| Term | Definition |
|---|
| absorptive nutrition | A mode of nutrition by which a fungus secretes digestive enzymes to break down food molecules in the environment into smaller molecules the fungus can absorb. |
| hyphae | Branching structures composed of cytoplasm surrounded by both a plasma membrane and a cell wall that make up the body of a fungus. |
| mycelium | The branching network of hyphae produced by an individual fungus which functions in absorptive nutrition. |
| septum | Semi-permeable wall that divides the hyphae of some fungi into cells. |
| chytrid | A type of fungus with flagellated sperm. |
| zygote fungi | A type of fungus that reproduces with a resistant structure called a zygosporangium. |
| zygosporangium | The defining reproductive feature of the zygote fungi. |
| sac fungi | A type of fungus that bears reproductive spores on sacs at the tips of hyphae. |
| club fungi | A type of fungus that bears reproductive sperm externally, on club-shaped structures (basidia) at the tips of hyphae. |
| mold | any rapidly growing, asexual fungus |
| yeast | Fungus that exists as a single-celled organism. |
| decomposer | An organism that breaks down dead and decaying organic matter. |
| symbiosis | A mutual relationship between two species of organisms in which both live together in a beneficial association. |
| dikaryotic | Having two nuclei from different parents (in a fungal mycelium). |
| plant | A member of the kingdom Plantae; multicellular, autotrophic organism that photosynthesizes, lacks locomotive movement and feeling, and possesses cellulose cell walls. |
| photosynthesis | The process of converting light energy to chemical energy; in the process, CO₂ and water are converted into oxygen and organic compounds. |
| fossil fuel | A hydrocarbon deposit, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, derived from living matter millions of years ago and used for energy. |
| cuticle | A waxy coating that helps plants minimize water loss and cell damage. |
| guard cells | Specialized cells that open and close stomata. |
| lignin | A compound that strengthens plant cells, allowing plants to support themselves upright. |
| stomata | Pores in the surfaces of plants that open and close to allow various substances, such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water to pass in and out. |
| vascular tissue | The plant tissue, made up of xylem and phloem, that carries water and nutrients throughout the plant; also provides structural support. |
| non-vascular plants | A term used to refer collectively to the hornworts, liverworts, and mosses. All three are simple plants with no roots, stems, or leaves, and little or no vascular tissue. (also called 'bryophytes') |
| pteridophytes | Non-seed vascular plants; plants with xylem and phloem that disperse spores instead of seeds. |
| seeds | Structures that contain a plant embryo surrounded by a nutritious tissue and tough outer coating. |
| pollen | Microspores of seed plants, shed from anthers that contain the male gametophyte. |
| angiosperms | Flowering plants; plants that bear seeds within a flower. |
| gymnosperms | Plants that produce seeds externally, on scales, such as pines and spruces. |
| taproot system | A root system that contains one large root, off which several smaller roots branch out. |
| fibrous root system | A root system containing many similarly sized roots. |
| adventitious root system | Root that originates above ground, often emerging from stems or leaves; a root system that has been modified to help the plant climb. |
| xylem | Tube that carries water from the roots to the rest of the plant. |
| phloem | Tube that carries nutrients from the leaves to the rest of the plant. |
| herbaceous stem | A green, bendable stem. |
| woody stem | A stem covered in bark. |
| runners | Shoots that extend off the plant horizontally above the ground. |
| tuber | An underground stem in which nutrients are stored. |
| blade | The flat part of the leaf that collects sunlight. |
| petiole | A thin stalk that attaches the blade to the plant stem. |
| chlorophyll | A substance that helps the plant make food during photosynthesis |
| bulb | An underground stem that stores food for the plant. |
| contractile roots | Roots that pull a plant more deeply into the ground to anchor it. |
| parasitic roots | Roots that grow into, and live off of, another living plant. |
| rhizome | A stem that grows horizontally under the ground |
| succulent | A plant with leaves that hold water. |
| tendril | A thin, coiled extension of a plant that helps it climb. |
| meristematic tissue | The tissue from which new vascular, dermal, and ground tissue cells are produced. |
| dermal tissue | The tissue that covers the plant's surface and protects it from water loss and injury. |
| ground tissue | The tissue involved in photosynthesis; it also helps support the plant. (also called the 'cortex') |
| tracheids | The long, thin cells which make up the xylem and transport water and dissolved minerals throughout the plant. |
