Diversity Of Life: Kingdom Plantae

Front 1

waxy cuticle

Back 1

Problem:
Tissues dry out
Solution:
Develop a protective epidermis – cover it with a waxy cuticle, bark
Protect embryos (spores, seeds)

Front 2

stomata

Back 2

Problem:
Need moisture to exchange gases
Solution:
Cuticle keeps moisture inside - but now you need breathing holes through the cuticle to exchange gases (stomata/guard cells)

Front 3

root-shoot system

Back 3

Problem:
You can no longer rely on the natural buoyancy of water
Solutions:
Root-shoot system of plants

Roots anchor plants in the soil, shoots are stiffened stems

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lignin

Back 4

Stem stiffener is lignin, traces in fossil plants back to ~ 400 mya (Silurian)

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secondary metabolites

Back 5

Complex metabolic chemistry of plants produces many toxic organic compounds, called secondary metabolites
These secondary metabolites are mainly toxic to animals, but not to plants
Plants have turned their metabolic wastes into a sophisticated chemical defense system
Retain toxic compounds to keep animals from nibbling on them

Front 6

secondary compounds

Back 6

Many common drugs are plant byproducts, secondary compounds such as phenols and alkaloids
Alkaloids include psychotropic drugs like mescaline

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diffusion

Back 7

Diffusion is too slow for large organisms, interior cells would starve or poison themselves in their own wastes

Front 8

vascular system

Back 8

tubes to carry materials back and forth (xylem & phloem)

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tracheids

Back 9

Drinking tubes

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vessels

Back 10

Vessels found mostly in angiosperms, lacking in gymnosperms and more primitive plants
Angiosperms also have more advanced xylem cells called vessels

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alternation of generations

Back 11

Multicelluar haploid phase alternates with multicellular diploid phase (haplodiplontic)

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gametophyte

Back 12

In primitive plants the gametophyte is the dominant stage
Haploid adult (1N) is called a gametophyte
Gametophyte makes gametes by mitosis

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sporophyte

Back 13

Diploid zygote develops into an adult sporophyte
Sporophyte makes haploid spores (meiosis)
Diploid adult 2N) is called a sporophyte

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sporangium (-ia)

Back 14

Spores are produced in a sporangium (-ia)

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spore

Back 15

Spores develop directly into haploid adults

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homosporous

Back 16

In primitive plants, its hard to tell one spore from another = homosporous

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heterosporous

Back 17

In higher plants, male and female spores look different = heterosporous

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sporophylls

Back 18

Sporangia are often attached to special modified leaves called sporophylls

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strobilus (-i)

Back 19

Sporophylls (“spore leaves”) are often organized into a club-shaped strobilus (-i)

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gametangium (-ia)

Back 20

Gametes are produced in a gametangium (-ia)

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antheridium (-ia)

Back 21

A gametangium that produces sperm is called an antheridium (-ia)

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archegonium (-ia)

Back 22

A gametangium that produces eggs is called an archegonium (-ia)

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colonial organism

Back 23

Colonial organisms show
specialization of cells
division of labor
communication between cells

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daughter colonies

Back 24

Daughter colonies form inside parent colony
Parent colony must burst to release them

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Bryophytes

Back 25

(no vascular tissue)

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Phylum Bryophyta

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mosses

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Phylum Hepaticophyta

Back 27

liverworts

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Phylum Anthocerophyta

Back 28

hornworts

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bryophytes

Back 29

lack vascular tissue
Rely primarily on diffusion
Lack a true root-shoot system
Sporophytes are not free living

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rhizoids

Back 30

Roots are tiny rhizoids - a few epidermal cells that anchor the plant to the soil

Front 31

cushiony moss

Back 31

erect stalks

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feathery moss

Back 32

flattened mats, low-lying

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capsule

Back 33

Sporophyte consists of a stalk with a small capsule on the top
Cells in capsule undergo meiosis, form haploid spores
Capsule ripens, the lid or operculum opens up, releases the spores

