Semester 2 Flashcards
carnivorous plant
A plant that digests insects and other small prey ABy feeding on insects, carnivorous plants receive nutrients they can’t get from soil.
Cell
The smallest unit of life. All living things are made of cells. Most cells are too small to see with the naked eye.
chlorophyll
The green substance in plant cells that absorbs sunlight. Chlorophyll is located in chloroplasts and it traps the energy needed for photosynthesis.
cuticle
The waxy layer on the top of a leaf that reduces water loss. The cuticle also prevents the invasion of intruders, such as bacteria, into the leaf.
Epidermis cell
Any cell located in the outer layer of a plant. There are three main types of epidermis cells -pavement cells, guard cells and root hair cells.
Guard cell
A cell that controls the entry of gases in and out of stomata. If a plant is low on water, pairs of guard cells close the stomata to prevent water vapour escaping.
palisade mesophyll
A layer of cells specialized in trapping sunlight for photosynthesis. Palisade cells contain many chloroplasts as it is where photosynthesis occur
pavement cell
A cell that helps form a plant’s protective outer layer. Pavement cells have irregular shapes that lock together to form a strong outer layer.
phloem
A tube that transports sugars through a plant. The phloem forms part of the vascular bundle, together with the xylem.
photosynthesis
The process, plants utilise to convert water and carbon dioxide into food.
plant cell
A cell that typically has a cell wall and a large vacuole.
Unlike animal cells, plant cells have cell walls, large vacuoles and often chloroplasts.
root hair cell
A cell that increases the surface area for absorption of water. These cells have ‘hairs’ that extend out to absorb water from a greater volume of soil.
spongy mesophyll
A layer of cells in leaves with a lot of space between them. The space between cells in the spongy mesophyll allows gases to move easily through the leaf.
stoma/stomata
A pore in a leaf that allows gases to enter and leave.
Stomata allow carbon dioxide into the leaf and release waste products - oxygen and water vapour.
vascular bundle
A network of tubes that transport sugar and water through a plant. The vascular bundle is made up of the xylem and phloem.
Main organs of the plant
Roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits.
Roots - 3 main functions
- They anchor and support the plant as it grows.
- They absorb water and nutrients from the soil, like an underground network of straws.
- They stores food and nutrients.
Taxonomy
the science of naming, describing and classifying organisms.
Niche
a way of life for a species
Range
a distribution map of a species
Community
members of different species that share one habitat.
Types of environment factors and what are they?
Abiotic factors (Non-living things affecting it’s environment)
Biotic factors (Living things affecting it’s environment)
Transect
a line set across the area need to be studied
Quadrats
square areas of known size and are often subdivided into smaller units.
Mark-Recapture
technique used to estimate the size of a population that is impractical to count every individual.
Stamen
The male plant reproductive organ, consisting of anther (produces pollen) and filamen.
Xylem
transports water and nutrients from roots to the plant.
Aerobic respiration
the complete conversion of glucose to carbon dioxide and water in the mitochondria of cells with oxygen present, resulting in a large release of energy (net gain of 36 ATP).
Anaerobic respiration
cellular respiration in the absence of oxygen, resulting in a net gain of 2 ATP and production of lactic acid (in animals), or ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide (in plants and fungi).
Fermentation
the anaerobic breakdown of sugar by bacteria and yeasts to form ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide and 2 ATP.
Lactic acid
an organic acid formed by the breakdown of the glucose during anaerobic respiration.
Aerobic respiration location
cytoplasm and in enzymes of Mitochondria
Anaerobic respiration location
Cytoplasm
Glycosis
the first stage of cellular respiration occurs in the cytoplasm and results in the gain of 2 ATP and 2 pyruvate molecules; does not require oxygen.
Translocation
the movement of sugars in the phloem to any location that uses or stores it such as the roots.
Kreb’s cycle
the cyclic series of chemical reactions in mitochondria of cells in which 2 molecules of acetyl-CoA are converted to Citric acid, 6 water molecules, 4 carbon dioxide molecules as waste and 24 hydrogen atoms, which are transferred to carrier molecules; 2 ATP are formed.
electron-transport chain
a series of coenzymes along which high-energy electrons pass, releasing energy to form ATP at each step in the chain; it is the final stage in aerobic cellular respiration in which most ATP molecules are formed.
root pressure
the pressure exerted on water in the roots of the plant due to the continued uptake of water from the soil by osmosis; it forces water a certain way up the stem of the plant until counteracted by the force of gravity.
