Protists, Plants, and Fungi Flashcards
Protist
any of numerous eukaryotic organisms that are not fungi, plants, or animals and are chiefly unicellular or colonial
Heterotroph
an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances
Eukaryote
an organism whose cells contain a nucleus within a membrane
Decomposer
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material
Parasite
an organism that lives in or on another organism and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host’s expense
Host
an organism a parasite infects
Fungi
any of a group of unicellular, multicellular, or syncytial spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools
Spore
a reproductive unit capable of giving rise to a new individual without sexual fusion, characteristic of lower plants, fungi, and protozoans.
Lichen
a simple slow-growing plant that typically forms a low crust like, leaf like, or branching growth on rocks, walls, and trees
Nonvascular
they no vascular tissue, so the plants cannot retain water or deliver it to other parts of the plant body
Vascular
a plant that is characterized by the presence of conducting tissue
Gymnosperm
a plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit. Gymnosperms include the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo
Angiosperm
a plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are a large group and include herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees
Photosynthesis
the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct
Cellular Respiration
a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy from nutrients into adenosine triphosphate, and then release waste products.
