Diversity of Life: Plants, Algae, Viruses, Archaea, and Eukaryotic Microorganisms

Comprehensive review practice flashcards covering land plant colonization, algae evolution and endosymbiosis, bryophytes, pteridophytes, angiosperm reproduction, viral structure and classification, archaeal physiology and extremophiles, and eukaryotic microorganisms.

The durable, waxy polymer that coats the outer wall of embryophyte spores to prevent desiccation during airborne dispersal is __________.

sporopollenin

Dating back to the Silurian period, the earliest known vascular land plant characterized by dichotomously branching axes and terminal sporangia is __________.

Cooksonia

Although superficially resembling Rhynia, the early fossil plant Aglaophyton was larger and lacked true __________.

vascular tissue

The specialized multicellular male gametangium that protects developing sperm cells from desiccation in embryophytes is the __________.

antheridium

The continuous, waxy, transparent layer secreted onto the outside of plant epidermal cells to prevent excessive water loss is the __________.

cuticle

In the secondary endosymbiotic red lineage, the engulfment of a red alga gave rise to Cryptophyta, Haptophyta, and __________.

Heterokontophyta

The vestigial remnant of the engulfed eukaryotic nucleus found inside the secondary plastids of certain algae is called a(n) __________.

nucleomorph

Dinophytes acquired plastids containing chlorophylls $a, c$ along with the characteristic carotenoid accessory pigment __________.

peridinin

Unlike animal cells that duplicate protoplasm to grow, plant cells expand rapidly and efficiently by accumulating water and salts within large central __________.

vacuoles

Plants that complete their life cycle across two growing seasons—producing vegetative growth in Year 1 and flowering in Year 2—are called __________.

biennials

The ability of an isolated somatic plant cell to dedifferentiate and regenerate an entire plant in tissue culture is called __________.

totipotency

The oldest known taxonomically resolved red algal fossil, discovered in $1,200\text{-million-year-old}$ Canadian rocks, is __________.

Bangiomorpha

The eukaryotic clade comprising glaucophytes, red algae, and green algae, all possessing two-membraned chloroplasts from a single primary endosymbiosis, is __________.

Archaeplastida

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that typically range in size from $0.02$ to __________.

$$0.2\,\mu\text{m}$$

The protective protein shell of a virus particle, composed of individual morphological subunits called capsomeres, is the __________.

capsid

The lipid membrane surrounding an enveloped virus is acquired by __________ through a host cellular membrane.

budding

The segmented genome of the influenza virus consists of eight distinct segments of __________.

RNA

During the lysogenic replication cycle, the phage DNA integrated directly into the bacterial host chromosome is known as a(n) __________.

prophage

Under the Baltimore classification system, retroviruses that utilize a single-stranded RNA genome replicating via a DNA intermediate are designated as Class __________.

VI

Infectious plant pathogens composed strictly of a circular single-stranded RNA molecule without a protein coat are called __________.

viroids

The protective coiling of immature fern fronds into a spiral resembling a shepherd's crook or fiddlehead is known as __________.

circinate vernation

In true ferns, clusters of sporangia borne on the abaxial surface of fertile fronds are termed __________.

sori

In a fern sporangium, the ring of dead, water-filled cells that contracts and snaps violently to catapult spores into air currents is the __________.

annulus

The rootless whisk fern possessing green dichotomously branched aerial stems and yellow three-lobed synangia is __________.

Psilotum nudum

The small leaves of lycophytes, containing only a single unbranched vascular strand that evolved from non-vascular scaly outgrowths, are called __________.

microphylls

During the Carboniferous period $300\text{ million years ago}$, giant arborescent scale-trees that accumulated into coal beds included Sigillaria and __________.

Lepidodendron

Unlike mosses which have multicellular rhizoids, liverwort gametophytes are anchored to the substratum by __________ rhizoids.

unicellular

In liverworts such as Marchantia, specialized cups on the upper thallus surface produce mitotic propagules for asexual reproduction called __________.

gemmae

The dead, hygroscopic cells with spiral wall thickenings that assist in loosening and flinging spores from liverwort capsules are called __________.

elaters

In the moss capsule shown below, the circular expanded disc located beneath the operculum that regulates spore dispersal through peripheral teeth is the __________.

epiphragm

The bog moss genus __________ forms extensive peat deposits and releases spores by building internal air pressure up to $5\text{ atmospheres}$.

Sphagnum

In moss sporophyte setae, specialized internal water-conducting cells are called hydroids, while sugar-conducting cells are called __________.

leptoids

The classic internal microtubular arrangement of eukaryotic cilia and flagella consists of nine fused outer pairs and a central unfused pair, designated as __________.

$$(9 \times 2) + 2$$

In eukaryotic microorganisms, the ciliate Paramecium undergoes asexual reproduction via __________ binary fission.

transverse

The eukaryotic supergroup defined by having a single posterior flagellum without mastigonemes and containing animals, fungi, and choanozoans is __________.

Opisthokonta

The protozoan Amoeba accomplishes locomotion and phagocytosis through broad, blunt pseudopodia termed __________.

lobopodia

The flagellated excavate parasite responsible for American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) is __________.

Trypanosoma cruzi

Eukaryotic microorganisms grouped in Rhizaria typically project delicate, thread-like pseudopodia known as __________.

filopodia

Angiosperms first originated and underwent an explosive evolutionary radiation during the __________ period.

Cretaceous

The earliest insect pollinators that coevolved with primitive angiosperms by chewing through floral structures belonged to the order __________.

Coleoptera

In angiosperm phloem, sieve tube elements are metabolically supported by adjacent, nucleated parenchyma cells called __________.

companion cells

The mature female gametophyte (embryo sac) in most angiosperms is composed of seven cells containing a total of __________ nuclei.

$$8$$

In angiosperm double fertilization, one sperm nucleus fuses with the egg, while the second sperm nucleus fuses with two polar nuclei to produce the triploid __________.

endosperm

As shown in the structural diagram below, archaeal membrane lipids differ from bacterial phospholipids by having branched phytanol chains attached to glycerol via __________ bonds.

ether

The hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrolobus fumarii, isolated from undersea hydrothermal vents, exhibits an optimal growth temperature of __________.

$$106^\circ\text{C}$$

The extreme acidophile Picrophilus oshimae is capable of surviving in geothermal acidic springs down to a minimum pH of __________.

$$-0.06$$

Archaeal methanogens are obligate anaerobes that utilize hydrogen ($\text{H}_2$) as an energy source and __________ as their carbon source.

$$\text{CO}_2$$

In the fern life cycle, swimming sperm cells released from antheridia are propelled by approximately __________ flagella.

$$70$$

In the Breadfruit Fern (Phymatosorus scolopendria), circular sori are located on the __________ surface of the frond.

abaxial

In this longitudinal section of a Selaginella strobilus, each megasporangium (left) contains exactly __________ large, thick-walled megaspores.

$$4$$