Plant Kingdom

Characteristics:

  • Eukaryotic
  • Multicellular
  • perform photosynthesis
  • autotrophic
  • Cell wall made of cellulose
  • Sessile
  • Alternation of generations

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Alterntaion of Generations:

  • Life cycle that occurs in plants
  • Multicellular gametophyte (n), alternates with multicellular sporophyte (2n)
  • Depending on the plant one stage is more dominant than the other

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How is this different from animals?

  • Animal somatic cells undergo meiosis, producing gametes. During fertilization the two unit and form a zygote
  • Sporophytes in plants divide by meiosis, to produce spores. the spores then undergo mitosis to develop a multicellular gametophyte. It matures and produces gametes. The gametes undergo fertilization forming a zygote which matures into a sporophyte.

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An ancestor of pants: charophyte

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Plant GroupCommon NameRepresentative organismsCharacteristics
bryophytesMosses (and Allies)- non-vascular-reproduce using spores-grow low to the ground-require water for reproduction
Pteridophytesferns (and Allies)- vascular Leaves are called fronds- reproduce using spores - spores encased in packets on the underside of the frond called sori-require water for reproduction
GymnospermsConifers- Vascular-reproduce using seeds-seeds are “naked” and develop on the scales of female cones - male cones are smaller and grow in clusters at the tips of branches- male cones spread by wind to female cones -sperm +egg = seed -seed falls to the ground and germinates into a new plant
AngiospermsFlowering plants- vascular-reproduce using seeds(covered/coated)- Pollen is carried by wind/animals -Once the seed is produced, the flower becomes fruit-seeds are then dispersed to the ground by various mechanisms and germinate into new plants

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