Unit 1 - MSH Plant Requirements & Nitrogen Flashcards
What dispersal strategy / seed type will allow their seeds to REACH the pumice plain first?
wind-dispersal and small seeds
Why would small, wind-dispersed seeds be the first to REACH the pumice plain?
light and can travel far
Upon arrival, which type of seed will have the best chance of SURVIVAL?
large seeds with large cotyledons
Why would large seeds with large cotyledons have the best chance of SURVIVAL?
lots of stored energy to tap into early on
Although large seeds have a high chance of survival, a drawback is their ____ dispersal distance.
short
What were the 1st 3 candidates for reestablishment on MSH?
fireweed, pearly everlasting, lupine
What was the first to ESTABLISH in the MSH pumice plain?
lupine
What is the dispersal and seed type for pearly everlasting & fireweed?
both are wind-dispersed and have small seeds
What is the dispersal method and seed type for lupine?
ballistic and large
Which plant is being described:
-member of the pea family
-large seeds in pod
-legumes
-ballistic dispersal
lupines
What are 2 plausible hypothesis for the 1st to establish in MSH?
(1) Lupine were the first because they were the only ones able to survive in the volcanic ash soil.
(2) Pearly everlasting and fireweed weren’t the first to establish, not because they can’t survive there, but because they didn’t reach the interior of the pumice plain first.
How did scientists confirm the 1st hypothesis to be correct (lupines were only ones able to survive in tephra)?
scientists planted all three plants in tephra & lupine was only one to survive
If lupine’s were not the first seeds to REACH the pumice plain, why were they the first to establish?
they were the only ones that could survive intially
What are the structural elements and their forms that plants need?
Carbon - CO2
Hydrogen - H2O
Oxygen - O2
How do plants get Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen?
C: from the air
H: from water in the soil
O: air & as a soil photosynthesis product (air in gaps of soil particles)
Are macronutrients needed in large or small quantities for plants?
large
What primary nutrients do plants need and in what form?
Nitrogen - NO3-, NH4+
Phosphorus - H2PO4-, HPO4(2-)
Potassium - K+
Are micronutrients need in large or small quantities for plants?
small
What are some examples of macronutrient structures?
nucleic acids
amino acids
What is an example of micronutrient structure?
coenzymes
How do plants get their primary nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium)?
through the soil with intake through their roots (in fertilizer)
What do plants need N for?
green foliage
What do plants need P for?
roots & blooms
What do plants need K for?
overall plant health
What do plants need Carbon, Hydrogen & Oxygen for?
(1) cellulose - wood & stems
(2) glucose metabolism - cellular respiration
What group of elements are carbohydrates/sugars?
C, H, and O
What do plants need N for?
(1) DNA - nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine)
(2) proteins (including enzymes)
What do plants need P for?
DNA - phosphate backbone
What are 2 important micronutrients that are essential for plants?
magnesium & chlorophyll
What are 4 things vital to plants?
(1) water
(2) C & O carbohydrates
(3) nutrients
(4) N-proteins
What was a major difference between the MSH tephra composition compared to the control?
ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) levels were MUCH lower
What have scientist been trying to use to predict protein structure, which is ultimately based on DNA?
Al
What is the goal of the Al program and has it made progress?
to predict protein folding from a DNA sequence & significant progress has been made
Did the pumice plain have enough N for plants?
no
What plant was able to tolerate N-lacking tephra?
lupine
Where is most of the N on Earth?
atmosphere (N2)
How much of the atmosphere is composed of N2 gas?
78%
Even though there is plenty of N2 in the air, why can’t plants use this form of it?
atmospheric N2 has a very strong TRIPLE covalent bond
How do plants obtain N?
through their roots (soil)
definition: process that describes how N is converted from one form to another as it moves between pools
Nitrogen cycle
definition: process where plants take up Nitrate from the soil (NO3-)
assimilation
How does N get into the soil?
nitrification - soil bacteria that ultimately convert ammonium and nitrite into nitrate
Why do organisms need N?
proteins
What are the many functions of proteins (macromolecule)?
-enzymes
-transport and communication
-structure
What ultimately dictates the function of proteins?
their shape
What are the various types of protein function?
digestive enzymes, transport, structural, hormones, defense, contractile, storage
Proteins are complex molecules made of chains of what?
amino acids
Proteins fold into very specific shapes that ultimately determines what?
their function
What happens when a protein gets overheated?
it can denature / change shape
What 3 things make up the amino acid structure?
(1) R group (varies)
(2) Amino group (NH3)
(3) Carboxyl Group (CO2)
What ultimately determines the interactions of amino acids and overall protein shape/folding?
R groups
What makes amino acids unique from each other?
R group
How are amino acids made?
they are synthesized/made during translation of an mRNA template
What process creates a string of amino acids? And what is this string called?
translation & polypeptide chain
What type of bonds make up peptide bonds that connect amino acids?
C-N covalent bonds
What are the bonds called that connect Amino acids?
peptide bonds
What type of bonds are strong & permanent?
covalent
Covalent bonds can be ____ or ______.
polar; non polar
How many stages of protein folding are there?
four
protein structure:
-a sequence of amino acids linked together to form a polypeptide chain
-a straight chain
primary
protein structure:
-contains regions of amino acids that are stabilized by hydrogen bonds from the polypeptide backbone
-a helix shape; loopy phone cord
secondary
protein structure:
-overall 3D arrangement of polypeptide chain in space
-first stage at which R groups come into play
-R groups interact to form this 3D structure
tertiary
protein structure:
-assembled subunits, bunch of structures together to make a larger protein
-association of several protein chains or subunits into a closely packed arrangement
quaternary
What structure of protein makes a polypeptide chain?
tertiary
What structure of protein makes a helix?
secondary
What structure of protein is composed of amino acid residues?
primary
What structure of protein is made of assembled subunits?
quaternary
What is the first stage in protein structure where R groups come into play?
tertiary
What happens if there is a change in the primary stage of protein structure?
it will affect all downstream folding
What happens to the amino acid sequence if there is a mutation in the DNA?
a completely new amino acid sequence forms (1 degree structure)
What happens if there is a new order of amino acids?
new shape and new/or possibly NO function at all
In which structure, do peptide bonds link amino acids in chain?
primary
In which structure are their coils or crimps (alpha helix or beta sheet)?
secondary
In which structure are hydrogen bonds responsible?
secondary
Is secondary structure related to R groups?
no
Is tertiary structure related to R groups?
yes, R groups determine this structure
In which structure do IMFs, ionic bonds, and sometimes disulfide bridges determine exact folding pattern?
tertiary
What are covalent S–S bonds called (Cysteine only)?
disulfide bridges
Where do disulfide bridges come into play?
tertiary structure
In which structure, are multiple tertiary subunits bound together?
quaternary
Do tertiary and quaternary structures have the same interactions?
yes
