Unit 5: Plants and Photosynthesis Flashcards
autotroph
makes its own food/energy
heterotroph
has to consume other organisms for food/energy
roots
anchor plants in ground, help hold soil in place, absorb water and nutrients to transport to the rest of the plant
leaves
where photosynthesis happens, broad surface absorbs more sunlight, have adapted to environment to prevent water loss
stem
support system, transports nutrients, defense against predators and disease, produce leaves and reproductive organs (flowers)
xylem
carry water (and water soluble substances) throughout the plant, many cells arranged end to end with openings in cells wall, cells are dead, (tracheids and vessel elements)
phloem
carry sugars (and other organic molecules) throughout the plant, cells arranged end to end with many small holes like a sieve, cells are alive (neighboring cells called companion cells support sieve tube elements
cuticle
thick waxy outer layer of tissue, protects against water loss
epidermis
single layer of cells on the outside of plants that help protect the plant
stoma
an opening in the epidermis of a leaf that allows gases to move into and out of the leaf
guard cells
Cells that control the opening and closing of the stomata
transpiration
the process by which plants release water into the atmosphere through their leaves
wilting
when plants leaves droop due to water loss, may mean over transpiration, blockage of xylem, disease, etc.
capillary action
the tendency of water to rise in a thin tube (cohesion, adhesion), how water moves up the xylem
photosynthesis
a process of chemical reactions in plants that turns light energy into chemical energy
