Plant structure Flashcards
what is translocation?
long-distanced transportation that occurs through the vascular system (xylem and phloem)
why is transportation in plants needed?
- to move substances from where they are absorbed to where they are needed
- to move substances from where they are produced to where they are needed for metabolism
- to move substances to a different part for storage
how is water absorbed?
water is absorbed along with minerals by root hairs by diffusion through pathways
what are the 2 types of absorption pathways?
apoplast and symplast
what is the difference between apoplast and symplast pathways?
- apoplast pathways consist of non-living parts such as the cell walls and intercellular spaces. It is also faster because the metabolic state of the root does not affect it.
- symplast pathways consist of living parts of the plant such as the protoplast connected to the plasmodesmata. it is slightly slower because it is affected by the metabolic state of the roots
explain how apoplast pathways work
water enters the cell walls and moves through the cell walls or intercellular spaces.
explain how symplast pathways work
water enters the cytoplasm by osmosis through the semipermeable cell surface membrane. the water moves into the sap in the vacuole through the tonoplast and moves through the plasmodesmata.
what is a Casparian strip?
the casparian strip is a thick ring that forces water and minerals to pass through it as the semipermeable membrane filters
what are plants transport systems?
xylem and phloem
what is xylem?
xylem is a one-way system that carries mainly water and inorganic ions from the roots to other parts of the plants.
composed of the tracheid, xylem fibers, and xylem parenchyma
what is phloem?
phloem is a two-way system that carries substances made by photosynthesis to other areas of the plant.
composed of phloem fibers, sieve cells, and phloem parenchyma
name the parts of a dicot stem (6)
epidermis, cortex, fibers, phloem, cambium, xylem
name the parts of a dicot leaf (9)
- upper epidermis
- palisade mesophyll
- spongy mesophyll
- collenchyma
- xylem
- phloem
- compact parenchyma
- parenchyma
- lower epidermis
what are the functions of the epidermis?
prevent water loss and protection
what are the characteristics of the epidermis?
- tights cells
- large vacuoles can contain anthocyanin
- is a living cytoplasm and contains salt crystals, silicate crystals, and oil salts