Chapter 26 new

Vocabulary flashcards to review key terms related to seed plants and their ecological importance.

Seed plants

Plants that reproduce by means of seeds, having a dominant sporophyte generation.

Sporophyte generation

The diploid phase of the plant life cycle that produces spores.

Gametophyte

The haploid phase of the plant life cycle, often reduced in size and dependent on the sporophyte.

Heterosporous

Referring to plants that produce two types of spores: megaspores (female) and microspores (male).

Pollen grains

Male gametophytes that contain sperm and are adapted for far travel.

Seed

Structure that offers protection and nourishment to an embryo and allows for dormancy.

Pregymnosperms

Ancient seed plants that preceded gymnosperms, lived around 380 million years ago.

Gymnosperms

Group of seed plants with 'naked seeds' not enclosed in an ovary.

Cycads

A group of gymnosperms characterized by large cones and compound leaves.

Ginkgo biloba

The only existing species of Ginkgophyta, known for its fan-shaped leaves.

Gnetophytes

A group of gymnosperms closely related to angiosperms, including genera like Ephedra.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants characterized by seeds enclosed in fruits.

Double fertilization

A unique process in angiosperms where one sperm fertilizes the egg and another forms the endosperm.

Fruit

Mature ovary that protects seeds and aids in their dispersal.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen from male to female structures in plants.

Self-pollination

The process where pollen from the same flower fertilizes its ovules.

Cross-pollination

Fertilization of ovules from one flower by pollen from another, usually enhancing genetic diversity.

Monocots

Plants characterized by a single cotyledon, parallel leaf venation, and flower parts usually in multiples of three.

Eudicots

Plants characterized by having two cotyledons, net-like leaf venation, and flower parts usually in multiples of four or five.

Tracheids

Long, thin water-conducting cells found in the xylem of many plants.

Vessels

Wider, cylindrical conducting cells in angiosperms that facilitate water transport.

Cambium

A layer of plant tissue that produces new cells for growth in stems and roots.

Strobilus

A structure composed of tightly packed sporophylls found in some plants.

Integument

Layers of tissue that encase the ovule, developing into the seed coat after fertilization.

Biodiversity of plants

The variety and variability of plant species in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Plant defenses

Strategies plants use to protect themselves from herbivores, such as producing toxins or developing thorns.

Anthophyta

The phylum encompassing all angiosperms.

Crossover pollinators

Animals, such as bees and birds, that help in the transfer of pollen between flowers.

Endosperm

Tissue that serves as a food reserve for the developing embryo within the seed.

Spore

A reproductive cell capable of developing into a new organism without fusion.

Gynoeceium

The female reproductive part of a flower, consisting of carpels.

Androecium

The male reproductive part of a flower, made up of stamens.

Micropyle

The opening in the ovule through which the pollen tube enters.

Alkaloids

Chemical compounds that plants may produce as a defense mechanism against herbivores.

Fertility cycle

The process and timing of plant reproduction, involving pollination and fertilization.

Habitat niche

The specific role or function of a species within its environment.

Human uses of plants

The various applications of plants in food, medicine, textiles, and construction.

Medicinal compounds

Substances derived from plants used for therapeutic purposes.

Ecological impact

The effect of a species or group of species on its environment.

Seed dispersal mechanisms

Strategies by which seeds are spread away from the parent plant, such as wind or animal activities.

Abiotic factors

Non-living components of an ecosystem that affect living organisms, such as climate and soil quality.

Biotic factors

Living components of an ecosystem, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Evolutionary adaptations

Changes in plants over time that enhance their survival and reproduction.

Conifers

Gymnosperms that produce cones and have needle-like leaves, thriving in cold environments.

Environmental threats to plants

Factors like urbanization and climate change that threaten plant biodiversity.

Photosynthetic organs

Plant structures (leaves) responsible for converting light energy into chemical energy.

Seed coat

The protective outer layer of a seed.