Phylogenetic Analysis and Plant Adaptations

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to phylogenetic analysis and plant adaptations, providing definitions for terms found in the lecture notes.

Phylogenetic Tree

A graphical representation of the evolutionary relationships among various biological species or entities.

Synapomorphy

A shared derived trait that is used to group organisms into monophyletic groups based on common ancestry.

Monophyletic Group

An evolutionary unit that includes an ancestral population and all of its descendants, but no others.

Outgroup

A species or group that is closely related to the ingroup but has diverged before the ingroup, used to distinguish ancestral from derived traits.

Cladistics

An approach to classification based on the common ancestry of organisms and their shared derived traits.

Parsimony

The principle that the simplest explanation or path with the least number of evolutionary changes is preferred.

Homology

Similar traits among species that arise from a common ancestor.

Homoplasy

Similar traits among species not due to common ancestry, often arising from convergent evolution.

Endosymbiosis

The theory that certain organelles in eukaryotic cells, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, originated from free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.

C4 Pathway

A mechanism for increasing CO2 concentration in plants, involving spatial separation of carbon fixation and the Calvin cycle.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water, producing oxygen as a byproduct.

Gametophyte

The haploid phase in the life cycle of plants that produces gametes.

Sporophyte

The diploid phase in the life cycle of plants that produces spores.

Heterospory

The production of two distinct types of spores (male and female) by different structures in plants.

Mycorrhiza

Symbiotic association between fungi and plant roots that enhances nutrient uptake.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen grains from an anther to a stigma in flowering plants.

Fertilization

The fusion of a sperm and an egg to form a diploid zygote.

Adaptive Radiation

The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.

Desiccation Resistance

The ability of seeds or spores to survive in dry conditions due to protective adaptations.

Stomata

Small openings on the surface of leaves that allow for gas exchange.

Tracheids

Long, thin water-conducting cells found in the xylem of vascular plants.

Monocot vs. Dicot

Monocots have one seed leaf, whereas dicots have two seed leaves, impacting leaf venation and root systems.