| vessel elements | Cells in the xylem of flowering plants that act like a tube to deliver water to the plant body. |
| sieve tube elements | Cells inside the phloem that act like a tube to transport water. |
| companion cells | Cells that support the phloem and help move nutrients to them. |
| epidermal cells | Plant cells on the surface of a leaf or other young plant tissue; the exposed surface is covered with the cuticle. |
| trichomes | Hair-like projections that protect the plant's leaves. |
| active transport | The movement of a liquid, with the help of an energy source, across a semipermeable membrane from a lower concentration to a higher concentration. |
| Casparian strip | A waterproof strip of tissue that surrounds cells in the vascular cylinder and prevents water from leaking back out of the plant's roots. |
| capillary action | The effect of surface tension, cohesion, and adhesion which causes liquid to rise inside a narrow tube against the force of gravity. |
| cohesion | The force of attraction that draws molecules of the same substance together. |
| adhesion | The force that draws molecules of different substances together. |
| osmosis | The diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane |
| semipermeable membrane | A membrane that will let some substances through, but not others. |
| phosphorous | A nutrient needed for DNA synthesis; in plants, it is also used for root, stem, flower, and seed development. |
| magnesium | A nutrient needed for chlorophyll synthesis in plants. |
| potassium | A nutrient needed for protein and carbohydrate synthesis; as well as for root, stem, and flower development. |
| calcium | A nutrient needed for cell growth and transport in plants; also: a mineral in the body that is necessary for strengthening bones and teeth, as well as for maintaining nerve and muscle function. |
| nitrogen | An element needed for plant growth and chlorophyll production. |
| ammonia | A product of nitrogen and hydrogen formed when bacteria decompose. |
| legumes | A family of plants including peas, beans, and soybeans that have associations with nitrogen fixing bacteria. |
| bacteroids | Organisms formed from bacteria that live in nodules inside plants; bacterium take carbohydrates from the plant to use as energy, and in turn, they produce amino acids which the plant uses for food. |
| hormones | In animals, chemical messengers released by endocrine glands that travel through the blood and act on cells throughout the body; in plants, chemical substances having a specific regulatory effect on the activity of certain tissues. |
| Auxin | Hormone that stimulates plant development by causing cells in the shoot tips and leaves to elongate. |
| Cytokinins | Hormones that stimulate cell division in the roots and fruit of plants. |
| Gibberelins | Hormones that cause the roots, stems, and leaves to elongate. |
| Abscisic acid | Hormone that works against the actions of auxin, cytokinins, and gibberellins to inhibit plant growth, especially in the leaves and stems. |
| Ethylene | A gas that helps the fruit ripen and causes the leaves to fall from the plant. |
| carpel | In angiosperms, the female reproductive part of the flower. (also called 'pistil') |
| haploid | A condition in which a cell contains one set of chromosomes |
| diploid | A condition in which a cell contains two sets of homologous chromosomes. |
| gametophyte generation | The multicellular, haploid generation of a plant's life cycle; this generation produces haploid gametes, which fuse to become a diploid sporophyte (for example, the pollen of a pine tree and the egg inside the pine cone are the ___________s that give rise to the sporophyte pine tree). |
| sporophyte generation | The multicellular, diploid generation of a plant's life cycle; this generation produces haploid spores that develop into haploid gametophytes (for example, a pine tree is a __________ that develops haploid pollen spores and haploid eggs inside pine cones). |
| stamen | In angiosperms, the male reproductive part of the flower, in which the pollen develops |
| sepal | In angiosperms, the green, leaf-like part of the plant that encloses and protects the growing flower bud. |
| petals | In angiosperms, the colored parts of the flower, located between the sepals and the stamens. |
| filament | In angiosperms, the thin stalk in the male reproductive part of the plant on which the anther sits. |
| anther | In angiosperms, the top part of the stamen which produces pollen |
| ovary | In plants, the female reproductive organ in angiosperms; in animals, the two female reproductive organs that grow and store eggs in follicles. |
| gametophyte | In angiosperms, the part of the plant reproductive process that produces the gametes. |
| ovule | In angiosperms, the part of the plant in which the seed is produced. |
| style | In angiosperms, the narrow elongated part of the carpel |
| stigma | In angiosperms, the top of the style where pollen enters the carpel. |
| zygote | A fertilized egg that results from the fusion of male and female gametes (sperm and egg). |
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