Flowering Plant Form

What are the three basic plant organs?

Roots, stems, and leaves.

What are the main functions of roots?

Anchorage, absorption of water/minerals, and often storage.

What are the main functions of stems?

Support, positioning leaves/flowers, and transport between roots and leaves.

What are the main functions of leaves?

Photosynthesis, gas exchange, and transpiration.

What is a root system?

The roots of a plant, including primary and lateral roots.

What is a shoot system?

Stems, leaves, flowers, and other above-ground structures.

What are nodes?

Points on a stem where leaves or branches attach.

What are internodes?

Stem segments between adjacent nodes.

What is an apical meristem?

A region of dividing cells at a root or shoot tip that drives primary growth.

What is primary growth?

Growth that increases length, produced by apical meristems.

What is secondary growth?

Growth that increases thickness, produced by lateral meristems.

What is a vascular cambium?

A lateral meristem that produces secondary xylem inward and secondary phloem outward.

What is cork cambium?

A lateral meristem that produces protective cork/periderm.

What is dermal tissue?

The plant tissue system forming the outer protective covering.

What is ground tissue?

Plant tissue involved in photosynthesis, storage, and support.

What is vascular tissue?

The xylem and phloem transport system.

What is parenchyma?

Living, relatively unspecialized cells important in photosynthesis, storage, and repair.

What is collenchyma?

Living cells that provide flexible support in growing plant regions.

What is sclerenchyma?

Typically dead-at-maturity cells with thick, lignified walls that provide rigid support.

What is xylem?

Vascular tissue that conducts water and dissolved minerals, mainly upward from roots.

What is phloem?

Vascular tissue that transports sugars and other organic substances from sources to sinks.

What are root hairs?

Extensions of root epidermal cells that increase absorptive surface area.

What is the root cap?

Protective tissue at the root tip.

What is a leaf blade?

The broad, flattened part of a leaf that captures light.

What is a petiole?

The stalk connecting a leaf blade to the stem.

What is mesophyll?

Internal leaf tissue where most photosynthesis occurs.

What are guard cells?

Cells that regulate the opening and closing of stomata.

What is a stomatal pore?

An opening through which CO₂, O₂, and water vapor move.

What is a simple leaf?

A leaf with one undivided blade.

What is a compound leaf?

A leaf whose blade is divided into leaflets.

What is determinate growth?

Growth that stops after a structure reaches a particular size or developmental stage.

What is indeterminate growth?

Growth that continues as long as meristems remain active and conditions permit.