Plant Cytology Practice Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic plant cell structures, organelles, and their functions as detailed in the plant cytology lecture notes.

Plant Cytology

The study of plant cells, including how they are built, how they work, and how they divide.

Cell wall

A structure that protects the cell contents and plays a vital role in cell division and expansion.

Pits

Thin areas in the cell wall with tiny strands of cytoplasm that facilitate the flow of water and mineral nutrients.

Plasmodesmata

Structures responsible for connecting one cell with another.

Plasma membrane

A semipermeable membrane composed of fat (lipids) and proteins that encloses the cytoplasm within a cell.

Cytoplasm

A liquid, gel-like substance containing the smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Vacuole

A large organelle occupying most of the space within a cell that regulates osmotic balance and turgidity.

Microtubules

Organelles that facilitate the movement of proteins and organelles within the cell.

Endoplasmic reticulum

Works with dictyosomes (golgi) to produce and secrete compounds and deliver proteins and lipids to their proper locations within a cell.

Nucleus

An organelle that allows communications with the cytoplasm and contains chromosomes and nucleoli.

Chromosomes

Structures containing DNA used to create proteins; they are only visible during cell division.

Nucleoli

Structures within the nucleus that contain RNA.

Chloroplast

The green site where photosynthesis takes place.

Granum

A stack of thylakoids where green chlorophyll pigments are located.

Thylakoids

Structures where chlorophyll and proteins are bound to use light energy to make simple sugars from $CO_2$ and $H_2O$. They also contain carotenoids and xanthophylls.

Stroma

Part of the chloroplast containing DNA, RNA, oil droplets, and ribosomes.

Starch grains

Structures found in chloroplasts that have been actively photosynthesizing.

Leucoplast

Colorless plastids containing oils, protein bodies, and starch grains.

Amyloplast

A type of plastid that contains starch grains.

Chromoplast

Colored plastids ranging from orange to red or yellow (such as lycopene).

Mitochondria

The primary sites of enzymes controlling cell respiration.

Ribosomes

Structures that contain RNA and function in protein synthesis.

Dictyosomes

Organelles that produce and secrete cell wall polysaccharide.