flowering lecture 14

Fruit development

Process where ovules develop into seeds and the ovary wall develops into fruit for seed dispersal.

Dormancy

A period during which a seed's metabolism slows down and it remains inactive until favorable growing conditions arise.

Gibberellin (GA)

A hormone produced by the embryo that stimulates the production of enzymes like a-amylase to digest starch and aid seedling growth.

Aleurone

The outer layer of the endosperm that responds to gibberellin and produces a-amylase.

Vegetative growth

The phase in which the shoot apical meristem (SAM) forms leaves, stems, and buds before transitioning to reproductive growth.

Reproductive growth

The phase in which the SAM develops floral organs such as sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels.

Perennial plants

Plants that flower year after year, typically having a longer lifespan than annuals or biennials.

Annual plants

Plants that complete their life cycle in one year, flowering and producing seeds within that time.

Biennials

Plants that require two years to complete their life cycle, generally requiring a chilling period before flowering.

Photoperiodism

The physiological reaction of organisms to the length of day or night, affecting flowering time in plants.

Critical daylength

A specific duration of daylight required for short-day and long-day plants to initiate flowering.

Florigen

A factor produced in leaves that moves through the phloem and induces flowering in the shoot meristem.

Phytochrome

A pigment in leaves that helps plants detect light conditions and regulates flowering by setting an internal clock.

Night break

A treatment where a brief exposure to light during the night can stimulate flowering in certain photoperiodic plants.

Vernalization

The process of chilling that stimulates flowering in biennial plants after a period of cold.

Apical meristem (SAM)

The growing tip of a plant that is responsible for forming new leaves, stems, and flowers.

Short-day plants (SDP)

Plants that flower when the days are shorter than a critical length.

Long-day plants (LDP)

Plants that flower when the days are longer than a critical length.

Day neutral plants (DNP)

Plants for which flowering time is not affected by the length of the day.

A-amylase

An enzyme produced by aleurone cells that digests starch into sugars to support seedling growth.

CONSTANS protein (CO)

A protein that regulates the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T in response to day length.

FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)

A gene that acts as a transcription factor to initiate the flowering program in plants.

APETALA1 (AP1)

A transcription factor that initiates flowering once it is activated by the flowering pathway.