BJU Press Chemistry Unit 3--Microorganisms and Plants

biology

Taxonomy

the science of classifying organisms

taxa/taxon

classification groups

the eight taxa-

domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

the seven domains of life

archaea, bacteria, chromista, protozoa, fungi, plantae, animalia

binomial nomenclature

the system invented by Carolus Linnaeus used to classify species

scientific name

includes the genus name and the species name in Latin

systematics

the science of classification

phylogeny

the side of systematics that deals with constructing the evolutionary history of organisms

cladistics

the side of systematics that deals with the reclassification of organisms according to their evolutionary history

phylogenetic tree (tree of life)

shows the supposed evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms

clades

branches of a phylogenetic tree that include all the descendants of an evolutionary ancestor

divergence

the process of two similar species becoming more different

derived trait

a trait that arises within a clade and is shared by all future members of that clade

convergence

two dissimilar species evolving the same derived trait

baraminology

looking at life on the basis of created kinds

archaea

prokaryotes that can act as decomposers in extreme environments

peptidoglycan

protein that makes up the cell walls of bacteria

thermophiles

live in hot environments

methanogens

live in anaerobic environments and produce methane

halophiles

live in salty environments

acidophiles

live in acidic environments, the first archaea discovered

capsule

protects the outer wall of a bacteria from drying out

nucleoid

contains genetic information of the bacteria

flagellum

a protein motor that propels a cell through its environment

microbiome

the DNA collected from the microorganisms that live on and in an organism

microbiota

the bacteria of your microbiome

pathogens

bacteria that cause disease

virus

carrier of genetic information that isn’t considered alive

viroids

infectious particles that are made of short, circular strands of RNA

prions

infectious particles made of abnormal proteins with no genetic information

lyse

to burst open

lytic cycle

the rapid infection and destruction of a host cell

lysogenic cycle

the process in which a cell is infected but not destroyed

retroviruses

viruses capable of forcing cells to transcribing its RNA into the cell’s DNA

protist

a microorganism made of eukaryotic cells

sporozoan

a protozoan that is parasitic and has no means of locomotion

locomotion

being able to move on its own

xenomas

abnormal growths caused by parasitic protozoans

chromists

protists with chloroplasts

algal bloom

a surge in the population of algae

plankton

organisms that float in the ocean and don’t swim against the current

fungus

grow from the ground like plants but lack cellulose and chlorophyll, heterotrophic, made of chitin

chitin

a large sugar molecule found in the outer coating of insects

fruiting body

a special fungal structure made of many hyphae that is responsible for reproduction

stipe

the stalk of a fruiting body

cap

the top of a fruiting body

gills

ribs found on the underside of the cap that is responsible for producing spores

budding

a process that involves part of a cell pinching off to produce more cells (ex. yeast)

fragmentation

the process where part of a fungus breaks off and can produce a new fungus as cells multiply through mitosis

perfect fungi

fungi that can reproduce both sexually and asexually

imperfect fungi

fungi that have not been observed reproducing sexually

mycorrhiza

a relationship between fungi and plant roots

lichen

fungi and algae living in symbiosis

characteristics of plants

photosynthesis, cellulose, cuticle, reproduction, multicellular embryo

vascular

a plant that has tissues capable of transporting water and other materials

nonvascular

does not have transporting tissues

four groups of plants

bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms

bryophytes

nonvascular plants

seedless vascular plants

have vascular tissues but don’t produce seeds

gymnosperms

vascular plants that produce seeds but no fruits or flowers, seeds are usually encased in cones

angiosperms

seed-bearing vascular plants that bear fruit and flowers

dermal tissue

protects the outside of the plant and helps the plant retain and release water

epidermis

secrets the cuticle to seal in moisture and keep insects out, formed of the outer layer of dermal cells

cork

made up of dead epidermis cells, a thick and tough layer of cells that protects and supports the weight of large plants

xylem

transports water and dissolved minerals; one way

phloem

transports food; two way

ground tissue

produces sugar, stores materials, and supports the plant

meristematic tissue

tissue that consists of undifferentiated stem cells that can become any type of tissue

blade

the broad part of a leaf

petiole

attaches the blade to the stem

guard cells

modified epidermal cells that open and close a stoma

stoma

little openings on the undersides of leaves

nodes

points along a stem that produce leaves

internodes

the regions between the nodes

cork cambium

a meristematic layer that produces cork cells

lenticels

tiny pores in the surface of a wooden stem

vascular cambium

a thin layer of meristematic tissue that produces a plant’s xylem and phloem

annual rings

caused by the difference in seasonal xylem production

pith

a spongy ground tissue in the center of herbaceous stems that stores food and water

taproot system

consists of one main root (the taproot) and lots of small roots branching from it

fibrous root system

many small roots that come straight from the stem and not a taproot

endodermis

a thin layer that is considered part of the cortex and made up of tightly packed cells that regular the flow of materials between the cortex and the vascular tissues

gametophyte

an entire haploid structure produced by plants

sporophyte

the diploid plant that emerges from a germinating zygote

rhizoids

the “roots” that anchor mosses in place

fronds

the leaves of a fern

sori/sorus

rows of tiny little bumps found on the undersides of fronds that produce spores

double fertilization

the fertilization of both the egg and the polar bodies

polar bodies

sperm in the ovule

endosperm

the stored food inside a seed that nourishes the embryo

cotyledons

small leaf-like structures that surround an embryo and provide nutrition for the embryo

germinate

sprout from a seed to form a new plant

sap

the fluids transported by the xylem and phloem

transpiration

the process in which a tree’s xylem transports several hundred gallons up from the ground to its leaves

capillary action

adhesion from the inside of capillaries draws the water up the tube

cohesion-tension theory

as transpiration occurs, water molecules in the leaves’ spongy mesophyll exit the leaf as water vapor through the stomata, and more water moves from the xylem to the spongy mesophyll. As these molecules move out of the xylem, cohesion pulls on the other water molecules in the xylem, causing all the water to move up the entire length of the xylem

turgor pressure

pressure from a full central vacuole that gives a plant its rigidity

pressure-flow hypothesis

plants move sugars through the phloem in the same way as water moving from high pressure areas to low pressure areas

hormones

messenger molecules that are typically produced by one tissue to produce a response in other tissues

tropisms

directionally dependent responses