding guard cells
- when water enters the cell, guard cells bulge and their cell wall thickens which opens the stoma
- when the plant loses water; guard cells sag and that closes the stoma
hormone involved in stomata action
abscisic acid; plant hormone that causes potassium ions to diffuse rapidly out of guard cels for stomatal closure
-produced in roots during times of water deficiency
how does water loss/gain occur in the guard cell
-water loss/gain is due to potassium ion transport that triggers ATP pumps (solute concentration causes osmosis)
what affects stomatal opening and closing?
- Carbon dioxide levels
- Circadian rhythms
- Hormonal changes
- Humidity and droughts
- Temperature
turgor definition
refers to pressure in a cel that liquid exerts on the membrane and/or cell wall
cohesion-tension theory
- explains the movement of water vertically in the plant using intermoleculer attraction like cohesion and adhesion
transpiration process
- water moves down concentration gradient (spaces within leaf have high water vapour concentration so water moves to atmosphere where there is a lower water concentration); water leaves by evaporation
- water lost by transpiraiton replaced by water from vessels (replacing water from vessels maintains a high water vapour concentration in air spaces of leaf)
- the vessel water column is manintained by cohesion and adhesion (cohesion involves hydrogen bonds between water molecules and adhesion involves hydrogen bonds between water molecules and xylem vesel sides)
- tension occurs in the columns of water in the xylem
(loss of water in leaves replaced by water xylem so water flow is continous because of cohesion and adhesion) - water is pulled from the root cortex into xylem cells
(cohesion and adhesion mantain columns under tension by transpiration) - water is pulled from the soil into roots, root hair cells and roots have large surface area and water enters by osmosis
(as a result of the tension created by transpiration and continiious maintenance of a continious column of water)
root and fluid movement in plant
Water moves into root hairs through plasma membranes from soil due to the higher solute concentration within the roots (osmosis) and into the vascular cylinder (phloem and xylem)
function of roots
provide mineral ion and water uptake for plant (absorbtion)
why are roots efficent?
- extension branching patterns and specialised epidermal structures (such as root hairs cells that increase surface area)
what is the role of the root cap?
protects the apical meristem during primary growth of the root in the soil
zones of cell development in root zones
area of cell division
area of elongation
area of maturation
area of cell division in root
newly undifferentiated cells are formed in M phase of the cell cycle
area of elongation in root
where cells enlarge in size (G1)
area of maturation in root
where cells become functional party of plant
what proceses allow for mineral ions to enter the root?
- diffusion of mineral ions and mass flow of water in soil that carries these ions
- action of fungal hyphae
- active transport
what affects diffusion rate?
- difference in concentration
- length of diffusion path
- surface area
what is the action of fungal hyphase?
- symbiotic relationship between root and fungi where fungi increase surface area for absorbiton and in return hav e a place to live
active transport action in roots
ions use transport proteins in membrane due to size or polarity
- protons pumps are used to pump
- represents a form of chemiosmosis
effect of light on transpiration
Speeds up transpiration by warming the leaf and opening stomata
effect of humidity on transpiration
Decreasing humidity increases transpiration because of the greater difference in water concentration
effect of wind on transpiration
Increases the rate of transpiration because humid air near the stomata is carried away