Plant Anatomy and Flower Structure

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to plant anatomy and flower structure from the lecture.

What is a callus in plant tissue?

A growing mass of unorganized parenchyma cells produced in response to wounding.

What is the role of the Casparian strip?

A band-like deposit of waterproof suberin that forces water to move through cells in the endodermis.

What is the function of the cell membrane?

It is semi-permeable and allows select compounds to enter and exit while blocking others.

What is the function of the cell wall?

It is a rigid membrane containing cellulose and serves as the outer covering of the cell.

What is the role of chloroplasts in plants?

They capture light energy and initiate the chemical pathway converting light energy into stored energy.

What are chromoplasts?

Cellular organelles that contain pigments other than chlorophyll.

What is collenchyma?

An elongated cell type with thicker walls that provides support for the plant.

What are companion cells?

Cells associated with sieve tube members that direct the metabolism and contain a nucleus.

What is the cytoplasm?

The fluid inside the cell membrane where organelles and other cell parts are suspended.

What is the dermal tissue?

The outer tissue of the plant that provides protection.

What is the endodermis?

The innermost layer of the cortex in the plant.

What is the epidermis?

The outermost layer of cells in the plant.

What is ground meristem?

New parenchyma cells that mature to become cortex tissue, located between the protoderm and procambium.

What is the mesophyll?

The site of most photosynthesis reactions in the leaf, located in the middle layer.

What is the middle lamella?

A material that cements the cell walls of adjacent cells.

What are mitochondria's functions?

Organelle where sugars are metabolized to produce energy for growth.

What is the nucleus?

Organelle containing chromosomes that hold the genetic code for the cell's functions.

What is the palisade mesophyll?

Densely packed columnar-shaped cells full of chloroplasts specialized for light energy capture.

What is parenchyma?

Cell type with thin walls that performs photosynthesis and storage; forms the bulk of the plant body.

What is the pericycle?

A single layer of cells in the vascular cylinder that can divide to form new cells.

What is sclerenchyma?

Cell type with thickened, rigid walls that provides structural support.

What are sieve tube members?

Elongated living cells that form tubes for passage of liquids and have pores in their end walls.

What is spongy mesophyll?

Loosely packed cells with air spaces for gas exchange, containing chloroplasts.

What is a tissue in plant biology?

A group of cells that share a common function.

What are tracheids?

Elongated xylem cells that are dead at maturity and allow water movement through pits.

What is a vacuole?

Organelle containing fluids, stored energy, and waste products, and gives shape to the cell.

What are vessels in relation to xylem?

Elongated xylem cells forming tubes for water transport, dead at maturity with perforated end walls.

What is the androecium?

The whorl of a flower that consists of all male reproductive parts.

What is an anther?

The pollen-bearing component of the stamen.

What is a gynoecium?

The whorl of a flower that consists of all female reproductive parts.

What does perfect flower mean?

A flower that has both the androecium and gynoecium.

What is cleistogamy?

When a flower sheds pollen before the stigma is receptive.

What is self-pollination?

When pollen from the plant pollinates the stigma of the same plant.

What is the role of the pistil?

The female reproductive structure in a flower that contains the ovary.

What is secondary growth?

Growth resulting from activity by a lateral meristem that causes thickening of the stem or root.

What is self-incompatibility in plants?

Genetic mechanisms that inhibit self-pollination in flowers.