Chapter 9: Biodiversity of Fungi and Plants

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from lecture notes on fungal biology and the evolution, anatomy, and classification of plants.

Fungi

Eukaryotic heterotrophs that feed on dead, decaying matter which decomposes and releases essential elements into the environment.

Mycelium

The belowground supporting structure of a fungus that digests food, composed of an extensive network of hyphae.

Hyphae

Thread-like fibers that make up both the belowground mycelium and the aboveground body structures of fungi.

Spores

Haploid reproductive cells produced by fungi that are released to germinate and produce new mycelium.

Mycorrhizae

A symbiotic association between vascular plant roots and fungi, where the fungus provides absorbed water and minerals and the plant supplies sugars.

Cuticle

A waxy coating on plant leaves and stems that reduces water loss to prevent desiccation on land.

Lignin

A chemical in plant cell walls that stiffens them, providing structural support to keep plants upright on land.

Xylem

Vascular tissue made of dead cells that transports water and dissolved minerals upward from roots to shoots.

Phloem

Vascular tissue that transports sugars from where they are made or stored to other parts of the plant.

Roots

Subterranean plant organs that anchor the plant in soil, absorb water and minerals, transport nutrients, and store food.

Shoots

The aboveground structures of a plant consisting of photosynthetic leaves, stems, and reproductive structures such as flowers or cones.

Terminal Bud

Newly forming leaves at the tip of the stem that help increase the plant's exposure to sunlight.

Dermal Tissue System

The plant tissue system that forms an outer protective covering and regulates gas exchange.

Vascular Tissue System

The plant tissue system that provides long-distance transport of water and nutrients throughout the body of the plant.

Ground Tissue System

The plant tissue system that performs photosynthesis, provides structural support, and stores nutrients.

Transpiration

The process by which water evaporates into the atmosphere from leaves and stems, pulling up replacement water from the roots through xylem.

Stomata

Tiny pores in leaves regulated by guard cells that open during the day for gas exchange and close at night to prevent water loss.

Charophytes

A group of modern-day green algae that resemble the ancient algal ancestors of land plants.

Bryophytes

Nonvascular, seedless land plants such as mosses, liverworts, and hornworts that rely on water for reproduction and lack xylem and phloem.

Alternation of Generations

A plant life cycle that alternates between a multicellular haploid ($1n$) gametophyte phase and a multicellular diploid ($2n$) sporophyte phase.

Gametophyte

The haploid ($1n$) generation in a plant life cycle that produces gametes via mitosis.

Sporophyte

The diploid ($2n$) generation in a plant life cycle that produces spores via meiosis.

Gymnosperms

Seed plants that produce 'naked' seeds that are not enclosed in an ovary and are typically housed within cones.

Conifers

The dominant group of gymnosperms, featuring needle- or scale-like leaves adapted to cold, dry climates, including pines, spruces, and sequoias.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants whose seeds develop enclosed within a protective ovary, representing 90% of all living plant species.

Flower

A complex reproductive organ in angiosperms housing the ovary and developing into fruits and seeds after fertilization.

Fruit

A mature, expanded, and thickened plant ovary that serves as a protective container and dispersal mechanism for seeds.

Monocots

Angiosperms characterized by embryos with one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, scattered vascular bundles, fibrous roots, and floral parts in multiples of three.

Dicots (Eudicots)

Angiosperms characterized by embryos with two cotyledons, netlike leaf veins, ringed vascular bundles, taproots, and floral parts in multiples of four or five.

Endosperm

A nutrient storage tissue within a seed that provides food for the embryo during plant germination.

Meristem

Unspecialized plant tissue located at the tips of roots and stems where cell division allows primary growth in length.