Plants Flashcards
What is epidermal tissue?
Covers the leaf
What is the upper epidermis like?
Transparent as it allows light energy to get to the palisade cells just underneath
What is the lower epidermis like?
Has many stomata and guard cells to allow gases in and out of the leaf
What are palisade cells?
Top layer of cells in a leaf
What are palisade cells adapted to do?
To absorb as much light as possible, so have many more chloroplasts than any other plant cells
What is the structure of palisade cells?
- They’re long and thinly shaped so many of them can be pushed into the top layer of the leaf -> increases their SA
- Vacuole push chloroplasts to the edges of the cells to ensure they come into contact with light
What is spongy mesophyll like?
- The layers are not tightly packed together
- they have lots of air pockets between the cells which allows CO2 to reach the palisade cells for photosynthesis quickly
What does the tissue of spongy mesophyll layer have? How do gases move?
- contains irregular shaped cells with a few chloroplasts
- move by diffusion
What is the stomatas job?
- control gas exchange and water loss
- They are special pores that let CO2 and O2 in and out
- Stomata open to let CO2 in and O2 out
Where are stomata usually concentrated?
Bottom of the leaf to limit water loss
What are guard cells?
They surround each stomata, they open and close the stomata, and control gas exchange and water loss
What is the job of the waxy cuticle?
Its the outer thin surface of the leaf, it prevents water loss within the leaf by evaporation
What does xylem do?
Transports water and mineral ions from the roots to the stems and leaves.
What does phloem do?
Transports dissolved sugars from the leaves to the rest of the plant for immediate use or storage
How does xylem work in the movement of water?
1) . Water is absorbed from soil through the root hair cells
2) . Its transported through the xylem vessels up the stem to the leaves
3) . It then evaporates from the leaves
What is meritsm tissue? What are the cells doing?
Found in the tip of a root/ shoot, the cells here are dividing or multiplying can differentiate into different types of plant cell
What is photosynthesis?
A chemical reaction that occurs in the chloroplasts of a plant cell, the plant uses this reaction to create its own food molecules (glucose) which is used by the plant in several ways
What is the equation for photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide + water -> glucose + oxygen
6CO2 + 6H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2
What is an endothermic reaction? How is this connected with plants?
The reaction is classed as a reaction that absorbs energy from the surroundings, as plants absorb light energy, photosynthesis is an example of a endothermic reaction
What is the light energy used in photosynthesis as?
A power to react carbon dioxide and water together, O2 is released from the plants leaves via stomata and the sugar is used by the plant
What are the 5 conversions of glucose?
1) . Into a carbohydrase called starch which is stored in leaves, roots and stem
2) . Into a carbohydrase called celluslose which forms the cell walls
3) . Into fat/oil storage into seeds enables growth
4) . Into amino acids which are used as proteins in the plant
5) . Use for respiration
Why do plants need nitrates?
Used in the production of amino acids and thereore proteins
Why do plants need magnesium?
Used to make chlorophyll, the green pigment thats absorbs light
What 4 factors affect the rate of photosynthesis?
- temperature
- carbon dioxide concentration
- light intensity
- amount of chlorophyll in a plant
How does temperature affect rate of photosynthesis?
The chemical reaction is controlled by enzymes.
- if the temperature is too low the enzymes needed for photosynthesis work slower at low temps
- if the temperature is too high the enzymes needed for photosynthesis and other reactions will be damaged
How does carbon dioxide concentration affect the rate of photosynthesis?
The rate of photosynthesis will increase as the levels of CO2 increase.
- However the rate levels off when the rate becomes too high that there is mot enough light to sustain any futher increase or the temperature is too low
How does light intensity affect the rate of photosynthesis?
Light provides energy for photosynthesis, so increasing light intensity the rate will also increase at first
- eventually when the rate of photosynthesis is high, it will level off as the plant is unable to absorb enough CO2 to continue the increase in rate or because the temperature is too low
How does the amount of chlorophyll affect the rate of photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll is needed to absorb sunlight, therefore if the plant has lots of pigment it is able to absorb a lot of available sunlight.
- chlorophyll can be affected by disease which would result in a reduction of rate of photosynthesis. Its not a proportionatal relationship
How does a thin membrane in leaves increase the ROP?
Provides a short distance for co2 to move by diffusion into the leaf
How does chlorophyll increase the ROP?
Absorbs light for energy