Questions and Answers of Botany An Introduction To Plant Biology

Imagine a plant that has been well adapted to a particular habitat, and it has been reproducing only asexually; thus, all of its offspring are identical to it. If the climate or other conditions
With asexual reproduction, are progeny ever more fit, more adapted than the parent?
Sexual reproduction produces offspring that are not identical to each other or to either parent. Usually, some are more well adapted than the parents. Some are more poorly adapted, and most are about
In stable populations, ones that are neither increasing nor decreasing in abundance (e.g., there are a million trees now and there will be a million trees a thousand years from now), about how many
What is a gametophyte? How many different types of gametophytes are there in a plant life cycle? What do they look like (See Figure 9-5b)? Do the sporophytes and gametophytes of seed plants ever look
Describe the life cycle of us humans. Are the tissues and organs in our bodies made up of diploid cells or haploid ones? Our reproductive organs make sperm cells in males and egg cells in females. Is
The plants we are familiar with are called sporophytes or the sporophyte generation. Do these plants have bodies made up of diploid cells or haploid ones? In which organs does meiosis occur (two are
In animals, meiosis produces gametes (sperm cells and egg cells), but that does not happen in plants. When some of the cells of a sporophyte undergo meiosis, what types of cells are produced? What do
Draw and label a microgametophyte of a flowering plant. What type of gamete does it produce? Draw and label a megagametophyte of a flowering plant. What type of gamete does it produce?
Flowers typically have many parts, although some flowers can be missing some of the standard parts. What is the name of each of the following parts:a. The stalk of the flowerb. The end of the stalk,
If a flower has all of the parts c, d, e, and f in Question 13, they are said to be _______________ flowers. If they are missing any of these parts, they are said to be ________________________
In flowers that are pollinated by wind or water, which of the parts in Question 13 is often missing?Review Questions 13Flowers typically have many parts, although some flowers can be missing some of
A stamen usually has two parts. The stalk is called a ____________________ and an upper portion, the ______________________, which produces the pollen. Only some of the cells in the upper part
Carpels usually have three parts: a _________________ that catches pollen grains, a _______________ that elevates the first part, and an _______________ where megaspores are produced. In this last
The megaspore in most flowering plants grows into a megagametophyte that has seven cells and eight nuclei. Name and describe the seven cells.
After pollen lands on a stigma, it is far away from the ovule with the megagametophyte, which holds the egg (the megagamete). How are the two sperm cells transported from the stigma to the egg?
In angiosperms, as a sperm cell enters the egg, it loses both __________________ and _____________________ such that only the sperm cell nucleus contributes any DNA to the new zygote. In gymnosperms,
After the sperm cells enter a synergid, one fertilizes the egg in a two-step process. First there is fusion of the sperm cell’s protoplasm with that of the egg, a step called
What happens to the second sperm nucleus, the one that does not fertilize the egg cell? What is the tissue that develops from this second “fertilization”? How is coconut related to this?
In most eudicot seeds, the parts of the embryo are very easy to see.Describe each of these parts:a. Cotyledonsb. Radiclec. Hypocotyld. Epicotyle. Extra credit portion: Answer the following question
What are albuminous and exalbuminous seeds? Consider corn, peas, and beans. Which of these seeds are which?
After pollination and fertilization, as the ovule develops into a seed, the ovary matures into a _________________. Many of these have three parts. The _________________ is the skin or peel. The
What is the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination? If pollen is transferred from the stamens of a flower to the stigma of the very same flower, is that cross-pollination or
Describe a species that is dioecious. Name several examples (See Figure 9-6). In order for sexual reproduction to occur in a dioecious species, how many separate plants must be involved? Name them
What is an inflorescence? The inflorescences of a sausage tree (Figure 9-29) hang far down out of the tree. How is this of benefit to bats? Why can the inflorescence of Combretum (Figure 9-30B)
Describe a monoecious species. Name several examples.
In several pairs of plant and animal species, plants have become modified such that only its animal partner can pollinate it, and the animals have become modified such that they are especially well
Explain the following terms: inferior ovary, superior ovary, actinomorphic flower, zygomorphic flower. How is each of these modifications selectively advantageous?
After pollination and then fertilization, what usually happens to each of the following: stigma, style, carpel, ovule, integuments, and zygote?
Fruits are often classified as dry or fleshy. What is the difference? Which of these two are dehiscent, which are indehiscent?
