Plant and Animal Form and Function

Flashcards covering key concepts and terminology from plant and animal form and function.

Taxol

A chemotherapy drug derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree that interferes with microtubules during cell division.

Morphine

A pain medicine first isolated from poppies.

Central Vacuole

A membrane-enclosed organelle that stores salts, minerals, nutrients and maintains turgor pressure in plant cells.

Plastids

Intracellular endosymbiotic cyanobacteria that synthesize and store carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

Endosymbiosis

The evolutionary process where prokaryotic cells engulfed bacteria, leading to the development of eukaryotic cells.

Chloroplast

Green plastids that perform photosynthesis.

Leucoplast

Colorless plastids that store lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Amyloplasts

A type of leucoplast that synthesizes and stores starch.

Cellulose

A linear polymer of glucose that forms the structural component of plant cell walls.

Pectin

Branched polysaccharides that resist compression in plant cell walls.

Secondary cell wall

A rigid cell wall produced by the deposition of new layers within the primary cell wall.

Lignin

A polymer that provides structural support and is found in the cell walls of xylem and woody tissues.

Meristem

Areas of actively dividing undifferentiated cells in plants.

Apical meristems

Growing tips of shoots and roots that lead to primary growth.

Vascular cambium

A lateral meristem responsible for secondary growth in plants.

Cork cambium

A lateral meristem that produces cork, replacing the outer layer of roots and stems.

Trichomes

Hair-like structures originating from epidermal cells that can provide protection or aid in water retention.

Stomata

Pores in the epidermis that facilitate gas exchange.

Guard cells

Cells in the epidermis that regulate the opening and closing of stomata.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a stable internal environment within an organism.

Neurons

Cells that transmit electrochemical messages throughout the body.

Dendrites

Branches on a neuron that receive incoming signals.

Axon

Long extension of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body.

Action potential

A rapid change in membrane potential that occurs when a neuron fires.

Neurotransmitter

Chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse.

Myelin sheath

A fatty layer that surrounds some axons and increases the speed of electrical signals.

Glutamate

The most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain.

GABA

An inhibitory neurotransmitter that opens chloride channels, hyperpolarizing the postsynaptic neuron.

Nephron

The functional unit of the kidney that concentrates urine.

Glomerulus

A cluster of capillaries that filters plasma fluid into the nephron.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane down its concentration gradient.

Osmoregulatory homeostasis

The processes that maintain the balance of water and electrolytes in an organism.

Translocation

The movement of sugars from sources to sinks in plants.

Cohesion-Tension Theory

The theory explaining how water is transported from roots to leaves through xylem due to evaporation and the cohesive properties of water.

Guttation

The excretion of water droplets from plant leaves due to root pressure.

Symplastic route

The pathway for water movement through the cytoplasm of cells via plasmodesmata.

Apoplastic route

The pathway for water movement between cell walls.

Aquaporins

Membrane proteins that facilitate water transport across cell membranes.

Protoplast

The living part of a plant cell, excluding the cell wall.