Nature of Plants Exam 1 Review

How did photosynthesis change the world?

-Before photosynthesis there was not much free oxygen, instead, more carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide (organisms before plants found high levels of oxygen toxic) -Oxygen crisis -With more and more photosynthesis from plants, free oxygen became a more dominant component of the earth's atmosphere. -It is estimated that the changes to the atmosphere brought about by photosynthesis 2.4 billion years ago ultimately brought 95% of the earth's species to extinction. -With more and more photosynthesis from plants, free oxygen became a more dominant component of the earth's atmosphere.

Characteristics of Marijuana

-Cannabis family: Cannabaceae -2 species: 1. Cannabis sativa 2. Cannabis indica -Native to Mongolia -known for its psychoactive and medicinal properties -THC in the flowers (not buds) -historically very important economically in the US

Characteristics of Cobra Lily

-Darlingtonia californica -not a lily! -native to N. California & Oregon -carnivorous plant -grows in wet habitats, along streams and in bogs -eat insects to supplement its nitrogen needs -upper part of leaf is modified for trapping insects; lower part contains a fluid for digesting insects -spatial and temporal separation of insect traps and flowers

Fruits

-Fruits are seed packaging. -Fruits promote the dispersal of plant babies. -The fruit type will determine the primary mode of plant baby transportation (dispersal). -There are two main types of fruits: 1. fleshy fruit 2. dry fruits

Seeds

-Seeds are the unit of plant reproduction -The seed contains the plant embryo which is inside a hard outer protective coating. -Also within the seed is nutritive tissue to help the baby plant germinate. -This nutritive tissue in the seed is stored as starch.

function of roots

-absorb water and nutrients -anchor plant -storage

what can plants do with usable energy?

-build more plant structures by converting sugar into cellulose -store energy for later by converting sugars into starch

Characteristics of Coffee

-coffea arabica -native to tropical Africa -comes from a tropical shrub -Shade grown mostly -contains caffeine, which is a stimulant -coffee "beans" are actually the dried seeds of the coffee berries -first evidence of roasting, brewing, and drinking coffee the way we do today comes from the Arabian Peninsula (modern day Yemen) -English Coffee Houses "Penny Universities" - related to the invention of the newspaper

Characteristics of Vanilla

-comes from a tropical orchid (Orchidaceae) that grows in tropical forests -has aerial roots -vanilla "beans" are dried seed pods (capsules) -native to southeast Mexico and Guatemala -must be pollinated by "stingless bee" -Edmund Albus developed the modern hand-pollination system for vanilla

Challenges of being sessile

-getting food and nutrients -dealing with the environment -defense from enemies -movement -sex

What is the purpose of the waxy cuticle?

-helps to prevent water loss and keeps plants from drying out

Deficiency: Calcium

-immobile nutrient -leaves are deformed and stunted; old leaves remain normal

Deficiency: Iron

-immobile nutrient -new leaves yellow and white with green veins; old leaves remain normal.

chloroplasts

-key physiological feature of plants that enables photosynthesis -Chlorophyll A & B are light absorbing pigments found inside the chloroplasts. (they do not absorb energy from green light--this is what makes plants green!)

Deficiency: Phosphorous

-old growth -Leaves are darker than normal; plants lose leaves.

Deficiency: Magnesium

-old growth -leaves turn yellow from outside in, veins remain green at first.

Deficiency: Nitrogen

-old growth -upper leaves are light green and yellow; lower, older leaves are yellow and shriveled.

Deficiency: Carbon dioxide

-old growth -white deposits on leaves; stunted plant growth; plant dies back.

Deficiency: Manganese

-old growth -yellow spots or elongated holes between veins.

Deficiency: Potassium

-old growth -yellowing at tips and edges of leaves; dead or yellow patches develop on leaves

Characteristics of Cinnamon

-plant from the wild -comes from the bark of the cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum spp.) -most grows in tropical forests in southern Asia -2 types: c. cassia (most common type imported to USA, native to China) and c. verum (native to India & Sri Lanka) -cinnamon birds

What does the cell wall do?

-provides support to plants, and is a major feature of physical plant structure (like a skeletal system) -An additional component of this physical structure can be attributed to the large water- filled vacuole inside the plant cell

Flowers

-site of plant reproduction -Flowers are meant to aid in the process of the union of sperm and egg. -Pollen vectors include wind and animals. -Pollination promotes outcrossing & genetic diversity (i.e., reduce inbreeding)

function of stem

-structural support for leaves -transport water and nutrients

pollination

-the movement of pollen from one plant to the stigma of another -promotes outcrossing & genetic diversity

The Carbon Cycle

1. All things considered photosynthesis results in a net increase in oxygen into the ecosystem. 2. More carbon dioxide is taken in by the plants via photosynthesis compared to what is given off by cellular respiration. 3. Plants are a carbon sink: they take in more carbon (from carbon dioxide), than they give off. 4. Over time, all this carbon in the form of plant parts accumulates...Add some HEAT, compression, and about a hundred million years...Eventually we get oil...from plants!

