Organismic Bio: Plant Anatomy (Lab Quiz)

What are the three main organs of plants?

Roots, stems, and leaves.

What type of growth do plants exhibit?

Indeterminate growth, allowing them to grow throughout their lives.

What is the role of the Shoot Apical Meristem (SAM)?

Responsible for the growth of the shoot.

What is the role of the Root Apical Meristem (RAM)?

Responsible for the growth of the root.

What are daughter cells produced by the SAM and RAM capable of?

They are totipotent, meaning they can differentiate into any cell type.

What are the three tissue systems in plants?

Dermal, ground, and vascular.

What types of tissues are found in plants?

Simple (one cell type) and complex (more than one cell type).

What are the three types of cells found in ground tissue?

Parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma.

What characterizes parenchyma cells?

They have a thin primary cell wall, are alive at maturity, and can specialize in photosynthesis, storage, and material transfer.

What is the function of collenchyma cells?

They support young, growing tissues and have unevenly thickened primary cell walls.

What are sclerenchyma cells known for?

They have uniformly thickened secondary cell walls and are dead at maturity, with two shapes: sclereids and fibers.

What is the function of xylem in vascular tissue?

Conducts water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves.

What are the two types of cells in xylem?

Tracheids and vessel elements.

What is the primary function of phloem?

Moves carbohydrates and amino acids throughout the plant body.

What are the two types of cells found in phloem?

Sieve-tube elements and companion cells.

What are the primary functions of roots?

Anchoring the plant, absorption of water and nutrients, storage of carbohydrates, and conduction of water and nutrients.

What are the two types of root systems?

Taproot (one main vertical root) and fibrous roots (a mat of thin roots).

What is the role of the root cap?

Protects the Root Apical Meristem (RAM).

What is the Casparian strip?

A band of suberin in the cell walls of endodermal cells that blocks the apoplastic route of water and solute movement.

What are the functions of the shoot system?

Support for leaves and reproductive structures, and conduction of water, nutrients, and sugars between roots and leaves.

What is the vascular cambium?

A cylinder of meristematic cells that produces secondary xylem and phloem.

What is the difference between sapwood and heartwood?

Sapwood is active xylem that conducts water, while heartwood is older xylem that provides structural support but does not transport water.

What are lenticels?

Small pores in the bark that allow for gas exchange.

What are some modifications of stems?

Water-storage structures, stolons, rhizomes, tubers, and thorns.

What is the difference between simple and compound leaves?

A simple leaf has a single, undivided blade, while a compound leaf is divided into multiple leaflets.

What is the role of guard cells?

Control the opening and closing of stomata, regulating transpiration and gas exchange.

What is the cohesion-tension theory of transpiration?

Describes how water vapor diffuses out of leaves, creating tension that pulls water through the xylem from roots to leaves.

What adaptations do leaves have for dry conditions?

Thick, waxy cuticle, thick epidermis, stomata inside pits, and trichomes.

What is RuBisCO?

An enzyme that catalyzes the first step of the Calvin cycle, involved in carbon fixation.

What is C4 photosynthesis?

A pathway that concentrates CO₂ in bundle-sheath cells, reducing photorespiration.

What is Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)?

A photosynthetic adaptation where stomata open at night to fix CO₂ and store it as an acid.