Primate Evolution and Plant Biology (Chapters 19, 22, and 23)

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes on primate classification and plant biology, covering Chapters 19, 22, and 23.

Cuticle

A waxy coating on plant leaves and stems that minimizes water loss.

Stomata

Pores through which plants exchange $\text{CO}_2$ and $\text{O}_2$; water also escapes through open stomata.

Xylem

Vascular tissue that conducts water and dissolved minerals upwards from the roots throughout the plant.

Phloem

Vascular tissue that transports sugar, carbohydrates, hormones, and other substances throughout the plant.

Lignin

A polymer rich in xylem cell walls that strengthens them, helping vascular plants grow tall and form branches.

Alternation of Generations

A plant life cycle that alternates between a diploid ($2n$) sporophyte generation and a haploid ($n$) gametophyte generation.

Sporophyte

The diploid ($2n$) generation in plants that produces spores through meiosis.

Gametophyte

The haploid ($n$) generation in plants that produces gametes.

Pollination

The delivery of pollen to female plant parts (often by wind), removing the need for moisture in fertilization.

Seed

A macroscopic, high-energy dormant embryo packed with a food supply that can travel near or far.

Rhizoids

Hairlike structures in bryophytes where photosynthesis occurs, restricting them to moist, shady habitats.

Rhizomes

Underground stems in seedless vascular plants that store carbohydrates for energy.

Gymnosperm

Plants with 'naked seeds' that produce seeds without fruit, comprising four phyla: cycads, ginkgos, conifers, and gnetophytes.

Eudicot

A type of angiosperm whose embryo has 2 cotyledons and whose pollen grains contain 3 or more pores.

Monocot

A type of angiosperm whose embryo has a single cotyledon and whose pollen grains contain 1 pore.

Arabidopsis thaliana

A model organism plant stapled in bio labs with genes corresponding to $\ge 139$ human disease genes.

Basal Angiosperm

A paraphyletic group accounting for 3% of flowering plants that diverged from ancestral plants before eudicots and monocots evolved.

Coevolution

A process where genetic change in one species leads to a reciprocal evolutionary change in another species.

Anatomy

The study of an organism's physical structure and form.

Physiology

The study of the functions of an organism and its parts.

Terminal Bud

An undeveloped shoot located at the tip end of the central shoot axis.

Node

The region on a plant stem where leaves attach.

Internode

The stem region between nodes where the stem elongates.

Primary Growth

Plant growth that lengthens the tips of roots and shoots.

Secondary Growth

Plant growth that increases the girth of shoots and roots.

Parenchyma Cells

Unspecialized plant cells alive at maturity with thin walls, responsible mainly for metabolism and storage.

Collenchyma Cells

Living plant cells with thickened primary walls that provide elastic support to growing roots and stems.

Sclerenchyma Cells

Plant cells with thick secondary walls containing lignin that are dead at maturity and provide support to non-growing plant parts.

Tracheids

Long, narrow water-conducting cells in xylem that are dead when functional.

Vessel Elements

Short, wide water-conducting cells in xylem that are dead when functional.

Sieve Tube Elements

Sugar-conducting cells in phloem that feature pores clustered at sieve plates to allow nutrient transport via cytoplasm strands.

Companion Cells

Specialized parenchyma cells in phloem that move materials into and out of sieve tube elements.

Mesophyll

Ground tissue cells inside a leaf that carry out photosynthesis.

Root Cap

A protective layer of cells covering the root apical meristem to prevent abrasion.

Casparian Strip

A waterproof barrier in the root endodermis that ensures solution entering xylem passes through living endodermal cells.

Pericycle

The outermost layer of root vascular tissue that produces branch roots.

Apical Meristem

Meristematic tissue found at the tips of shoots and roots that provides primary growth.

Heartwood

Non-functional xylem wood located in the inner core of a tree stem.

Sapwood

Functional wood in a tree that actively transports water and minerals.

Domatia

Hollow internodes in certain plants that house ants and serve as a food source.

Humus

A jellylike organic substance in soil that acts as a reservoir for water and nutrients.

Transpiration

The evaporation of water from plant leaves through open stomata.

Cohesion-Tension Theory

The mechanism explaining xylem transport where water evaporating from leaves is replaced by water pulled up from below due to cohesive and adhesive properties of water.

Pressure Flow Theory

The model describing phloem sap movement under positive pressure through sieve tubes from photosynthetic source cells to non-photosynthetic sink cells.