In ordinary English, we use the word fruit to mean something sweet and juicy; however, the following things are fruits: peanut shells, pea pods, bell peppers, and chili peppers. What is the
Root hairs are narrower than roots. A root is usually at least __________________ mm in diameter, but root hairs are only approximately ___________________ _____ mm in diameter. Look at Figure 7-9.
The “Concepts” section of this chapter states that most roots have three functions. What are they? Some roots have other functions in addition to these three, or instead of them. Name an example
What are the two types of root systems? Give several examples of plants that have each type. Which type is associated with nutrient storage in biennial species like carrots and beets? Which is
Examine Figure 7-13. What are the four diffusion paths that a molecule might follow as it travels through the root epidermis and cortex? Why does this diagram stop at the endodermis? What happens at
Roots must have an enormous absorptive surface. Why do plants have a highly branched root system instead of just one long root?
Even before a seed germinates, it already has a root; what is the name of this embryonic root? In eudicots, what does this embryonic root usually develop into? In most monocots, this embryonic root
What does the root cap do? Do you think this structure would have evolved if roots all grew in air like shoots do, rather than growing through dirt?
Roots have localized growth; the only parts of the root that become longer are the root apical meristem and the __________________ of ___________________, a region only a few millimeters long within
What would happen to root hairs if they formed in the zone of elongation? Would this happen if roots were growing in air or in water?
Root hairs greatly increase the root’s surface area. In rye, a single plant has been found to have __________________ lateral roots with ________________ km of root length and a surface area of
Which part of the root detects gravity? Which organelles enable them to do this?
The use of a radioactive precursor of DNA can demonstrate that the central cells of the root apical meristem are not synthesizing DNA. This mitotically inactive central region is called the
If you could examine a transverse section through the zone of elongation in a root, would you see any mature cells? Would there be any fully differentiated epidermis cells or vascular tissues? What
Describe the shape of the endodermis. Is it a flat plane, a cylinder, a single ring of cells? What are the Casparian strips, and on which cell walls are they located?
Examine Figure 7-14. The roots of eudicots are usually noticeably different from those of monocots in transverse section. Which has a relatively wide set of vascular tissues? Which has endodermis
Draw cross-sections of a root showing its structure at three levels: the mature region, the root hair zone, and the zone of elongation. At which level is the endodermis complete with Casparian strips?
Because Casparian strips are impermeable, minerals can cross the endodermis only if the endodermal ________________ absorb them from the intercellular spaces or from cortical cells. Many
Look at the prop roots of banyan trees in Figure 7-18. These prop roots supply extra water to the branch, but how else do they help the branches?Figure 7-18 (A) (C) (B)
Which part of the root produces the primordia for lateral roots? How does the vascular tissue of the lateral root connect with that of the parent root?
Some perennial plants store significant amounts of nutrients in the stem during winter, but roots offer certain advantages. Describe two of these advantages.
Animals typically use fats in adipose tissues for long-term energy storage, whereas plants use starch in roots. How do animals benefit from using fat? How do plants benefit from using starch? Name
What are contractile roots? They are especially common in plants with what types of shoots (e.g., in rhizomes, vines, or what)?
What is a mycorrhizal association? What benefit does the plant derive from the association?
Describe the structure of a nitrogen-fixing nodule; consider especially the relationship with the plant’s vascular tissue.
Root nodules are ________________ associations. Plants and bacteria both benefit. The bacteria are not ______________ the plants, nor are the plants ________________________ the bacteria.
Many plants are parasitic on other plants. These parasitic plants have modified roots called ___________________. Describe some of the ways that this parasitic root penetrates the host stem or root.
Except when it produces flowers, what is the body of the parasitic plant Tristerix? What tissues does this plant body lack, except when it produces flowers?
Imagine a plant that has ten roots, each 1 cm long. What is the total length of the root system? Imagine that at the tip of each root are ten lateral roots, each 1 cm long. Now what is the total
Your present concept of plants is probably quite accurate. Most have roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. Can you name two plants that have cones rather than flowers? Can you name a plant that appears
Name two types of fungi. Why were fungi originally included in the plant kingdom? Biologists no longer consider fungi to be plants because they differ in many basic _____________ and ______________
How would you distinguish between plants and animals? What characters are important? Be careful to consider unusual plants and animals. Can all animals move? Do they all eat?
Is it always easy to recognize that something is a living being rather than an inanimate object? Europa is a moon of Jupiter (see Box 1-2), and it is so far from the sun that there is not enough
In the scientific method, all accepted information can be derived only from documented and controlled _______ ____________ or ______________________. If someone claimed to have a new treatment of a
The scientific method deals only with _________ _______ phenomena and objects.
