Plant Anatomy

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to plant physiology, focusing on growth and development.

Meristems

Perpetually embryonic tissue that generate cells for primary and secondary growth in plants.

Apical Bud

The bud located at the tip of a shoot, responsible for the elongation of the shoot.

Primary Growth

Growth in length of plants, initiated by apical meristems.

Secondary Growth

Growth in thickness of woody plants, primarily involving lateral meristems like vascular cambium and cork cambium.

Vascular Cambium

A cylinder of meristematic cells that adds layers of secondary xylem (wood) and secondary phloem.

Cork Cambium

A lateral meristem that replaces the epidermis with a tougher periderm.

Gravitropism

The ability of a plant to detect and respond to gravity.

Statoliths

Specialized plastids involved in gravitropism, dense with starch.

Leaf Primordia

Developing leaves that form along the sides of the apical meristem.

Apical Dominance

The phenomenon where the main shoot grows more vigorously than the lateral shoots, preventing the growth of axillary buds.

Early Wood

Wood formed in the spring with thin walls for water delivery.

Late Wood

Wood formed in late summer with thick-walled cells, contributing more to support.

Dendrochronology

The analysis of tree ring growth patterns used to study past climate changes.

Sapwood

The outer layers of secondary xylem that still transport water and minerals.

Heartwood

The older layers of secondary xylem that no longer transport water and minerals.