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Plant structure & growth Flashcards

(72 cards)

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1
Q

What are the 3 basic plant organs?

A

Roots
Stems
Leaves

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2
Q

What are the 3 basic plant organs organised into?

A

Root & shoot systems

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3
Q

What are the 3 functions of roots?

A

> anchoring plant
absorbing minerals & water
storing carbohydrates

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4
Q

What is the primary root?

A

The 1st root (& organ) to emerge from a germinating seed

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5
Q

Describe the root system of eudicots & gymnosperms

A

Taproot system:
> a taproot = main vertical root
> lateral roots = arise from taproot

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6
Q

Describe the root system of monocots

A

Fibrous root system:
> adventitious roots = arise from stems/leaves
> lateral roots = arise from adventitious roots

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7
Q

Where does absorption of water & minerals occur in most plants?

A

At or near root hairs

- increase SA

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8
Q

What are the examples of root adaptations w/ specialised functions?

A 
> prop roots
> buttress roots
> 'strangling' aerial roots
> pneumatophores
> storage roots
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9
Q

What is the function of prop roots?

A

Support tall, top-heavy trees in sandy soils

e.g. Hala trees in south pacific

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10
Q

What is the function of buttress roots?

A

Prevent trees falling over which have v shallow root systems
e.g. in tropical forests w/ nutrient-poor soil

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11
Q

What is the function of ‘strangling’ aerial roots?

Why are they ‘strangling’?

A

Seeds can germinate in branches of tall trees
–> send aerial roots to the soil

Shading from leaves of new plant kills the host tree

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12
Q

What is the function of pneumatophores?

A

Obtain O2 from air as thick estuarine mud lacks O2
- negatively geotropic roots

e.g. Mangroves

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13
Q

What is the function of storage roots?

A

Store water & sugar

e.g. sugar beet

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14
Q

What do stems consist of?

A

Alternating system of nodes (= points where leaves attach)

& internodes (= segments between nodes)

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15
Q

What is an axillary bud?

A

A structure that has the potential to dorm a lateral shoot or branch

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16
Q

What is an apical bud?

A

(AKA terminal bud)

Located near shoot tip & causes elongation of a young shoot

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17
Q

What are the examples of modified stems?

A

> rhizome
stolons
tubers
bulbs

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18
Q

What are rhizomes?

A

Horizontal shoots that grow just below surface

e.g. Iris

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19
Q

What are stolons?

A

Horizontal shoots that grow along soil surface & allow asexual reproduction of platelets at nodules along stolon

E.g. strawberry plants

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20
Q

What are tubers?

A

Enlarged ends of rhizomes/stolons
Used for storing food

(the ‘eyes’ on potatoes are axillary buds)

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21
Q

What are bulbs?

A

Vertical underground shoots that store food

E.g. onion

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22
Q

What do leaves generally consist of?

A

A flattened blade & a petiole (=stalk)

- joins leaf to node of stem

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23
Q

How do monocots & eudicots differ in the arrangement of veins in leaves?

A

Monocots = parallel veins

Eudicots = branching veins

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24
Q

What are the 3 types of leaf shape?

