Test Review: Plants, Animals, and Development

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering important terms and concepts related to plants and animals, focusing on their functions, structures, and developmental processes.

Connective Tissues

Tissues that support, protect, transport, and bind other tissues; includes cells like fibroblasts and a matrix with protein fibers.

Extracellular Matrix (ECM)

A complex structure composed of protein fibers (collagen, elastin) and ground substance that provides support to connective tissues.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants characterized by reproductive structures that include sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels.

Double Fertilization

A unique angiosperm process where one sperm fertilizes the egg to form a zygote, and another sperm fertilizes the central cell to form the endosperm.

Germ Layers

The three layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm) formed during embryonic development that give rise to different body systems.

Eumetazoa

Animals that possess true tissues and are organized into functional layers, differentiating them from Parazoa like sponges.

Cephalization

The evolutionary trend where sensory organs and the brain are located at the anterior end of the organism, enhancing control and efficiency.

Flame Cells

Primitive excretory structures found in flatworms that function in osmoregulation and waste removal.

Monocots

A group of flowering plants characterized by having one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, and scattered vascular bundles.

Eudicots

A group of flowering plants characterized by having two cotyledons, net-like leaf veins, and a ring of vascular bundles.

Plant Adaptations

Structural changes in plants, like needle-like leaves in conifers, that enhance survival in specific environments.

Dormancy

A seed's state of inactivity that allows it to survive unfavorable environmental conditions until germination is possible.

Xylem

A type of vascular tissue in plants responsible for the transport of water and minerals from roots to leaves.

Phloem

A type of vascular tissue that transports sugars and other organic nutrients from sources to sinks in plants.

Apoptosis

The process of programmed cell death that is crucial for development and homeostasis in multicellular organisms.

Osmoregulation

The process by which organisms regulate the water and electrolyte balance in their bodies to maintain homeostasis.

Seed Coat

The protective outer layer of a seed that protects the embryo and food supply within it.

Spore

A haploid reproductive cell that can grow into a new organism without fertilization, adapted to withstand harsh conditions.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen from the male anther to the female stigma, a crucial stage in the reproductive cycle of flowering plants.

Bud Formation

The developmental stage in plant growth where new shoots or leaves begin to develop from buds.