Gymnosperms Overview

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts about gymnosperms from lecture notes.

Gymnosperms

Seed plants that produce seeds not enclosed in a fruit; seeds are exposed on sporophylls or cone scales.

Pteridosperms

Extinct seed ferns; early seed plants reclassified as gymnosperms.

Nucellus

Tissue inside the ovule that provides nutrition to the developing embryo.

Integument

Protective layer surrounding the nucellus; becomes the seed coat after fertilization.

Micropyle

Small opening in the integument where pollen enters for fertilization.

Phylum Pinophyta

The phylum that includes conifers such as pines, firs, spruces, and cedars.

Fascicle

Cluster of two to five pine needles that form a short shoot with restricted growth.

Resin canals

Structures that secrete resin; deter insects and prevent fungal growth.

Hardwood

Broadleaf tree wood containing thick-walled vessels and fibers.

Megasporocyte

Diploid cell that undergoes meiosis to form four megaspores; one survives.

Archegonium

Female organ that produces eggs.

Pollen tube

Carries sperm to archegonium for fertilization.