Biology Notes Review: Plant Transport, Genetics, and Taxonomy

A set of Q&A style flashcards covering plant transport (phloem/xylem, stomata), osmosis and capillary action, plant anatomy, Mendelian genetics, and taxonomy (domains, kingdoms, binomial nomenclature).

What is the primary function of the phloem in plants and what process does it support?

Carries food (glucose) and supports translocation, moving substances from one part of a plant to another.

What are stomata and what do the guard cells do?

Stomata are pores in plant tissue for gas exchange; guard cells are two curved bean-shaped cells that open and close stomata to regulate water loss.

What is a sieve tube?

Elongated cells in the phloem that transport sugars and other nutrients.

How do guard cells control stomatal opening, and what shape are they?

Guard cells regulate stomatal opening; they are pairwise curved, bean-shaped cells that swell or shrink to open or close the pore.

What is osmotic pressure important for in plants?

Water absorption, turgor pressure, and the opening/closing of stomata.

Define capillary action in the context of plant transport.

Water moves upward through tiny tubes due to cohesion and adhesion, enabling transport against gravity.

What is cohesion in capillary action?

Attraction between water molecules that helps water transport from roots to leaves.

What is adhesion in capillary action?

Attraction of water to the walls of xylem vessels, aiding upward movement.

What is surface tension and its relation to plant water transport?

The cohesive forces at the water surface that contribute to capillary rise and water transport.

Describe the structure and function of xylem.

Central part of the vascular bundle composed of elongated dead cells with lignified walls; moves water upward via the transpiration system.

What drives water movement upward in the xylem?

Transpiration pull, capillary action, and root pressure, aided by cohesion and adhesion.

What is transpiration?

The loss of water vapor from plant leaves, which helps pull water up from the roots.

What is root pressure?

Upward push of sap in the xylem caused by osmotic pressure in the roots.

What is a vascular bundle and its arrangement?

A strand of conducting vessels; in leaves and stems, phloem is outside and xylem is inside.

Which plant tissues are responsible for transport, and what are their primary roles?

Xylem distributes water and minerals; phloem distributes sugars and organic nutrients.

What are the functions of roots, stems, and leaves in plants?

Roots absorb water and minerals; stems support and connect roots to leaves/flowers; leaves perform photosynthesis and gas exchange.

Where does water reach the leaves from, and through which tissue?

Water reaches leaves via the xylem.

What is Mendelian genetics the study of?

The study of heredity and how traits are passed from parents to offspring.

Define a gene.

The basic unit of heredity; a segment of DNA that carries instructions for making a protein.

What is a trait (phenotype)?

A specific characteristic of an individual that can be passed down from parents to offspring and expressed.

What is an allele and how does it relate to genotype?

An allele is a variant form of a gene; the genotype is the pair of alleles an individual has for a trait.

What is a dominant allele?

An allele that masks the effect of the other allele in a heterozygote, often represented by a capital letter.

What is a recessive allele?

An allele whose effects are masked in a heterozygote and is expressed only when two copies are present.

What does homozygous dominant mean?

Having two identical dominant alleles (AA) for a trait.

What does heterozygous mean?

Having two different alleles for a trait (Aa).

What does homozygous recessive mean?

Having two identical recessive alleles (aa) for a trait.

Who was Gregor Mendel and why is he important?

The scientist who discovered the basic principles of heredity through pea plant experiments.

What is a Punnett square used for?

A diagram that predicts genotype and phenotype outcomes of a cross between two organisms.

What is a monohybrid cross?

A cross that examines the inheritance of a single trait.

What is taxonomy?

The branch of science concerned with naming, describing, and classifying organisms, and organizing life into a hierarchical system.

What is binomial nomenclature?

A two-part Latin naming system for species (genus and species name).

Who is considered the father of taxonomy and what did he contribute?

Carolus Linnaeus; developed the hierarchical classification system and binomial nomenclature.

List the hierarchical levels of the life classification system from broad to specific.

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

What are the Three Domains of life?

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Name the Six Kingdoms of life as commonly taught in biology.

Bacteria, Archaea, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia.

What are Archaebacteria and which environments do they typically inhabit?

Ancient bacteria living in extreme environments, such as methanogens, thermophiles, and halophiles.

What are Eubacteria and how are they distributed in terms of harm?

True bacteria found everywhere; most are helpful (about 99%), with a small portion causing disease.

Give examples of fungi and their uses.

Mushrooms, yeast, and molds; mushrooms can be edible or poisonous; yeast is used in baking and brewing.

What are Protista?

Protists are a diverse group that includes animal-like, fungus-like, and plant-like organisms; found in rivers and ponds; may have cilia, flagella, or pseudopods.

Describe Plant Kingdom traits.

Eukaryotic, multicellular, autotrophic organisms that produce oxygen.

Describe Animalia traits.

Eukaryotic, multicellular, heterotrophic organisms.