CHPT 35 VASCULAR PLANT STRUCTURE

What are the three basic organs in plants?

Roots, stems, and leaves.

What are the two major plant systems?

Shoots (stems and leaves) and roots.

What are the three main functions of roots?

Anchoring the plant, absorbing water/minerals, and storing carbohydrates.

What are lateral roots mainly used for?

Anchoring the plant.

What are taproots primarily used for?

Absorbing liquids.

Where does most water and mineral absorption occur in roots?

Root hairs.

What are mycorrhizal associations?

Interactions with soil fungi that increase absorption.

What is the main function of stems?

Provide structure and support leaves.

What are nodes?

Points where a new leaf attaches.

What are internodes?

Stem segments between nodes.

Where does photosynthesis occur?

In the leaves.

What is a simple leaf?

A leaf with a single undivided blade.

What is a compound leaf?

A leaf with multiple leaflets.

What are the three main tissue systems in plants?

Dermal, vascular, and ground tissue.

What is dermal tissue?

The protective outer coating of the plant.

What is the epidermis?

The single protective outer layer in non-woody plants.

What is the periderm?

The protective layer that replaces epidermis in woody plants.

What does xylem transport?

Water and minerals.

What does phloem transport?

Sugars.

What is ground tissue mainly used for?

Storage.

What are the three major types of plant cells?

Parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma.

What do parenchyma cells do?

Store water (large central vacuoles).

What do collenchyma cells do?

Support young growing parts of the plant.

What do sclerenchyma cells do?

Provide rigid support and contain lignin.

What is unique about xylem cells at maturity?

They are dead and contain lignin cell walls.

What are tracheids?

Long, thin, tapered xylem cells found in all vascular plants.

What are vessel elements?

Wider, shorter xylem cells that form vessels (pipes).

Are phloem cells alive or dead at maturity?

Alive.

What do sieve plates do?

Allow fluid to flow between phloem cells.

What is indeterminate growth?

Growth that continues throughout a plant’s life.

What is determinate growth?

Growth that stops at a certain size or height.

What are the two regions of a plant that are always growing?

Roots and shoots.

What are the two types of meristems?

Apical meristems and lateral meristems.

What do apical meristems produce?

Primary growth (elongation of roots and shoots).

What do lateral meristems produce?

Secondary growth (increase in circumference).

What are the two types of lateral meristems?

Vascular cambium and cork cambium.

What does the vascular cambium produce?

Secondary vascular tissue (wood).

What does the cork cambium produce?

The periderm (bark/outer protective tissue).

What do primary meristems produce?

Three types of tissue.

What does the protoderm produce?

Dermal tissue.

What does the ground meristem produce?

Ground tissue.

What does the procambium produce?

Vascular tissue.

What is the endodermis?

The layer between the vascular tissue and cortex.

What is the pericycle?

The bundle of xylem and phloem (vascular tissue).

What are stomata?

Pores in the epidermis that allow exchange of CO₂ and O₂.

What is mesophyll?

Ground tissue in a leaf between the upper and lower epidermis.

What produces secondary growth?

Lateral meristems.

In which plants is secondary growth rare?

Monocots.

In which plants does secondary growth commonly occur?

Gymnosperms and eudicots.

What causes growth rings in trees?

The meeting of early wood and late wood.

What do thick growth rings indicate?

A warm or wet year.

What do thin growth rings indicate?

A dry or cold year.

What is a petiole?

The stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem.