DiversityConceptsandOutcomesPlantsS21

Plant Anatomy and Growth

• Three Tissue Types: The plant body is constructed from three fundamental tissue types.

  • Meristem Origin: Plant organs can be categorized based on their meristem of origin and the specializations of these tissue types.

  • Indeterminate Growth: Plant body plans are characterized by indeterminate growth.

  • Meristems: Root and shoot meristems contribute to both primary and secondary plant growth.

  • Growth Differences: Distinguish between primary growth in roots and shoots, as well as the differences between primary and secondary growth.

  • Monocots vs Eudicots: Compare and contrast the tissue organization and primary growth patterns in monocots and eudicots.

  • Histological Diversity: Plants create histological diversity by varying cell wall differentiation and can be distinguished by their microscopic appearance and respective roles.

Water Relations & Plant Transport

• Specialized Cells: Cells found in leaves, stems, and roots specialize in resource acquisition and transport.

• Leaf Architecture: Various forms of leaf architecture optimize sunlight and carbon dioxide gathering.

• Xylem and Phloem: Xylem transports water while phloem transports sugars throughout the plant.

  • Water Bulk Flow: Diagram the route of bulk flow of water from the roots to the leaves, including the changing water potential that drives this flow.

  • Transport Mechanisms: Different mechanisms exist for transporting substances over short and long distances.

  • Symplast vs Bulk Flow: Discriminate between the roles of the symplast and bulk flow through sieve tubes for sucrose translocation.

• Water Conservation Strategies: Discuss structural and physiological features in plants that minimize water loss, balancing resource needs with water conservation.

• Solute Regulation: Regulation of solute content within cells affects stomatal opening and pressures for bulk flow; learn to use the water potential equation for movement assessment.

Plant Nutrition

• Essential Elements: Plants require specific essential elements for biosynthesis of cellular constituents.

  • Nutrient Deficiencies: Predict the effects of deficiencies in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium on plant growth.

Coevolution of Plant Architectures and Nutritional Strategies

• Coevolution: Examine how plant species have coevolved with others to meet mutual nutritional needs.

Regulation of Plant Growth, Hormones, and Pigments

• Plant Hormones: A limited number of hormones are employed by plants to regulate physiological processes including growth and environmental responses.

• Hormonal Effects: Understand the factors that determine the effects of specific hormones in varying situations.

• Signal Transduction Pathways: Explain how plant cells receive and respond to chemical and physical signals through signal transduction pathways, particularly relating to auxins.

Flowers, Pollination, and Double Fertilization

• Plant Life Cycles: Meiosis and fertilization are partitioned into sporophyte and gametophyte generations.

  • Sporophyte Dominance: Explore how the dominance of the sporophyte generation corresponds to the diversification of land plants.

• Floral Organs: Identify the role of each floral organ in processes like pollination.

• Double Fertilization: Understand double fertilization and the characteristics of angiosperms, such as protected seeds.

• Genetic Diversity: Inventory the mechanisms that ensure offspring have two genetically distinct parents.

• Flowering Triggers: Discuss the external and internal cues that determine flowering, including responses to day length and hours of light exposure.

  • LDP vs SDP Plants: Identify whether a long-day plant (LDP) or a short-day plant (SDP) will initiate flowering based on light exposure.

• Phytochromes: Know the two forms of phytochrome and their roles in seedling growth and flowering processes.

Plant Responses to the Environment

• Defense Mechanisms: Plant defense systems respond to herbivore and pathogen attacks.

  • Fungus Attack Example: Chronicle the sequence of events during an attack on an oak tree by leaf spot fungus.

• Xeromorphic Adaptations: Discuss specific adaptations in xeromorphic plants for thriving in hostile environments.