Plant & Fungi Fundamentals – Lecture Review

29 question-and-answer flashcards summarizing key concepts on plant divisions, tree anatomy, leaf morphology, and fundamental fungal biology from the lecture notes.

What key feature separates non-vascular plants from vascular plants?

Non-vascular plants lack true vascular tissue (xylem & phloem) and therefore have no true stems, leaves or roots, while vascular plants possess these tissues.

Which group of simple, non-animal organisms has no true stems, leaves or roots and reproduces by spores?

Thalophytes (algae and lichens).

What structure do Bryophytes use instead of true roots?

Rhizoids—hair-like, root-like growths that anchor the plant.

Name the main characteristics of Pteridophytes.

They are non-seed-bearing vascular plants with true xylem and phloem, reproducing by spores.

Which plant division produces seeds and includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms?

Spermatophytes.

How are gymnosperm seeds typically borne?

Seeds are exposed or borne on cones, not enclosed in fruit.

Where are angiosperm seeds found at maturity?

Enclosed within a fruit.

Give two features of monocotyledons.

Single cotyledon and parallel leaf venation (e.g., grasses, lilies, palms).

Give two features of dicotyledons.

Two cotyledons and net/reticulate leaf venation (e.g., forbs, woody plants).

What is the role of outer bark on a woody tree?

It is a dead, protective layer that shields the tree from physical damage and pathogens.

Which trunk layer contains the cambium and produces new xylem & phloem?

The inner bark (just outside the cambium layer).

What is the primary function of sapwood?

It acts as the tree’s pipeline, conducting water and mineral nutrients upward from the roots to the leaves.

Why is heartwood important to a tree?

Although dead, it forms the central support pillar, providing structural strength.

During photosynthesis, what do leaves convert water and mineral salts into?

Food (sugars) for the plant.

A thorn is a modified , while a spine is a modified .

Thorn: branch; Spine: leaf.

List the four common leaf arrangements on a stem.

Opposite, alternate, spiral, and clustered.

What are the three basic leaf types based on division?

Simple, once-compound, and trifoliate leaves.

Why can fungi not manufacture their own food?

They lack chlorophyll and are therefore heterotrophic, absorbing nutrients from organic matter.

What substance forms the fungal cell wall and also appears in insect exoskeletons?

Chitin.

Define a hypha and a mycelium.

A hypha is an individual filament of fungal cells; many hyphae woven together form a mycelium, the main fungal body.

Name the four major fungal groups mentioned in the lecture.

Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, Zygomycota, and Chytridiomycota.

Which fungal group’s members are linked to the global decline of frog populations?

Chytridiomycota (chytrid fungus).

What steroid unique to fungi is found in their cell membranes?

Ergosterol.

What is the "wood-wide web"?

A subterranean network of mycelium connecting tree roots, enabling nutrient and chemical communication between plants.

Identify three nutritional modes found in fungi.

Saprophytic (decomposing dead matter), mycorrhizal/mutualistic, and parasitic (attacking living hosts).

How do fungi digest their food?

They secrete exoenzymes onto the substrate and absorb the externally digested nutrients through hyphae.

List five visible parts of a typical mushroom fruiting body.

Cap, gills, stipe (stem), ring (annulus), and volva/basal bulb.

Give one major difference between fungi and plants besides nutrition.

Fungal cell walls are made of chitin, whereas plant cell walls are made of cellulose.

In what decade were fungi formally removed from the plant kingdom in scientific classification?

The 1960s.