Plant Biology Vocabulary

Flashcards covering plant tissues, meristems, vascular tissues, leaves, photosynthesis and related vocabulary based on the provided lecture notes.

Dermal Tissue

Plant tissue that covers the plant body, also known as the epidermis.

Ground Tissue

Plant tissue that performs a variety of functions and makes up the bulk of the plant body; includes parenchyma, sclerenchyma, and collenchyma.

Vascular Tissue

Plant tissue responsible for transport in the plant; includes xylem and phloem.

Epidermis

The outer layer around roots, stems, and leaves. Protects underlying tissues from injury and desiccation.

Parenchyma

A type of ground tissue with large cells, thin cell walls, and large intercellular spaces. Involved in storage, photosynthesis, and gaseous exchange.

Collenchyma

A type of ground tissue with unevenly thickened cell walls, providing mechanical support and flexibility.

Sclerenchyma

A type of ground tissue with evenly thickened cell walls due to lignin, providing strengthening and support.

Xylem

Vascular tissue that transports water and mineral salts from the roots to the rest of the plant.

Phloem

Vascular tissue that transports food from photosynthetic tissues to the rest of the plant.

Meristematic Tissue

Actively dividing tissue in which new cells are continually formed by mitosis; contributes to growth, repair, support, and stability of a plant.

Permanent Tissue

Plant tissue already differentiated to perform a specific function.

Apical Meristem

Groups of cells found near the tips of the roots and stems responsible for growth in length by mitosis (Primary Growth).

Lateral Meristem

Groups of cells responsible for the thickening or widening of plants by mitosis (Secondary Growth).

Stomata

Pores in the epidermis of leaves that open and close to ensure gaseous exchange takes place, controlled by guard cells.

Guard Cells

Specialized epidermal cells that contain chloroplasts and control the opening and closing of stomata.

Desiccation

The process of drying out.

Cuticle

A waxy layer covering the epidermal cells of leaves and stems, preventing excessive moisture loss.

Root Hairs

Outgrowths on the epidermis of the root that ensure maximum absorption of water and mineral salts.

Lignin

An organic compound found in some cell walls that makes them rigid and woody.

Chlorenchyma

Stem and leaf parenchyma containing chloroplasts, where photosynthesis takes place.

Aerenchyma

Parenchyma that lose their contents and are filled only with air, found in aquatic plants to facilitate floating and gaseous exchange.

Sclereids

A type of sclerenchyma cell that is various shapes, but more or less round.

Fibres

A type of sclerenchyma cell that is elongated with pointed ends.

Tracheids

Elongated cells found in between xylem cells, which has tapered ends, thickened by lignin.

Companion Cells

Cells associated with sieve tubes in the phloem responsible for performing metabolic activities for the sieve tubes.

Sieve Tubes

Elongated living cells joined to one another end to end, forming the phloem.

Sieve Plates

Perforated cross-walls between continuous segments of sieve tubes.

Transpiration

The loss of water, in the form of water vapour through the leaves of a plant, mainly through the stomata.

Mesophyll Cells

Parenchyma cells in the leaf, including palisade and spongy mesophyll cells.

Palisade Mesophyll Cells

Cylindrical cells just below the upper epidermis with large numbers of chloroplasts for photosynthesis.

Spongy Mesophyll Cells

Parenchyma cells with large intercellular spaces for gaseous exchange; less chloroplasts than palisade cells.

Vascular Bundles

A group of plant tissues (xylem, phloem, and bundle sheath) that work together to transport water, nutrients, and food.

Photosynthesis

The chemical process by which plants use carbon dioxide, water, and light energy from the sun to produce glucose and oxygen.

Limiting Factor

Anything that slows down or stops a process from happening more quickly.