Plant Intro

Question 1

What do plant scientists do?

Answer 1

Maintain food security
Manage and mitigate threats from climate change
Protect biodiversity
Improve human health
Create a green bioeconomy

Question 2

What is the kingdom of green plants?

Answer 2

Viridiplantae

includes green algae and land plants

Question 3

Land plant latin name

Answer 3

Embryophytes

Question 4

5 main classes of embryophytes

Answer 4

Bryophytes
Lycophytes
Pterophytes
Gymnosperms
Angiosperms

Question 5

Key innovations of land plants

Answer 5

1. Archegonia
2. Cuticle
3. Stomata (not Liverworts)
4. Thick-walled spores (sporopollenin)
5. Vascular tissue = xylem and phloem
6. Seeds

Question 6

Largest living thing on Earth

Answer 6

General Sherman tree

Giant sequoia

Question 7

Deforestation and CO2 release

Answer 7

Deforestation is the second largest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere, after fossil fuel combustion
Van der Werf et al. 2009

Question 8

What % of biodiversity does the Amazon rainforest house?

Answer 8

10%

Question 9

How many species are in the clade Angiosperms?

Answer 9

350,000 species

95% of all land plants

Question 10

Adaptations to heat/drought

Answer 10

• Succulence
• Spines to replace leaves
• Shallow root systems
• CAM photosynthesis

Question 11

Adaptations to cold environments

Answer 11

• Compact architecture - grow close to ground to protect against wind damage
• Shallow root systems - grow on thin layer of permafrost
• Photosynthesis adapted to low temperatures
• Reproduction occurs in short summer season (photoperiodism)

Question 12

Adaptations to saline environments

Answer 12

• Excretives have glandular cells capable of secreting excess salts from plant organs
• Succulents use increase in water content within large vacuoles to minimise salt toxicity

Question 13

Adaptations to shade

Answer 13

• Thinner leaves with high chlorophyll content

- More efficient photosynthesis

Question 14

What percentage of global crop yields are lost to plant pests and diseases each year?

Answer 14

40%

Climate change promotes the spread of pests/diseases

Question 15

How does plant science help maintain food security? 2 ways

Answer 15

Overall aim to improve yield and reduce food waste using less land, energy and water

1. Produce more resilient and efficient crops through (for example) genetic engineering and introducing genetic diversity in breeding programmes using wild relatives
2. Reduce post-harvest losses through either crop modification and/or better storage/transport

Question 16

Bt maize

Answer 16

Transgenic Bt plants express toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis which are harmful to a variety of insects

Question 17

How many people in the world suffer from micronutrient deficiencies?

Answer 17

2 billion people

Question 18

What does golden rice have in it?

Answer 18

Beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A

Question 19

What could be done to allow biofuel production on arid land?

Answer 19

CAM-like properties could be transferred to fast-growing species