What is Plant Physiology - 1 Flashcards
Define Plant Physiology
the study of plant processes and how plants grow, develop, and function as they interact with abiotic and biotic environments
How do primary producers obtain energy
they harvest solar energy by converting light to chemical energy and store it in carbohydrates formed from CO2 and water
What are the 6 unifying principles of plants
- primary producers
- sessile
- plants structurally reinforced (support as grow towards sunlight and against gravity)
- mechanisms to move (water and nutrients to photosynthesis sites and to move produce of photosynthesis throughout
- lose water continuously (due to evapotranspiration, but evolved to not desiccate)
- plants develop from embryos (derive nutrients from mother plant)
What 3 structures do all plants have
stem, roots, and leaves
explain growth of primary and secondary cell walls
primary cell wall synthesizes while growing
secondary cell wall is inside the primary wall, AFTER most of cell growth is complete
What main 3 groups of polysaccharides are plant cell walls composed of
cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin
Define matrix polysaccharides
polysaccharides that are synthesized in the golgi apparatus and then delivered to the cell walls by exocytosis
Define plasmodesmatea in terms of plant cell walls
channels that connect the cytoplasm of neighbouring cells so they avoid the process of crossing plasma membranes and allows for water and small molecules to move between. connected plasmodesmatea form symplast
Due to rigid cell walls, plant growth and development is based on
cell division and cell enlargement patterns
Define meristems
they are the growing tops of the roots that are where new cells are produced. they are constantly dividing cells and forming new tissues.
Define secondary growth in plants
the growth that results from cell division in specialized meristems, the vascular and cork cambium, that results in increase in girth of roots and shoots
