Plant Anatomy and Medicinal Plants

A collection of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to plant anatomy, fruit development, and medicinal uses of plants.

Apical Meristem

The area of cell division at the tips of roots and stems that is responsible for primary growth.

Monocot

A group of flowering plants with seeds that have one cotyledon, typically featuring fibrous root systems.

Dicot

A group of flowering plants with seeds that have two cotyledons, generally featuring tap root systems.

Parenchyma Cells

The most common type of plant cell, involved in metabolic functions like photosynthesis.

Xylem

Vascular tissue responsible for transporting water and nutrients from the roots to other parts of the plant.

Phloem

Vascular tissue that carries sugars and amino acids produced by photosynthesis to other parts of the plant.

Epidermis

The outer layer of cells in plants, primarily providing protection.

Palisade Mesophyll

Layer of cells in leaves that contain chlorophyll and are primarily responsible for photosynthesis.

Spongy Mesophyll

Layer of leaf tissue that allows for gas exchange and also helps in transporting sugars to vascular bundles.

Pericarp

The fruit tissue that comes from the ovary and surrounds the seeds.

Diosgenin

A medical compound found in yams that is used for synthesis of progesterone.

Morphine

A medical compound obtained from the opium poppy, used as a pain reliever.

Vascular Cambium

Meristematic tissue in woody plants responsible for secondary growth.

Stoma

Small openings in the lower epidermis of leaves that allow for gas exchange.

Lateral Meristems

Tissue responsible for secondary growth in plants, increasing the girth of stems.

Radicle

The part of a seed that develops into the primary root.

Medicinal Plants

Plants that have effects on health or are used for therapeutic purposes.

Aggregate Fruit

A type of fruit that develops from multiple carpels of a single flower.

Fleshy Fruit

Fruits that have a soft and edible pericarp.

Dry Fruit

Fruits that have a hard pericarp and may split open at maturity.

Pollinator

An agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma.

Monocot Root Cross-section

A root cross-section characterized by a central ring of vascular bundles surrounding a large pith.

Dicot Root Cross-section

A root cross-section characterized by a central vascular cylinder, often star-shaped, with no central pith.

Monocot Stem Cross-section

A stem cross-section characterized by scattered vascular bundles throughout the ground tissue.

Dicot Stem Cross-section

A stem cross-section characterized by vascular bundles arranged in a ring around a central pith.

Area of Maturation (Root)

The zone of a root where cells differentiate into specialized tissues and root hairs develop, aiding in absorption.

Area of Elongation (Root)

The zone of a root where cells rapidly increase in length, pushing the root tip deeper into the soil.

Root Cap

A protective layer of cells covering the tip of a root, safeguarding the apical meristem as the root grows through soil.

Sclerenchyma Cells

Plant cells with thick, rigid cell walls, providing structural support to the plant.

Collenchyma Cells

Flexible plant cells with unevenly thickened primary cell walls, providing support to young stems and leaf petioles.

Ground Tissue

Plant tissue that makes up the bulk of the plant body, including parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma cells, involved in photosynthesis, storage, and support.

Cortex

The region of ground tissue located between the epidermis and the vascular cylinder in stems and roots, involved in storage.

Pith

The central part of the ground tissue in dicot stems and some monocot roots, primarily for storage.

Cork Cambium

A lateral meristem in woody plants that produces cork (outer bark) and phelloderm (inner bark), contributing to secondary growth.

Vascular Bundle

A strand of vascular tissue (xylem and phloem) found in leaves, stems, and roots for transporting water, nutrients, and sugars.

Stamen

The male reproductive part of a flower, consisting of an anther and a filament.

Anther

The part of the stamen that contains pollen.

Filament

The stalk that supports the anther in a flower.

Carpel

The female reproductive part of a flower, consisting of a stigma, style, and ovary.

Ovary (Flower)

The basal part of the carpel that contains ovules and develops into the fruit after fertilization.

Receptacle

The part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are attached.

Sepal

Leaf-like structures that typically enclose and protect the developing flower bud.

Petal

Often brightly colored, attractive leaf-like structures that advertise the flower to pollinators.

Monocot Flower Characteristics

Floral parts typically occur in multiples of three.

Dicot Flower Characteristics

Floral parts typically occur in multiples of four or five.

Pome

A type of fleshy fruit (e.g., apple, pear) developed from an inferior ovary where the fleshy part is derived from the receptacle.

Berry

A type of fleshy fruit (e.g., grape, tomato) with a fleshy pericarp, often containing many seeds.

Drupe

A type of fleshy fruit (e.g., peach, cherry) with a hard, stony endocarp surrounding the seed.

Pod

A type of dry fruit (e.g., pea, bean) that splits open along two seams at maturity to release seeds.

Fruit Development Process

The maturation of a flower's ovary into a fruit after fertilization, which protects and encloses the seeds.

Deadly Nightshade

A highly poisonous plant containing atropine, which can severely disrupt the nervous system, leading to dilated pupils, rapid heart rate, and other toxic effects.