Plant Biology Lecture Notes

Flashcards for vocabulary review based on lecture notes.

Wet Mount

A technique for preparing microscope slides using a liquid, often water, to suspend the specimen between the slide and coverslip.

Nucleus

Cell component containing the genetic material of a cell.

Chloroplasts

Green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis.

Chromoplasts

Colored bodies in a cell (not green).

Plant Vacuole

Cell structure in plants that stores water, nutrients, and waste products.

Amyloplasts

A type of starch found in plant cells, stains black with iodine.

Calcium oxalate crystals

A plant cell inclusion containing calcium oxalate crystals.

Cystolith

A crystal of calcium carbonate found in some plant cells.

Raphide

Needle-like crystal found in plant cells.

Prismatic Crystal

Diamond shaped crystal found in plant cells.

Druse Crystal

Star-like crystal found in plant cells.

Rosette Crystal

Rosette crystal found in plant cells.

Cell Theory

Cells comes from pre-existing cells (animals and plants, except for viruses).

Prokaryote

A cell that lacks membrane-bound organelles.

Unicellular

An organism consisting of one cell.

Eukaryote

A cell that contains membrane-bound organelles.

Multicellular

An organism consisting of many cells.

Nuclear envelope

Double membrane that encloses the nucleus.

Nucleolus

Produces subunits of ribosomes.

Chromatin

Diffuse threads containing DNA and protein.

Nuclear pore

Permits passage of proteins into nucleus and ribosomal subunits out of nucleus.

Ribosomes

Carry out protein synthesis.

Centrosome

Microtubule organizing center.

Rough ER

Studded with ribosomes.

Smooth ER

Lacks ribosomes, synthesizes lipid molecules.

Peroxisome

Vesicle that has various functions: breaks down fatty acids and converts resulting hydrogen peroxide to water.

Golgi apparatus

Processes, packages, and secretes modified cell products.

Cytoplasm

Semifluid matrix outside nucleus that contains organelles.

Central vacuole

Large, fluid-filled sac that stores metabolites and helps maintain turgor pressure.

Middle lamella

Cements together the primary cell walls of adjacent plant cells.

Chloroplast

Carries out photosynthesis producing sugars.

Mitochondrion

Organelle that carries out cellular respiration, producing ATP molecules.

Microtubules

Cylinders of protein molecules present in cytoplasm.

Actin filaments

Protein fibers that play a role in movement of cell and organelles.

Plasma membrane

Surrounds cytoplasm, and regulates entrance and exit of molecules.

Granum

A stack of chlorophyll-containing thylakoids in a chloroplast.

Cell wall

Outer surface that shapes, supports, and protects cell.

Plasmodesma

Specialized opening where the membranes of adjacent cells come into contact with each other.

Nucleolus

RNA synthesis.

Nucleoplasm/nucleus

Controls the normal activities of cell.

Nuclear membrane

A selectively permeable membrane that bounds the nucleus.

Vacuole

A fluid-filled space in a cell surrounded by a membrane and it contains a solution of sugars, proteins and mineral salts called cell sap.

Cell wall

Plays an important role in determining certain properties of the cell; contains cellulose.

Cell wall

Enables the cell to withstand exposure to fluids with low osmotic concentrations without bursting.

Cell membrane

Selectively permeable-controlling the movements of materials into and out of the cell.

Cell membrane

Separates the content of the cell from its surrounding.

Chromatin

During cell division it condenses into chromosomes.

Endoplasmic reticulum

Transport materials within the cell.

Chloroplast

Contains the chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

Lysosome

Contains enzyme that digest substances.

Golgi bodies

For packaging proteins prior to secretion.

Mitochondria

Site for cellular respiration.

Autotrophic

Plant cells are capable of performing this because they contain chloroplasts.

Heterotrophic

Animal cells perform this because they do not make their own food.

Parenchyma

Thinnest cell wall, alive at maturity.

Collenchyma

Cell walls are not too thick, alive at maturity.

Sclerenchyma

Thickest cell wall, die at maturity.

Pectin

Stains cell wall components red or reddish-purple.

Lignin

Stains cell wall components blue.

Sevetubes and companion cells

Found in elements of pholem and stains red to reddish-purple.

Middle lamella

Stain cell wall components reddish-purple.

Sclerenchyma

Stains cell wall components green to purple.

Callose and Starch Grains

TBO stains this component unstained.

Shoot system

Organs found above ground, have organs (leaves and stem), photosynthesis, reproduction, storage, transport of materials and hormones.

Root system

Organ (root), anchorage, absorption, storage, transport, hormone.

Meristematic Tissues

Young undifferentiated cells, no roles yet.

Ground tissues

Supporting cells, sclerenchyma and collenchyma.

Vascular Tissues

Consisting of xylem and phloem (transport waters and dissolves substances supports the stem.

Xylem

Comes water and dissolved ions from the roots to stem and leaves.

Tracheids

Longer but narrower.

Vessel elements

Wider but shorter, joined end to end.

Phloem

Carry dissolved sugars from the leaves to all the parts of the plant to two elements.

Sieve-tube members

Transporting sugars and carbohydrates from leaves down to the roots.

Comparison cells

Cells that still have nucleus, does not transport.

Dermal Tissue

Covers the plant body and consists of epidermis in young plants & non-woody plants that is replaced later by periderm in woody plant.

Cuticle

Epidermis on stem and leaves prevents water loss by transpiration & produces a waxy material called.

Root hair

Epidermal cells on roots form extensions called root hairs to absorb H₂O & nutrients.

Stomata

Openings in the epidermis on the underside of a leaf where gases are exchanged.

Guard cells

Sausage-shaped guard cells are found on each side of the stoma to help open and close the pore to prevent water loss.

Apical meristema

Promote elongation of the plant, has two systems.

Shaft Apical Meristem

Grows upward towards light, phototrophism.

Protoderm

Gives rise to epidermis.

Ground meristem

Gives rise to ground tissues.

Pro cambium

Gives rise to vascular tissues.

Lateral Meristem

Induce the growth of secondary tissue, just thickens the plant.

Vascular Cambium

2° vascular tissue.

Cork Cambium

Periderm.

Intercalary Meristem's

Makes grass grow fast.

Ground Tissue

Consists of mesophyll, pith and cortex.

Parenchyma cells

Most abundant least specialized, loosely-packed, cube shaped or elongate cells with a large central vacuole & thin cell walls, photosynthetic, contain chloroplast.

Ground tissue of the leaf

Constitutes the majority of the plant body and contains upper and lower epidermis, palisade parenchyma, spongy parenchyma

Mesophyll

Photosynthetic, contain chloroplast.

Ground tissue of the stem

Called cortex, develops support cells to hold the young plant upright.

Ground tissue

Also called cortex, often stores energy-rich carbohydrates.

Storage parenchyma

Contains amyloplast, store carbs.

Stellate parenchyma

Highly branched woody calls.

Collenchyma Cells

Irregular in shape with thicker cell walls & support the growing parts of plants.

Sclerenchyma Cells

Support non-growing parts of plants because they have thick, rigid, non-stretchable cell walls, box-like structures.

Sclerenchyme

Cells with evenly thickened secondary walls, often lignified.

Fibres

Cells up to 50cm long that usually occur in strands such as linen & flax