Biology Lecture: Plant and Fungal Diversity

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture notes on plant and fungal diversity, including morphological classifications, life cycles, and significant adaptations.

Non Vascular Plants

Plants that lack specialized water-conducting cells; includes bryophytes like mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.

Seedless Vascular Plants

Plants that have vascular tissue but do not produce seeds; examples include ferns and horsetails.

Seed Plants

Plants that reproduce through seeds; dominant in many habitats and include gymnosperms and angiosperms.

Gametophyte

The haploid generation in plants that produces gametes; the dominant form in nonvascular plants.

Sporophyte

The diploid generation in plants that produces spores; dominant form in vascular plants.

Stomata

Specialized cells in plants that regulate gas exchange and prevent water loss.

Alternation of Generations

The life cycle pattern in plants where there is a switch between haploid (gametophyte) and diploid (sporophyte) stages.

Gymnosperms

Seed-producing plants with unenclosed seeds; examples include conifers and cycads.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed within a fruit; they have an efficient reproductive strategy.

Double Fertilization

A unique process in angiosperms involving two sperm cells fertilizing an egg cell and a polar cell.

Monocots

Angiosperms that have one cotyledon within their seed.

Dicots

Angiosperms that have two cotyledons within their seed.

Mycorrhizae

Symbiotic associations between fungi and plant roots that enhance nutrient absorption.

Chitin

A tough structural component found in the cell walls of fungi.

Lichens

Composite organisms formed by a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae.

Chemoorganoheterotrophs

Organisms that obtain carbon and energy by consuming organic compounds; characteristic of animals and fungi.

Multicellularity

A characteristic shared by all animals characterized by being composed of multiple cells.

Bilateral Symmetry

A body plan in animals where the left and right sides are mirror images; characteristic of bilaterians.

Diploblasts

Animals with two germ layers: ectoderm (outer layer) and endoderm (inner layer).

Cephalization

The evolutionary trend of developing a head where sensory organs and nerve cells concentrate.

Body Cavity (Coelom)

A fluid-filled body cavity that is lined with mesoderm; allows for the development of complex organs.

Segmentation

The division of an animal body into segments, allowing for more complex structure and movement.

Pollination

The process where plants and pollinators exchange food resources for pollen transfer.

Seed Dispersal

The method by which seeds are spread away from the parent plant, often aided by animals.

Fungi

Eukaryotic organisms including yeasts, molds, and mushrooms, known for their role in decomposition.

Decomposition

The process of breaking down organic material, mainly carried out by fungi, recycling nutrients.

Mushrooms

The fruiting body of certain fungi, typically above ground, that produce spores.

Yeasts

Single-celled fungi that ferment sugars; important in baking and brewing industries.

Spores

Reproductive cells produced by the sporophyte stage in plants, capable of developing into gametophytes.