UNF General Biology II Lab- Kingdom Plantae: Gymnosperms & Angiosperms

What are gymnosperms?

Vascular plants with seeds that are not enclosed by a fruit

What does the term gymnosperm mean?

"Naked seed"

What types of plants are gymnosperms?

Conifers or evergreens

What are examples of gymnosperms?

Pines, firs, redwoods, sequoias, and cycads

What major environmental change favored the evolution of gymnosperms?

Receding continental seas that exposed drier land

Which life cycle stage is dominant in gymnosperms?

Diploid sporophyte

T/F. The gametophyte is the dominant stage in gymnosperms.

False.

How many types of cones do pine trees have?

Two

What are the female cones called?

Ovulate cones

What do ovulate cones produce?

Eggs

What are the male cones called?

Staminate cones

What do staminate cones produce?

Pollen containing sperm

What structures are found on male cones?

Microsporophylls

What do microsporophylls contain?

Microsporangia

What cells are found inside microsporangia?

Microspore mother cells

What process produces microspores?

Meiosis

What is the ploidy of microspores?

Haploid

What do microspores develop into?

Pollen grains

What two cells are found in a pollen grain?

Generative cell and tube cell

What is the function of the generative cell?

To produce sperm nuclei

What is the function of the tube cell?

To form the pollen tube

How is pollen transferred to female cones in gymnosperms?

By wind

What life cycle stage does a pollen grain represent in gymnosperm?

Immature male gametophyte

What structure forms when pollen reaches the female cone?

Pollen tube

What is the function of the pollen tube?

To transport a sperm nucleus to the egg

What structure in the female cone produces megaspores?

Megasporangium

What cell undergoes meiosis in the megasporangium for female cones?

Megaspore mother cell

How many megaspores are produced by meiosis?

4

What happens to most megaspores?

3 degenerate

What does the remaining megaspore from female cones develop into?

A megagametophyte

What structures are found within the megagametophyte?

Two archegonia

What does each archegonium contain?

An egg

What forms after fertilization in gymnosperms?

A diploid zygote

What does the zygote develop in a gymnosperm into?

An embryo sporophyte

What structure forms around the embryo in a gymnosperm?

A seed coat

How many seeds are found on each scale of a female cone?

2

What nourishes the developing embryo inside the seed?

Remaining gametophyte tissue

What happens when conditions are favorable for cones?

The seed germinates

What does a germinating seed produce in a gymnosperm?

A new pine tree (sporophyte)

Why are gymnosperms not dependent on water for fertilization?

Sperm are delivered to the egg via a pollen tube

Describe the gymnosperm life cycle?

Refer to manual

What are angiosperms?

Flowering plants with seeds enclosed within an ovary or fruit

What does the word angiosperm mean?

"Vessel seed"

From which Greek words is angiosperm derived?

Angion (vessel) and sperma (seed)

Approximately when did angiosperms first appear?

About 127 million years ago

What major characteristic distinguishes angiosperms from gymnosperms?

Seeds are enclosed within a fruit

Why are angiosperms the dominant terrestrial plants today?

They evolved efficient reproduction and seed dispersal mechanisms

Which life cycle stage is dominant in angiosperms?

Diploid sporophyte

What male reproductive structure is produced by the angiosperm sporophyte?

Stamen

What are the parts of a stamen?

Anther and filament

What female reproductive structure is produced by angiosperms?

Carpel (pistil)

What are the parts of a carpel?

Stigma, style, and ovary

Where does meiosis occur in the angiosperms male structures?

In the anther

What cells undergo meiosis in the angiosperms anther?

Microspore mother cells

What is produced by meiosis in the angiosperms anther?

Haploid microspores

What two cells make up a pollen grain?

Tube cell and generative cell

What life cycle stage does a pollen grain represent in angiosperm?

Microgametophyte

Where are ovules located in angiosperms?

Attached to the ovary wall

What structure is found within each ovule in angiosperm?

Megasporangium

What cell undergoes meiosis in the megasporangium in angiosperm?

Megaspore mother cell

How many nuclei result from megaspore mitosis in angiosperm?

8 nuclei

What does the eight-nucleate structure represent in angiosperm?

Megagametophyte (embryo sac)

Which nuclei become the egg?

One nucleus

Which nuclei become the polar nuclei?

Two nuclei

What process is unique to angiosperms?

Double fertilization

How is pollen transferred to the stigma?

By wind or animals

What structure grows from the pollen grain?

Pollen tube

What happens to the generative cell in angiosperm?

It divides by mitosis to form two sperm

Are angiosperm sperm motile?

No

How do sperm reach the egg in angiosperm?

Through the pollen tube down the style

What opening allows entry into the ovule in angiosperm?

Micropyle

What happens during the first fertilization event of angiosperms?

One sperm fertilizes the egg forming a zygote

What happens during the second fertilization event in angiosperm?

One sperm fuses with the polar nuclei

What is formed by fusion with polar nuclei?

Triploid endosperm

What is the function of the endosperm?

To nourish the developing embryo

What tissue forms the seed coat?

Diploid consideration tissues (integuments)

What does the ovary become after fertilization in angiosperms?

Fruit

What is the function of fruit?

Seed protection and dispersal

How do fruits aid in seed dispersal?

By attracting animals with color, odor, or sugar

What happens after seeds are dispersed and conditions are favorable for angiosperms?

They germinate into new sporophytes

What are the two major divisions of angiosperms?

Monocots and dicots

What structure distinguishes monocots from dicots?

Cotyledons

What is a cotyledon?

A seed leaf that provides energy to the seedling

How many cotyledons do monocots have?

1 cotyledon

How many cotyledons do dicots have?

2 cotyledons

What is the first event after fertilization in embryo development in angiosperms?

Establishment of polarity

What two regions are established in the embryo?

Plumule and radicle

What is the plumule?

The embryonic shoot

What is the radicle?

The embryonic root

What is the hypocotyl?

The emerging shoot stem

What is the endosperm of the seed?

A 3N starchy tissue that nourishes the embryo

What happens to cotyledons as the plant matures?

They shrivel and fall off

What tissue at the root tip produces new roots?

Meristematic tissue

What structures arise from the root meristem?

Primary root, lateral roots, and root hairs

Compare a monocot and dicot seed

Refer to manual

Describe angiosperms life cycle

Refer to manual

Draw flower and label the reproductive structures (female and male)

Refer to manual

Create a chart with the difference between monocots and dicots

Refer to manual

What are plants able to do that distinguishes them from animals?

Produce their own food by photosynthesis

Why did specialized plant tissues evolve?

To increase efficiency of photosynthesis, transport, and survival in different environments