A

Simple
Compound
Doubly compound

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25
What are the examples of modified leaves?
``` > tendrils > spines > storage leaves > reproductive leaves > bracts ```
26
What are tendrils? What is different about grapevine tendrils?
Leaves that support plants e.g. pea plants use to cling to objects Once attached tendril coils & pulls plant closer to support They're modified stems NOT leaves
27
Give an example of spines
Spikes on a cactus Photosynthesis carried out in fleshy green stem
28
Give an example of a storage leaf
In ice plants they store water
29
Give an example of reproductive leaves
In succulents they form adventitious platelets that fall off & take root in the soil
30
What are bracts?
Modified leaves surrounding flowers - brightly coloured & attract pollinators e. g. in poinsettia
31
What are the 3 types of tissue in each plant organ?
Dermal Vascular Ground
32
What is dermal tissue?
The protective layer
33
What is vascular tissue?
A continuous transport system arranged differently in each organ
34
What is ground tissue?
Where most metabolic functions take place
35
Describe dermal tissue systems in non-woody plants
Called the epidermis Cuticle (=waxy coating) prevents water loss from epidermis
36
Describe dermal tissue systems in woody plants
Protective tissues called periderm replace epidermis in older regions of stems & roots Trichomes = outgrowths of shoot epidermis & helps/ insect defence
37
What is the role of the vascular tissue system?
Carry out long-distance transport of materials between roots & shoots
38
What are the 2 vascular tissues?
Phloem - organic nutrients | Xylem - water & minerals
39
What is the vascular system of a stem/root collectively known as?
The steele | 'pilar' in greek
40
Describe the arrangement of the ground tissue system
Pith = internal to vascular tissue Cortex = external to vascular tissue Includes cells specialised for storage, photosynthesis & support
41
What are the 5 major types of plant cells?
``` > parenchyma > collenchyma > sclerenchyma > water-conducting cells of xylem > sugar-conducting cells of phloem ```
42
What are the features of parenchyma cells?
> thin, flexible primary walls > NO secondary walls > least specialised > perform the most metabolic functions > retain ability to divide & differentiate > large central vacuole > can differentiate into other cells types e.g. wound repair (entire plant can be grown from 1 parenchyma cell)
43
What is the difference between parenchyma cells in leaves vs stems & roots
> in leaves - have chloroplasts | > in stems & roots - have colourless plastids that store starch (=amyloplasts)
44
What are the features of collenchyma cells?
> grouped in strands & help support young parts of plant shoot > thicker & uneven cell walls > NO secondary walls > provide flexible support w/out restraining growth
45
What are the features of sclerenchyma cells?
``` > rigid due to thick secondary walls strengthened w/ lignin > dead at functional maturity > 2 types: - sclereids - fibres ```
46
What are the features of sclereids?
>Short & irregular in shape >Thick lignified secondary walls >Impact hardness to seed coats & nut shells (texture of pear fruits)
47
What are the features of fibres?
> long & slender | > arranged in threads
48
What happens to water-conducting cells of the xylem at maturity?
Die | - cell components disintegrate leaving lignin-hardened cell wall
49
What are the 2 types of water-conducting cells of the xylem? Where are they found?
Tracheids - found in xylem of most vascular plants Vessel elements - in most angiosperms & few gymnosperms
50
What are vessel elements?
Wider, shorter, thinner walled & less tapered than tracheas Movement of water between vessel elements is via perforated end walls
51
What are tracheids?
Long, thin w/ tapered ends Movement of water between tracheids is via pits
52
What are sieve-tube elements like at maturity?
Alive | Lack nucleus, ribosomes, vacuole & cytoskeleton
53
What does the reduction in cell contents enable sieve-tube elements to do?
Conduct nutrients
54
What are sieve plates?
Porous end walls that allow fluid to flow between cells along the sieve tube
55
What does each sieve-tube element have?
A non-conducting companion cell whose nucleus & ribosomes serve both cells
56
What is the general function of meristems?
Generate cells for primary & secondary growth
57
What are the 2 types of growth in plants?
Indeterminate - grow throughout life Determinate - organs that cease to grow at certain size
58
What are the 2 type of meristems?
Apical | Lateral
59
Where are apical meristems located?
Tips of roots & shoots | Axillary buds of shoots
60
What do apical meristems do?
Elongate roots & shoots = primary growth
61
What do lateral meristems do?
In woody plants - add thickness to shoots & roots | = secondary growth
62
What are the 2 lateral meristems?
Vascular cambium - adds layers of vascular tissue = secondary xylem & secondary phloem Cork cambium - replaces epidermis w/ periderm = thicker & tougher
63
What is the root tip covered by? | Why?
A root cap | - protects apical meristem as root pushes through soil
64
What are the 3 zones of cells behind the root tip?
> zone of cell division > zone of elongation > zone of differentiation/maturation
65
Where do lateral roots arise from?
Within the pericycle | = outermost later in vascular cylinder
66
Describe a shoot apical meristem
Dome-shaped mass of dividing cells at shoot tip
67
Where do leaves develop from?
Leaf primordia along sides of apical meristem
68
Where do axillary buds develop from? What do axillary buds give rise to?
Meristematic cells left at bases of leaf primordia Lateral shoots
69
How is vascular tissue arranged in most eudicots?
Vascular bundles arranged in a ring
70
How is vascular tissue arranged in most monocot stems?
Vascular bundles scattered throughout ground tissue
71
What is the ground tissue in a leaf called? What are the 2 layers can eudicots called?
Mesophyll Palisade mesophyll Spongy mesophyll
72
What is each vein/vascular bundle in leaves enclosed by? What is the role of vascular bundles?
A protective bundle sheath Support leaf shape

Cell Biology (23 decks)

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