Chapter 14 PLANT AND FUNGI DIVERSIFICATION—WHERE DID ALL THE PLANTS AND FUNGI COME FROM?

What is a plant?

A eukaryotic, multicellular organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis and is unable to move.

Roots

The part of the plant that is located below ground, which anchors the plant and absorbs water and nutrients.

Shoot

The part of the plant that is located above ground, including stems and leaves.

Dodder

A non-chlorophyll plant that steals nutrients from host plants.

How do plants acquire sunlight despite not being able to move?

Plants bend in place and grow towards the light.

What method do plants use for reproduction when male and female can't meet?

They alternate haploid and diploid life stages and transport gametes.

What is vascular tissue?

Tissue in plants that transports water and nutrients.

What distinguishes vascular plants from non-vascular plants?

Vascular plants have vessels for transporting water and nutrients, whereas non-vascular plants do not.

What role does the cuticle play in land plants?

It protects plants from drying out by reducing water loss.

What are bryophytes?

Non-vascular plants, including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, that are typically low-growing.

What happens during the alternation of generations in non-vascular plants?

Sperm swims to female reproductive structures to fertilize, forming an embryo that develops into an adult.

What are ferns and horsetails?

Categories of vascular seedless plants that thrive in moist environments.

How does reproduction in seedless vascular plants compare to non-vascular plants?

Both groups do not use seeds, but their main life stages differ: non-vascular plants produce gametophytes.

What is a seed?

A unique adaptation in plants that allows for survival in diverse environments, produced by gymnosperms and angiosperms.

How do seeds differ from spores in bryophytes?

Seeds are diploid structures that contain an embryo and nutrients, whereas spores are haploid and do not.

What is a gametophyte?

The haploid form of plants that produces gametes; female gametophyte forms ovules and male forms pollen grains.

What are gymnosperms?

Plants that produce seeds and have ovules on cone-like structures.

What are the four major groups of gymnosperms?

Conifers, cycads, gnetophytes, and ginkgo.

What is the main difference between male and female cones in gymnosperms?

Male cones are smaller and release pollen, while female cones are larger and contain ovules that develop into seeds.

What is pollination?

The transfer of pollen from male gametes to female gametes, which can occur through wind, water, or animal intermediaries.

What adaptations do angiosperm flowers have?

Their flowers house reproductive structures that facilitate pollination and attract pollinators.

How do animals assist in pollination?

Animals can be tricked or bribed to carry pollen, helping plants reproduce.

List some animals that assist in the pollination process.

Hummingbirds, bees, flies, beetles, butterflies, and bats.