BIO044 Biodiversity

Green Algae

Aquatic plants that share similarities with land plants, such as cellulose cell walls and starch storage.

Bryophyta

A phylum of non-vascular land plants including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.

Sporophyte Dominance

A reproductive model where the sporophyte generation is the dominant and more visible phase in vascular plants.

Transpiration Pull

The process by which water is pulled up through a plant from roots to leaves due to evaporation of water from leaves.

Double Fertilization

A unique fertilization process in angiosperms where one sperm fertilizes the egg, forming a zygote, and another sperm fuses with polar nuclei to form endosperm.

Monocots vs. Dicots

Monocots have one seed leaf and parallel venation, while dicots have two seed leaves and branching venation.

Casparian Strips

Thickened bands in the endodermal cells of roots that prevent apoplastic flow and regulate water uptake.

Cephalization

The development of a head with concentrated sensory organs, enhancing the ability to hunt and track.

Apical Meristems

Growing points at the tips of roots and shoots that allow for plant growth.

Xylem and Phloem

Xylem transports water and nutrients upwards, while phloem distributes sugars throughout the plant.

Alternation of Generations

The life cycle of plants characterized by alternating between haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte stages.

Gymnosperms

Seed-bearing plants that have naked seeds, conifers being the most common.

Endoparasitic Worms

Worms that live inside a host organism, often exhibiting complex life cycles for transmission.

Stomata

Pores on leaf surfaces that regulate gas exchange and water loss.

Xerophytes

Plants adapted to dry environments, often with specialized features to minimize water loss.

Pollen

The male gametophyte producing structure in seed plants, carried to ovules by wind or pollinators.

Proton Pumps

Membrane protein complexes that generate a proton gradient across cell membranes, essential for various cellular processes.

Plasmodesmata

Microscopic channels through plant cell walls allowing direct cytoplasmic exchange between neighboring cells.

Solute Potential

The potential energy of a solution caused by solute concentrations, contributing to water movement.

Biflagellated Gametes

Motile reproductive cells of green algae propelled by two flagella.

Lignin

A complex organic polymer that provides structural support in vascular plants, playing a key role in wood formation.

Coelomate

Animals with a true body cavity completely surrounded by mesoderm.

Pseudocoelomate

Animals having a body cavity that is not entirely lined by mesoderm.

Body Symmetry

The arrangement of body structures in organisms, including asymmetrical, radial, and bilateral forms.

Hydrostatic Skeleton

A fluid-filled cavity providing support and shape to organisms, common in soft-bodied animals.

Chitin

A long-chain polymer that provides structural support in the exoskeletons of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi.

Segmentation

The division of the body into repetitive segments, allowing for greater flexibility and specialization.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with chlorophyll.

Gametophyte Dominance

In bryophytes, the prominent generation that carries the gametes and facilitates reproduction.

Fertilization of Ovule

Process where pollen (male gamete) fuses with an ovule (female gamete) leading to seed formation.

Eukaryotes

Organisms with complex cells containing a nucleus, including plants, animals, and fungi.

Apoplastic Transport

The movement of water and solutes across membranes and through cell walls, bypassing the cytoplasm.

Symplastic Transport

The transport of water and nutrients through the cytoplasm of plant cells via plasmodesmata.

Water Potential

The potential energy of water in a system; measured in megapascals (MPa), influencing water movement.