Plant Support and Growth I: Primary Growth

These flashcards cover key concepts regarding plant growth and structure, focusing on primary growth and the various tissues involved.

Primary Growth

The production of non-woody stems, roots, and leaves, occurring at root and shoot apical meristems.

Apical Meristem

A plant growth point where undifferentiated cells are produced, located at the tips of roots and shoots.

Turgor Pressure

The pressure exerted by water inside plant cells against the cell wall, providing support to non-woody plant parts.

Parenchyma

Plant tissue made of cells with a primary cell wall, commonly found in living parts of plant bodies.

Collenchyma

Plant tissue with unevenly thickened primary walls, providing flexible support in growing plant parts.

Sclerenchyma

Plant tissue with a thick secondary cell wall, providing rigid support, often dead at functional maturity.

Osmosis

The diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane to equalize solute concentrations.

Dermal Tissue System

The outer protective layer of a plant that covers its surfaces.

Vascular Tissue System

Plant tissue responsible for the transport of materials, consisting of xylem and phloem.

Ground Tissue System

The tissue system in plants that is neither dermal nor vascular; makes up most of the plant body.

Node

The part of the stem where leaves or branches originate.

Internode

The segment of the stem between two nodes.

Axillary Bud

A dormant meristem located in the angle between a leaf and the stem, capable of developing into a branch.

Plasmodesmata

Microscopic channels that connect plant cells, allowing for communication and transport of materials.

Wilting

The loss of turgor pressure in plant cells, leading to a drooping appearance.

Cotyledons

Special seed leaves present during the embryonic development of a plant.

Triploblast

An organism that develops from three germ layers; while plants are not typically referred to with this term, they develop from similar structures.