Gymnosperms & Angiosperms

What are the four types of gymnosperms and their general characteristics?

Ginkgo (yellow fan-shaped leaves), Gnetophytes (diverse group in unusual habitats), Cycads (palm-like), and Conifers (cone-bearing trees).

What is the primary reproductive difference between gymnosperms and angiosperms?

Angiosperms rely on flowers and fruit, while gymnosperms rely on cones and wind pollination.

What is the difference between complete and incomplete flowers?

Complete flowers have all four reproductive structures (sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils), whereas incomplete flowers do not.

What are the respective functions of the anther and filament?

The anther releases pollen, and the filament supports the anther.

What are the respective functions of the ovary, style, and stigma?

The ovary develops into a fruit, the style supports the stigma, and the stigma catches incoming pollen.

What do the ovule and ovary develop into after fertilization?

The ovule becomes the seed and the ovary becomes the fruit.

What is double fertilization?

Separate fertilization events that occur in the same ovule.

What are the seven fruit categories and an example of each?

1. Drupe (cherry/peach), 2. Berry (tomato/blueberry), 3. Pepo (watermelon/pumpkin), 4. Hesperidium (lime/grapefruit), 5. Pome (apple/pear), 6. Aggregate Fruit (blackberry), and 7. Multiple Fruit (pineapple).

Sporophyll

A special leaf that bears spores.

Cone

The primary reproductive structure in gymnosperms containing naked seeds.

Pollen grain

A microscopic structure containing the male gametes.

Ovule

The structure that holds female cells and develops into seeds.

Flower

The reproductive structure in plants.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma for plant reproduction.

Carpel/Pistil

The entire female reproductive structure in plants.

Fruit

A matured ovary and its accessory parts.

Adaptive radiation

Organisms diversifying from their ancestral species into multiple new forms.

Domestication

Adapting wild plants for human use via selective breeding.