Experimental Plant Science Exam 2

When did Indian writing classify plants?

1600 BCE

When did Chinese writing classify plants?

480 BCE

Who is known as the father of Botany?

Theophrastus

How many plants did Theophrastus list?

500 plants

What was the first list of taxonomy of plants?

Materia Medica

How long was Materia Medica the standard of taxonomy?

1500 years

What significant book was released during the Renaissance in botany?

The book 'Herbals' was released.

What was the old way of taxonomy?

Writing a paragraph in Latin about the properties of the plant.

What classification system did Linnaeus create?

A taxonomic system.

What is a binomial?

Scientific name of living beings, composed of genus and species.

What are the components of a binomial?

Genus and species, e.g., Pisum sativum.

What is the significance of keeping past seeds?

To compare with current seeds and study genetic sequences.

What is modern taxonomy based on?

Morphological, physiological, and molecular evidence.

List the class hierarchy in taxonomy.

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

What is a taxon?

A group in which organisms are classified.

What issue complicates plant classification morphologically?

Convergent evolution.

What are Cladistics?

A method of classifying living beings based on common ancestors.

Define a Clade.

A branch of a cladogram including a common ancestor and all descendants.

What are monophyletic clades?

They have 'natural' groupings.

What are the premises of Natural Selection?

Variation among species, competition for resources, and survival of the fittest.

What percentage of plants are found in tropical rainforests?

70%.

How many species of angiosperms are there?

250,000 species.

Which three crops contribute to 50% of human calories?

Wheat, corn, rice.

How does agriculture inhibit future agricultural diversity?

By lowering genetic diversity.

List three features of algae.

Aquatic, non-vascular, photosynthetic.

What is the basic body structure of algae?

Thallus.

Are algae considered prokaryotic or eukaryotic?

Both.

What do all algae contain that is significant?

Chlorophyll a.

What pigments do green algae and euglenoids have?

Chl a, Chl b, and carotenoids.

What is the appearance of cyanobacteria?

Blue-green.

What is a significant function of cyanobacteria?

To fix nitrogen from the air.

Are cyanobacteria prokaryotic or eukaryotic?

Prokaryotic.

Are dinoflagellates multicellular or unicellular?

Unicellular.

What composes the dinoflagellates?

Hard cellulose plates and 2 flagella.

What type of nutrition do dinoflagellates exhibit?

All of the above (autotrophs, mixotrophs, heterotrophs).

What do dinoflagellates produce that can lead to red tides?

Animal toxins.

What forms the cell walls of diatoms?

Ornamented silica.

What is diatomaceous earth?

Aggregations of diatoms.

What functions do diatoms serve?

As pool filters and natural pesticides.

Describe the structure of diatoms.

Glass-like structure.

What structure do Euglenoids have?

1-2 flagella and a flexible protein-containing covering.

Are Euglenoids autotrophic or heterotrophic?

Mixotrophic.

How do Euglenoids sense light?

With an eyespot.

In what environments do green algae reside?

Freshwater and marine.

Are green algae unicellular or multicellular?

Both.

What are two characteristics of green algae?

Colonial and filamentous.

What common trait do green algae share with land plants?

Identical photosynthetic pigments.

Is Chlorella unicellular or multicellular?

Unicellular.

What is the main environment for red algae?

Marine.

What do red algae commercially provide?

Agars and carrageenan.

What is the wall structure of red algae comprised of?

Rigid aggregations of calcium.

What is the main environment for brown algae?

Mostly marine.

Give an example of brown algae.

Kelp.

How do brown algae float?

Using gas-filled pouches.

Why have diverse photosynthetic pigments evolved in marine algae?

Different light spectrums under water.

Why do fish concentrate omega-3 instead of algae?

Fish concentrate oils.

What limitations does agriculture face going forward?

Lack of genetic diversity.

Which algae are toxic?

Cyanobacteria.

What toxin accumulates in shellfish?

From dinoflagellates.

What does Pfiesteria, a dinoflagellate, do?

Secretes toxins affecting fish and humans.

List characteristics of invasive species.

Compete for resources, reproduce quickly, lack natural predators.

What is the economic use of fungi?

Food, yeasts, crop disease management, and fermentation.

What is the ecological role of fungi?

Decomposition and supporting life.

What are animal-like characteristics of fungi?

Heterotrophic and store carbohydrates.

What are plant-like characteristics of fungi?

Cell walls generally contain chitin.

What domain do fungi belong to?

Eukaryota.

Are fungi made of single cells or filaments?

Both.

What are filaments in fungi called?

Hyphae.

What do groups of hyphae form?

Mycelium.

Are hyphae septate or nonseptate?

Both forms exist.

What differentiates septate from nonseptate hyphae?

Septate has cell walls separating nuclei; nonseptate is like one cell.

How do fungi reproduce?

Asexually and sexually using spores.

What is plasmogamy?

Fusion of cytoplasm.

What is karyogamy?

Fusion of two haploid nuclei.

What happens if karyogamy does not follow plasmogamy?

Formation of a dikaryon.

Where does spore production occur in asexual reproduction?

In sporangium or as condia.

What are Chytridiomycota?

Parasites of plants, animals, and fungi.

How does Chytridiomycota impact amphibians?

Causes worldwide decline via respiration reduction.

What are zygomycetes named after?

Their zygosporangia with thick walls.

Are zygomycetes typically septate or nonseptate?

Mostly nonseptate.

Give an example of a zygomycete.

Rhizopus stolonifer (bread mold).

What is an Ascomycota?

Known as sack-fungi.

What composes the ascocarp?

Dikaryon.

Describe the cycle for forming ascospores.

Karyogamy, meiosis, then mitosis.

Which fungus grows in Nebraska?

Urbani fresh white truffles.

What are imperfect fungi?

Those without known sexual stages.

What antibiotic comes from Ascomycota?

Penicillium/penicillin.

What can Aspergillus cause?

Aspergillosis, a lung infection.

What does Geomyces destructans cause?

White nose syndrome in bats.

What defines Basidiomycota?

Spores produced on basidium; club fungi.

What forms a basidiocarp?

Dikaryon with septate hyphae.

What produces basidiospores?

Karyogamy and meiosis in the basidium.

What forms of fungi are common?

Mushrooms, puffballs, rusts, and smuts.

Differentiate between parasitic and mutualistic symbionts.

Parasitic harms; mutualistic benefits the host.

What is a saprobe?

Organism that obtains nutrients from non-living organic material.

What is mycorrhizae?

Symbiosis between plant roots and fungi.

What benefits do mycorrhizae provide?

Nutrients and carbohydrates to plants.

What is ectomycorrhizae?

Fungi forming a mantle around plant roots.

What is endomycorrhizae?

Fungi that penetrate plant cell walls.

What function do lichens serve?

Symbiosis of fungi and algae or cyanobacteria.