Untitled Flashcards Set

What year did Indian writing begin to classify plants?

1600 BCE

What year did Chinese writing begin to classify plants?

480 BCE

Who is known as the father of Botany?

Theophrastus

How many plants did Theophrastus list?

500 plants

What was the first list of taxonomy of plants?

Materia Medica

How long was Materia Medica the standard of taxonomy?

1500 years

What was the old way of plant taxonomy?

Writing a paragraph in Latin describing the properties of the plant.

What role did Linnaeus contribute to botany?

He developed a classification system (taxonomic system).

What is a binomial?

A scientific name for plants.

What are the three components of a binomial name?

Pisum, Sativum, and the author of the binomial.

Why is keeping past seeds important?

It allows us to compare with modern plants and study genetic sequences.

On what basis is modern taxonomy founded?

Morphological, physiological, and molecular evidence.

List the class hierarchy in taxonomy.

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

What is a taxon?

Any taxonomic rank.

What is an issue with classifying plants morphologically?

Convergent evolution.

Define Clade.

A branch of a cladogram that includes a common ancestor and all its descendants.

What percentage of plants are found in tropical rainforests?

70%.

How does agriculture inhibit the future of agriculture?

Lack of diversity/genetic base is lowering.

Describe features of algae.

Aquatic, non-vascular, photosynthetic, ranging from unicellular to giant kelp.

What is the basic body structure of algae?

Thallus.

Is algae considered prokaryotic or eukaryotic?

Both.

What do all algae have, and why is it significant?

Chlorophyll a, it initiates light-dependent reactions.

What pigments do green algae and euglenoids have?

Chlorophyll a & b and carotenoids.

What are the similarities between green algae and euglenoids?

Both contain chlorophyll a & b and carotenoids as primary photosynthetic pigments.

What other accessory pigments are present in algae?

Chlorophyll C.

What color is cyanobacteria?

Blue-green.

Explain the function of cyanobacteria.

Some can fix nitrogen from the air.

Is cyanobacteria prokaryotic or eukaryotic?

Prokaryotic.

Are dinoflagellates unicellular or multicellular?

Unicellular.

What composes dinoflagellates and how do they function?

Hard cellulose plates and 2 flagella allow them to move through water.

Are dinoflagellates autotrophs, mixotrophs, or heterotrophs?

All of the above.

What do dinoflagellates contain?

Animal toxins.

What portion of dinoflagellates is photosynthetic?

Cellulosic components.

What forms the cell wall of diatoms?

Ornamented silica.

What produces diatomaceous earth?

Aggregations of diatom skeletons.

What functions do diatoms serve?

Pool filters and natural pesticides.

Describe the structure of diatoms.

Glass-like structure.

What structure do euglenoids possess?

1-2 flagella for locomotion and protein-containing flexible covering.

Are euglenoids autotrophic, heterotrophic, or mixotrophic?

Mixotrophic.

How do euglenoids sense light?

With an eye spot that senses light intensity.

In what environments do green algae reside?

Freshwater and marine.

Are green algae unicellular or multicellular?

Both.

Describe two characteristics of green algae.

Colonial and filamentous.

What common trait does green algae share with land plants?

Same photosynthetic pigments.

What is Chlorella classified as?

Unicellular.

What is the main environment of red algae?

Marine.

What do red algae contain, and how are they commercially used?

Agars and carrageenan, used as food thickeners.

Describe the wall structure of red algae.

Rigid aggregations of calcium in walls.

What is the main environment of brown algae?

Mostly marine.

Give an example of brown algae.

Kelp, often referred to as 'trees' of coastal marine.

How does brown algae float?

A gas-filled structure holds air to float.

Why have various photosynthetic pigments evolved in marine algae instead of land plants?

Different light spectrums underwater require adaptation to absorb diverse colors.

Why is omega-3 fatty acid obtained via fish instead of directly from algae?