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operculum

Back 34

Capsule ripens, the lid or operculum opens up, releases the spores

Front 35

protonema

Back 35

Spores germinate into tiny green threads called protonema (pl. = protonemata)

Front 36

gemmae

Back 36

Mosses can also grow little vegetative buds called gemmae, that break off and grow into a new plant

Front 37

peat bog

Back 37

Most abundant plant in polar ecosystems
Peat bogs cover 1% of the Earth’s land surface, area = half the United States !!
Peat bogs are very acidic, pH = 4 or lower, most acidic natural environment

Front 38

Doctrine of Signatures

Back 38

Doctrine of Signatures claimed that the creator has intentionally created plants to look like the parts of the body they could be used to cure!

Front 39

elaters

Back 39

Haploid spores are surrounded by elaters, long, twisted, moist cells
When the elaters dry out, they twist and jerk around, scatter the spores

Front 40

gemmae cup

Back 40

Asexual reproduction by gemmae cups, little cups with tiny liverwort inside, dispersed by drop of water

Front 41

Phylum Lycophyta

Back 41

club moss, quillworts

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Phylum Sphenophyta

Back 42

horsetails

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Phylum Psilophyta

Back 43

whisk fern

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Phylum Pterophyta

Back 44

true ferns

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homosporous

Back 45

can be same or different gametophytes

Front 46

heterosporous

Back 46

gametes always come from two different gametophytes

Front 47

strobilus

Back 47

Unbranched reproductive stalks, tipped with a large strobilus bearing sporangia
(horsetails)

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sorus

Back 48

Clusters of sporangia

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indusium

Back 49

Sorus often protected by an umbrella-like structure called an indusium (-ia)

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prothallus

Back 50

Spores germinate into a tiny heart-shaped autotrophic gametophyte called a prothallus

Front 51

fiddlehead

Back 51

Early stage is called a fiddlehead, curled frond gradually unfurls and spreads out

Front 52

rhizoids

Back 52

Archegonia and antheridia on upper surface - archegonia at the notch of the heart, antheridia near the rhizoids

Front 53

Phylum Gnetophyta

Back 53

Ephedra, Gnetum, Welwitschia

Front 54

Phylum Cycadophyta

Back 54

cycads (Cycas revoluta)

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Phylum Ginkgophyta

Back 55

Ginkgo biloba

Front 56

Phylum Coniferophyta

Back 56

conifers (pines, firs, spruces, bald cypress; Pinus)

Front 57

staminate cones

Back 57

male

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ovulate cones

Back 58

female

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Phylum Anthophyta

Back 59

flowering plants

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wind pollination

Back 60

Flowers that rely on wind pollination are tiny and inconspicuous (like oak trees, maple trees, corn, grasses)

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animal pollination

Back 61

Flowers that are pollinated by animals have showy petals to attract the pollinators

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Sepals

Back 62

protect floral parts in the bud

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Petals

Back 63

attract pollinators

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Stamens

Back 64

anthers and filaments

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Carpels

Back 65

form the pistil (stigma, style, ovary)Carpels are leaves modified to hold seeds

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Sporophylls

Back 66

leaves modified to hold spores

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pistil

Back 67

consists of the fusion of several carpels along the midrib of the modified leaves

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vessel

Back 68

Angeios = Greek for vessel (container)

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Coevolution

Back 69

occurs when an evolutionary change in one organism leads to an evolutionary change in another organism that interacts with it

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anther

Back 70

Each anther holds four microsporangia - microspores develop in microsporangia

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foliar theory of the carpel

Back 71

Goethe, German writer, philosopher, and (in his spare time) noted botanist, proposed that carpels evolved from leaves
Chambers in the pistil were probably formed from a sporophyll

Edges of the leaf folded over and fused together to form a protective chamber

Front 72

Stamens

Back 72

Stamens are highly modified sporophylls