What makes a plant a plant?

1. Autotrophic: They make their own food (via photosynthesis) 2. Cell wall: They have a special skeletal system 3. Waxy cuticle: They have a special water proof coating 4. Sessile: They are stuck in the ground 5. Modular architecture: They are composed of regular and repeatable parts

3 secondary macronutrients

1. Calcium (Ca): promotes root growth and formation; physiological function: helps to build strong cell walls 2. Magnesium (Mg):physiological function: influences the intake of other nutrients; supports chlorophyll production. 3. Sulphur (S): promotes root growth; physiological function: builds proteins

Plant adaptations to deal with being sessile

1. Pollination: animals and wind move pollen from one plant to another 2. Seed dispersal: animals and wind move seeds to new locations

How do sugars and nutrients flow through the phloem?

1. We start with a source cell, where there is a high density (pressure) of sugars or nutrients 2. Our nutrients (solutes) will flow to sink cells, where there is lower density of the specific solute. 3. A pressure gradient is formed whereby nutrients flow from parts of the plants with high densities to parts of the plants with low densities

The "Four Whorls"

1. calyx (sepal): protect developing flower buds 2. corolla (petal): attract pollinators 3. gynoecium (stigma, style, ovary): receptive pollen surface, holds up stigmas, contains and protects ovules (plant eggs) 4. androecium (anther, filament): produces and dispense pollen (plant sperm), holds up anthers

Photosynthesis process

1. chlorophyll in leaves absorb energy from sunlight 2. leaves inhale carbon dioxide from the atmosphere 3. roots absorb water (and nutrients) from soil 4. plants make sugars 5. leaves exhale oxygen into the atmosphere

photosynthesis takes place in the 1._____ while cellular respiration takes place in the 2._________

1. chloroplasts 2. mitochondria

Three major tissue types in plants

1. dermal tissue: protective covering and gas exchange 2. ground tissue: photosynthesis 3. vascular tissue: water & nutrient transport

3 primary macronutrients

1. nitrogen (N): green foliage, healthy growth; protein production; chlorophyll synthesis 2. phosphorus (P): strong roots, strong stems; important for physiological function 3. potassium (K): general healthy growth

Heterotrophic plants are either:

1. parasitic: steal nutrients and foods from other plants 2. carnivorous: eat animals

2 plant defense mechanisms

1. physical defense: spines, prickles, thorns 2. chemical defense: anti-herbivore compounds (like mustard oil)

Basic organs of a plant

1. roots 2. stem 3. leaves 4. reproductive structures (e.g. flowers)

Transpiration & water movement in the plant

1. roots hairs absorb water from soil via osmosis 2. water then moves into the root xylem 3. water is then pulled into the stem xylem via adhesion and cohesion 4. then pulled into leaf veins 5. and then it is pulled out of the plant through the stomata via evapotranspiration

seed dormancy is typically induced by what?

1. temperature 2. precipitation

8 micronutrients

1.Boron (Br):essential for reproduction 2. Chlorine (Cl): physiological function 3. Copper (Cu): essential for reproduction; promotes growth in roots 4.Iron (Fe): physiological function: chlorophyll production 5. Manganese (Mn): physiological function: breaks down carbohydrates 6. Molybdenum (Mb): physiological function 7. Zinc (Z): physiological function: turns sugars into carbohydrates 8. Nickel (Ni): physiological function

Photosynthesis equation

6CO2 + 6H2O ------> C6H12O6 + 6O2

Micronutrients

Micronutrients are elements required by plants in very small quantities. However, they are just as important for plant function as macronutrients.

Roots absorb water through the process of what?

Osmosis through root hairs

turgor pressure

The pressure that water molecules exert against the cell wall (high: stomata open; low: stomata closed)

mobile nutrients

These can be relocated around the plant; can affect old and new growth; old growth is affected first

immobile nutrients

These cannot be relocated around the plant; only affect new growth

function of reproductive structures

make plant babies

Osmosis

movement of water from high to low concentration

Macronutrients

nutrients (elements) that are required by plants in relatively large quantities

Photosynthesis outputs

oxygen + sugar

function of leaves

photosynthesis

phloem

plant nutrient pipes; transports sugars and other nutrients all around the plant. -made up of sieve tubes

xylem

plant water pipes made of vessel members and tracheids

stomata

regulate gas exchange and water loss from the leaf

Cellular respiration inputs

sugar + oxygen

Photosynthesis inputs

sunlight energy + carbon dioxide + water

transpiration

the process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere

cellular respiration outputs

water + carbon dioxide + usable energy

adhesion

water molecules have a high affinity for other polar molecules such as the cellulose of cell walls in the xylem

cohesion

water molecules have a tendency to stick to one another resulting in a water column (chain of water molecules) that is difficult to break