Plants: Structure Flashcards
What is the general function of leaves?
Primary site for photosynthesis, gas exchange, protection from predators, storage of glucose
What is the general function of stems?
Support for leaves, flowers, fruits
Transport fluids between roots and shoots
What is the general function of roots?
Anchor plant, absorb water and nutrients
What is the function of seeds?
Protect & nourish the embryo
Carry embryo to new location
(dispersal by wind and animals)
Leaves: Explain palisade vs spongy mesophyll.
Palisade: Elongated cells, tighty packed, high concentration of chloroplasts
Maximizes amount of sunlight captured for photosynthesis
Spongy: More loosely packed cells maximizes gas exchange
Leaves: Explain stomata and guard cells.
Guard cells control the opening of the stomata, which open to allow for gas to exchange
Leaves: monocots vs dicots?
Mono: veins run parallel
Di: veins run as a network
Stems - herbaceous vascular tissue: monocots vs dicots?
Monocots: vascular tissue runs in ground tissue
Dicots: vascular tissue forms a ring
Why do woody stems grow thicker over the years?
The vascular cambium tissue continuously divides to produce more xylem and phloem layers.
What does bark include? What does the phloem do there?
Phloem, cork cambium, cork
Phloem transports sugars around the plant
What does cork cambium and cork do?
Cork cambium: meristem tissue that produces cork.
Cork: prevents water loss from the stem.
Differentiate between xylem and phloem tissues.
X: Dead at maturity
P: Living at maturity
X: Two types: tracheid and vessel element
P: Three types: sieve tube element, sieve cells, companion cells
X: transports water and minerals
P: transports water and nutrients (carbohydrates, amino acids)
X: one way flow
P: two way flow (and sideways)
What does the root cap do?
Protects the meristem at root’s tip
What is the root cortex?
Region of cells underneath epidermis.
What is the endodermis?
Innermost layer of root cortex
