Kingdom Plantae Notes

Mancheski 2013

Seed Germination• Seed Germination: Resumption of growth of the plant

embryo following dormancy.• Dormancy: period in which the embryo is alive but not

growing.• Steps to seed germination:

– 1. seeds absorb water– 2. absorbed water causes food-storing tissues to swell and crack seed coat– 3. the young root emerges and begins to grow– 4. the shoot emerges and begins to grow

What factors might influence seed germination?

Roots

• Function:– 1. Anchor plant in the

ground and hold them upright

– 2. Hold soil in place (preventing erosion)

– 3. Mutualistic relationship with soil bacterial and fungi

– 4. Absorb and transport water and dissolved nutrients to the rest of the plant

– 5. Store food

• Types:– 1. Tap root– 2. Fibrous root– 3. Prop root– 4. Aerial root

Stems

• Function:– 1. support system for the

plant body– 2. transport system that

carries nutrients– 3. defense system that

protects the plant against predators and disease.

– 4. produce leaves and flowers

• Primary growth: growth from the tip of the plant (Apical meristem)

• Secondary growth: growth in the thickness of stems and roots.

Stem Vocabulary

• Nodes: where leaves are attached.• Buds: where leaves attach to nodes.

• Xylem (heartwood) – old xylem that no longer conducts fluid but helps with support.

• Xylem (sapwood) – contains active xylem that transports water and dissolved nutrients.

• Vascular Cambium – a meristem that produces new xylem and phloem, increasing stem width.

• Phloem – a vascular tissue that transports sugars made by photosynthesis.

• Cork Cambium (Bark) – a meristem that produces the protective layer of cork.

• Cork (Bark) – contains nonfunctioning phloem.

Leaves

• Function:– 1. plant’s main

photosynthetic organs– 2. increase the amount of

sunlight a plant absorbs– 3. Adjustable pores help

conserve water while letting oxygen and carbon dioxide enter and exit

Leaf Anatomy

• Blade – thin, flattened part to collect sunlight

• Petiole – a think stalk that connects the blade to the stem

• Stomata – small openings in the epidermis that allow carbon dioxide, water and oxygen to diffuse into and out of the leaf

Leaf Vocabulary

• Photosynthesis – process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates

• Transpiration – loss of water though the leaves• Wilting – the loss of water in the central

vacuole of the plant cell, and therefore, loss of pressure.

Homeostasis

• Plants maintain homeostasis by keeping their stomata open just enough to allow photosynthesis to take place but not so much that they lose an excessive amount of water.

Flowers

• Function:– Flowers are reproductive organs that are

composed of four different kinds of specialized leaves.

Flower parts• Stamen – male parts of a flower

– Anther – produces pollen grains– Filament – stalk that has the

anther at its tip• Carpels – female parts of a flower

– Ovary – produces the eggs (ovules)

– Style – stalk that contains the stigma at its tip

– Stigma – sticky structure used to capture pollen

• Petal – used to attract pollinators to the plant

• Sepal – enclose the bud before it opens and protects the flower

Fruits

• As angiosperm seeds mature, ovary walls thicken to form a fruit that encloses the developing seeds– Strawberries, peanuts, rose hips, coconut