Fish concentrate the oil.

What is the potential advantage of algae as biofuel?

High lipid content, rapid growth, and high energy concentration.

Which algae are known to be toxic?

Cyanobacteria.

What toxin accumulates in shellfish?

Toxin from dinoflagellates.

What does the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria do?

Secretes toxins to kill fish and can lead to dermatological issues in humans.

List characteristics of invasive species.

Compete for resources, reproduce quickly, lack natural predators.

What are the economic uses of fungi?

Yeasts, food, crop diseases, human ailments, fermentation.

What are the ecological uses of fungi?

Interactions within ecosystems, decomposition, and support for life.

What animal-like characteristics do fungi have?

Heterotrophic and glycogen storage.

What plant-like characteristics do fungi exhibit?

Cell walls typically contain chitin.

In which domain are fungi classified?

Eukaryote.

Are fungi single-celled or filamentous?

Both.

What is another term for fungal filaments?

Hyphae.

What is a group of hyphae called?

Mycelium.

Are hyphae septate or nonseptate?

Both.

What distinguishes septate hyphae from nonseptate hyphae?

Septate hyphae have walls separating nuclei; nonseptate do not.

How do fungi reproduce?

Asexually and sexually, producing spores.

Define plasmogamy.

Fusion of cytoplasm.

Define karyogamy.

Fusion of two haploid nuclei.

What happens when karyogamy does not occur immediately after plasmogamy?

Leads to a dikaryon with two different nuclei per cell.

Where does spore production occur during asexual reproduction?

Within sporangium or as conidia without enclosure.

What are chytridiomycota?

A group of fungi typically parasitic to plants, animals, and other fungi.

How are chytridiomycota affecting amphibians?

Causing worldwide decline in amphibians due to affecting dermal respiration.

How was the zygomycota named?

For its thick-walled spore-containing structures called zygosporangia.

Are zygomycota septate or nonseptate?

Mainly nonseptate.

Name an example of zygomycota.

Rhizopus stolonifer, also known as bread mold.

What is an ascomycota?

Sack-fungi.

What makes up an ascocarp?

Separate dikaryon.

Describe the cycle for forming 8 ascospores/asci. List examples.

Karyogamy, meiosis, then mitosis; examples include female infectious yeast and athlete's foot fungi.

What fungi grow in Nebraska?

Urbani fresh white truffles.

What is included in ascomycota?

Imperfect fungi.

What is unknown about ascomycota?

No known sexual stages exist.

List the antibiotic derived from ascomycota.

Penicillin, produced by Penicillium.

What condition can Aspergillus cause?

Aspergillosis, a lung infection, especially in cystic fibrosis or asthma patients.

What does Geomyces destructans cause?

White-nose syndrome in bats, leading to high mortality.

What are basidiomycotas?

Fungi that produce spores on basidia, often referred to as 'club fungi.'

What is required to form a basidiocarp?

Dikaryon and septate hyphae.

What produces basidiospores?

Karyogamy and meiosis occurring in the basidium.

List the four common forms of fungi.

Mushrooms, puffballs, rusts, and smuts.

Differentiate between parasitic and mutualistic symbionts.

Parasitic harms the host; mutualistic benefits the host.

What is a saprobe?

Organism that derives nutrients from non-living organic material.

What is mycorrhizae?

Symbiotic association between plant roots and fungi.

What are the mutualistic benefits of mycorrhizae?

Provides nutrients and carbohydrates to fungi.

What is ectomycorrhizae?

A relationship involving mostly basidiomycetes forming a mantle around roots.

What is endomycorrhizae?

Hyphae that penetrate the plant cell walls.

What is the function of lichens?

Symbiosis of fungi with green algae and/or cyanobacteria.

What is the mutualism between lichens and fungi?

Fungi are the photosynthetic partner; algae can thrive in diverse environments.

What conditions can lichens tolerate?

Extreme environmental conditions.