Light independent reaction (dark reaction)
use the chemical energy derived from light dependent reactions to form glucose
light dependent reaction (light reaction)
to convert captured light energy into chemical energy (specifically ATP and NADPH)
main parts of a leaf involved in photosynthesis.
- Stomata
- Xylem and Phloem
- Spongy mesophyll
- Palisade mesophyll
Transpiration stream
the water column from the roots of the plant to the intercellular spaces of a leaf
the two common techniques used in ecological surveys
- Quadrat sampling
- Transect sampling
Quadrat sampling
a series of squares (quadrats) of a set size are placed in a habitat of interest and the species within those quadrats are identified and recorded.
Cellular respiration
controlled release of energy from glucose to produce ATP.
Describe one structural adaptation of leaves that helps plants conserve water in arid environments.
In arid environments, plants may have a higher density of stomata on the lower surfaces of leaves or may have sunken stomata in pits, reducing exposure to dry air and minimizing water loss through transpiration.
random sampling
technique where quadrats are allocated randomly (randomisation) within a homogenous distribution of vegetation.
Stratified sampling
technique of identifying areas within an overall habitat (also called strata), which may be very different from each other, and which need to be sampled separately through allocation of sampling fractions to each strata.
Heterogenous ecosystem
characterized by a variety of different species, habitats, and environmental conditions.
Homogenous ecosystem
characterized by similar species, habitats, and environmental conditions
The main factors affecting rate of photosynthesis
light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature.
Pyrophytic plants
plants which have adapted to tolerate fire
structural adaptations that plants may exhibit to withstand fire and how these help plants to survive and recover after a fire.
- Fire-activate seed - some plant species actually require fire for their seeds to sprout.
- Thermal insulation - some plants are able to survive wildfires due to a layer of thermal insulation provided by their bark, dead leaves and moist tissues.
describe two features in plants that help them resist drought and how?
- The Cuticles of the plant reduce transpiration during arid conditions and aids the plant’s water conservation.
- Plants can develop extensive and deep root systems that allow plants to access water stored in the lower layers of the soil when the surface soil’s water has dried out.
Transpiration
the process of water loss through the leaves of the plant
Xerophytic
plants that can tolerate dry conditions (such as deserts).
Discuss a strategy that plants use to enhance nutrient uptake in nutrient-poor soils and how.
The mutualistic relationship plants have with Mycorrhizal fungi, which increases the absorption of nutrients by forming a network of hyphae that extends beyond the plant’s root zone and effectively increasing the surface area to volume ratio.
Identify and describe two leaf structures commonly found in xerophytic plants and how they help plants reduce water loss in arid conditions?
- Reduced leaves - reducing the total number and size of leaves to reduce the surface area available for water loss.
- Stomata in pits - having stomata in pits, surrounded by hairs, traps water vapour and hence reduces transpiration.
Define succulence, name example and explain how its succulent features help it survive in arid conditions.
Succulence is the ability of a plant to store water in specialized tissues. Example: Aloe Vera store water in specialized parenchyma cells within their leaves. This stored water serves as a reservoir that the plant can tap into during dry periods.
Keystone species
species that has a disproportionally large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance
umbrella species
a specific species that is the representative of other species, in which protecting them indirectly protects other species in the same habitat.
Flagship species
a species chosen to raise support for biodiversity conservation in a chosen place.
The levels of classification
- Domain
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species
How much energy is gained when consumer eats another organism?
10% of the energy is gained while the other 90% is lost as heat.
What are parts of the stamen?
- Filament - part that holds the anther up, positioning it to facilitate the release of pollen.
- Anther - produces pollen
Pistil
the female reproductive organ of a plant
What are parts of the pistill and explain what they are
Stigma - the receptive, often sticky, portion at the top of the pistil. Its main function is to capture pollen during pollination.
Style - slender tube-like structure that connects the stigma to the ovary for pollen to travel through
Ovary - contains ovules, which are potential seeds. After successful pollination and fertilization, the ovary develops into a fruit, and the ovules develop into seeds.
