Untitled Flashcards Set

Alternation of generations

A life cycle of plants in which a diploid sporophyte generation alternates with a haploid gametophyte generation.

Sporophyte

The multicellular diploid stage in the life cycle of a plant; produces haploid, asexual spores through mitosis.

Gametophytes

The multicellular haploid stage in the life cycle of plants.

Chlorophyll

Green pigment crucial for photosynthesis.

Diploid

Cells containing two complete sets (2n) of chromosomes.

Haploid

Cells containing only one complete set of chromosomes (n).

Gametes

Reproductive cells - zoospores (sperm - male and eggs - female).

Zygote

A fertilized egg (diploid).

Embryo

Developed from a zygote which matures into a sporophyte.

Nonvascular Plants

Also known as bryophytes; require moist environments to reproduce and lack conducting structures.

Vascular Plants

Also known as tracheophytes; capable of colonizing drier habitats and have conducting vessels.

Rhizoids

Rootlike structures for nonvascular plants that anchor and bring water and nutrients.

Lignin

A stiffening substance in plants that supports and helps expose maximum surface area to sunlight.

Gymnosperms

Nonflowering plants, such as conifers and cycads.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants, including monocots and dicots.

Photosynthetic Protists

Ancestors of plants.

Mycorrhizae

Symbiotic relationships between fungi and plant roots, aiding nutrient absorption.

Guard cells

Cells that control the opening and closing of stomata in plant leaves.

Meristem cells

Cells that can continuously divide throughout the life of a plant.

Primary growth

Growth produced by apical meristem, lengthening roots and shoots.

Secondary growth

Growth in diameter and strength of woody plants due to lateral meristem.

Xylem

Tissue that transports water and dissolved minerals from roots to shoots.

Phloem

Tissue that transports organic molecules, including sugars, throughout the plant.

Cohesion-tension theory

Describes how water is pulled up plants via cohesion of water molecules.

Nitrogen fixation

Symbiotic process where nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert N2 into usable forms for plants.

Osmosis

Diffusion of water across a semi-permeable membrane along a concentration gradient.