Physical forces that control the world are ___________ through time and are the _______ everywhere.
What is a hypothesis? A theory? Why is it important that each be able to predict the outcome of a future experiment? How do these differ from a speculation?
If a hypothesis makes predictions that are not accurate and do not help explain future observations, do those inaccurate predictions prove the hypothesis is not a good model of reality? On the other
Do any concepts exist for which the scientific method is inappropriate? Some people suffer terribly from certain incurable diseases. Can scientific methods be used to develop drugs that could end a
List the eight concepts that can be used to understand plants.
The first concept used to understand plants is that plant metabolism is based on the principles of _______________ and _______________. If this is true, do you think that praying for good harvests or
The fifth concept used to understand plants is that plants must survive in their own _______________________. Imagine a plant adapted to a desert and one adapted to a rain forest. Do you think that
What is the eighth concept used for studying plants? It is difficult to avoid using the phrase “in order to” when referring to plants. Change the following sentences to be more accurate. The
Life on Earth began about ________ _______________ years ago. At first, organisms were simple, like present-day ____________________.
Name the two vascular tissues found in vascular plants. What does each transport?
Name the four basic organs of a flower. Describe situations in which flowers might not need one or two of these organs.
How do the reproductive organs of ferns differ from foliage leaves?
This chapter closes by suggesting that you keep in mind two questions as you study this book and plants themselves. What are the two questions?
As you read, you will deal with two types of information:_________________ and _________ ________________. Which of these are reasonably accurate and trustworthy? The other is more difficult. Why? If
Plants are part of ________________. The study of plants attempts to create a ____________________ of that and build a vocabulary to exchange _______________ about the reality. Can our model ever be
It is important to distinguish between plants and the study of plants—that is, the reality of the plant world and the model of it presented in this book and in lecture. Do we already know
What are relictual (plesiomorphic) features? Derived (apomorphic) features? Which organisms seem to have a larger percentage of relictual features—prokaryotes or eukaryotes? Algae or flowering
When organisms reproduce, some of their offspring are poorly adapted, and they do not grow and reproduce as well as the offspring that are well adapted. This is called ___________________
Look at Figure 1-12. What is the fifth concept used for understanding plants (in the section Using Concepts to Understand Plants)? We do not know for certain what the environment of this deer is, but
The division of labor among various types of cells in plants is important. Examine Table 3-2, and name the cells responsible for the following tasks:a. Collecting solar energyb. Transporting waterc.
Stone cells in coconut shells are part of the division of labor in plants. What modifications do they have that make it impossible for them to be dividing and growing cells (see Figure 3-5)?Figure
All biological membranes are composed of _____________ and two layers of __________________ molecules. One of these components occurs as a thin solution only two molecules thick. A layer only two
Some of the proteins that are part of a cell’s membranes are actually immersed in the membrane. Others are located outside the membrane and merely lie next to it. What are the names of each type?
Pieces of membranes frequently move from one area of a cell to another, but never as just flat patches, only as vesicles. Study Figure 3-9, and then draw examples of endocytosis and exocytosis using
Cell membranes are described as being fluid mosaics. What does that mean? Are all membrane components free to diffuse laterally anywhere within the membrane?
What are the two basic components of membranes? What are three ways that material can move from one side of a membrane to the other? Which method requires the plant to use energy?
Define each of these terms: a freely permeable membrane, an impermeable membrane, and a selectively permeable membrane. During your next exam, you may begin to sweat a solution of sodium, chloride,
Circle the correct answer: Plants, animals, fungi, and protists have (prokaryotic, eukaryotic) cells. What is a key feature of eukaryotic cells?
The _________________ __________________ (less frequently called the ____________________________)is the membrane that completely covers the surface of the protoplasm. It is (circle one: freely
The nucleus serves as an archive for the organism’s _________________ _________________, all of which is stored as __ __ __ inside every nucleus.
Which organelle functions as storage of both nutrient reserves and waste products? What is the name of its membrane?
Which organelle carries out cell respiration? Each of these organelles has two membranes—a liquid portion and folded, sheet-like membrane structures. What are the names of these four components?
Plastids can grow and develop into many different types of structure. What is the name for the plastids that do each of the following:a. Carry out photosynthesisb. Synthesize lipids and other
Which organelle carries out protein synthesis?
What is the difference between RER and SER? SER is not very common in plants, but several examples are given in the text. What are they?

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