Seedless Plants

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the evolution and types of plants, including both seedless and seeded varieties.

Plantae

The kingdom that includes all plants, characterized by the endosymbiosis of chloroplasts.

Chlorophyll

Pigments found in chloroplasts that absorb blue and red light and convert light energy into chemical energy.

Cuticle

A waxy, watertight sealant covering the aboveground parts of plants that prevents water loss.

Stomata

Pores on plant surfaces that regulate gas exchange and water loss through the opening and closing of guard cells.

Vascular tissue

Complex conducting tissue in plants that transports water, minerals, and nutrients throughout the organism.

Alternation of generations

A reproductive cycle in plants involving both multicellular haploid (gametophyte) and multicellular diploid (sporophyte) stages.

Gametophyte

The haploid stage in the plant life cycle that produces gametes (sperm and eggs).

Sporophyte

The diploid stage in the plant life cycle that produces spores through meiosis.

Nonvascular plants

Plants lacking true leaves, stems, and roots; examples include liverworts, mosses, and hornworts.

Homosporous

Plants that produce only one type of spore that can develop into a gametophyte.

Heterosporous

Plants that produce two types of spores; megaspores and microspores.

Gymnosperms

Seed plants that do not form flowers or fruits, with seeds exposed on cones.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruits.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen grains to the female gametophyte, leading to fertilization.

Ovule

A fertilized and ripened ovule that develops into a seed.

Double fertilization

A unique process in angiosperms where one sperm fertilizes the egg and another sperm fuses with polar nuclei to form endosperm.

Fruit

The mature ovary of a flowering plant that contains seeds and aids in dispersal.

Monocots

Angiosperms that have one embryonic cotyledon, parallel leaf venation, and floral organs typically in multiples of three.

Eudicots

Angiosperms that have two embryonic cotyledons, net-like leaf venation, and floral organs typically in multiples of four or five.

Ecosystem services

Processes by which the environment maintains resources that benefit living organisms, including humans.

Primary producers

Organisms, such as plants, that produce energy and organic materials through photosynthesis.