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AP BIO 29, 30, 35, 36, 37, 39 VOCAB (UNIT 5)

Terms in this set (90)

alternation of generations
A life cycle in which there is both a multicellular diploid form, the sporophyte, and a multicellular haploid form, the gametophyte; characteristic of plants and some algae
angiosperm
A flowering plant, which forms seeds inside a protective chamber called an ovary
apical meristem
Embryonic plant tissue in the tips of roots and in the buds of shoots that supplies cells for the plant to grow in length
bryophyte
A moss, liverwort, or hornwort; a nonvascular plant that inhabits the land but lacks many of the terrestrial adaptations of vascular plants
gametophyte
In organisms undergoing alternation of generations, the multicellular haploid form that mitotically produces haploid gametes that unite and grow into the sporophyte generation
gymnosperm
A vascular plant that bears naked seeds-seeds not enclosed in specialized chambers
leaf
The main photosynthetic organ of vascular plants
phloem
Vascular plant tissue consisting of living cells arranged into elongated tubes that transport sugar and other organic nutrients throughout the plant
pterophyte
An informal name for any member of the phylum Pterophyta, which includes ferns, horsetail, whisk ferns, and the genus Tmesipteris
rhizoid
Long tubular single cell or filament of cells that anchors bryophytes to the ground. Rhizoids are not composed of tissues, lack specialized conducting cells, and do not play a primary role in water and mineral absorption
root
An organ in vascular plants that anchors the plant and enables it to absorb water and nutrients from the soil
seed
An adaptation of terrestrial plants consisting of an embryo packaged along with a store of food within a resistant coat
seedless vascular plant
The informal collective name for the phyla Lycophyta (club mosses and their relatives) and Pteridophyta (ferns and their relatives)
sporophyte
In organisms undergoing alternation of generations, the multicellular diploid form that results from a union of gametes and that meiotically produces haploid spores that grow into the gametophyte generation
stoma
A microscopic pore surrounded by guard cells in the epidermis of leaves and stems that allows gas exchange between the environment and the interior of the plant
vascular plant
A plant with vascular tissue. Vascular plants include all living species except mosses, liverworts, and hornworts
vascular tissue
Plant tissue consisting of cells joined into tubes that transport water and nutrients throughout the plant body
xylem
Vascular plant tissue consisting mainly of tubular dead cells that conduct most of the water and minerals upward from roots to the rest of the plant
coevolution
The mutual evolutionary influence between two different species interacting with each other and reciprocally influencing each other's adaptation
conifer
A member of the largest gymnosperm phylum. Most conifers are cone-bearing trees, such as pines and firs
cotyledon
A seed leaf of an angiosperm embryo. Some species have one cotyledon, others two
cross-pollination
In angiosperms, the transfer of pollen from an anther of a flower on one plant to the stigma of a flower on another plant of the same species
dicots
A term traditionally used to refer to flowering plants that have two embryonic seed leaves, or cotyledons. Recent molecular evidence indicates that dicots do not form a clade
eudicots
A clade consisting of the vast majority of flowering plants that have two embryonic seed leaves, or cotyledons
flower
In an angiosperm, a short stem with up to four sets of modified leaves, bearing structures that function in sexual reproduction
fruit
A mature ovary of a flower that protects dormant seeds and aids in their dispersal.
integuent
Layer of sporophyte tissue that contributes to the structure of an ovule of a seed plant
monocots
A clade consisting of flowering plants that have one embyonic seed leaf, or cotyledon.
pollination
The transfer of pollen to the part of a seed plant containing the ovules, a process that is a prerequisite for fertilization
adventitious
A term describing any plant organ that grows in an atypical location, such as roots growing from stems
annual
A flowering plant that completes its entire life cycle in a single year of growing season
axillary bud
A structure that has the potential to form a lateral shoot, or branch. The bud appears in the angle formed between a leaf and a stem
bark
All tissues external to the vascular cambium, consisting mainly of the secondary phloem and layers of periderm
Collenchyma cell
A flexible plant cell type that occurs in strands or cylinders that support young parts of the plant without straining growth
cork cambium
A cylinder of meristematic tissue in woody plants that replaces the epidermis with thicker, tougher cork cells
dermal tissue system
The outer protective covering of plants.
determinate growth
A type of growth characteristic of most animals and some plant organs, in which growth stops after a certain size is reached
fibrous root system
A root system common to monocots consisting of a mat of thin roots spreading out below the soil surface
ground tissue system
Plant tissues that are neither vascular nor dermal, fulfilling a variety of functions, such as storage, photosynthesis, and support
herbaceous
Referring to non-woody plants
indeterminate growth
A type of growth characteristic of plants, in which the organism continues to grow as long as it lives
lateral meristem
A meristem that thickens the roots and shoots of woody plants. The vascular cambium and cork cambium are lateral meristems.
leaf primordia
Fingerlike projections along the flanks of a shoot apical meristem, from which leaves arise.
meristem
Plant tissue that remains embryonic as long as the plant lives, allowing for indeterminate growth.
mesophyll
The ground tissue of a leaf, sandwiched between the upper and lower epidermis and specialized for photosynthesis
parenchyma cell
A relatively unspecialized plant cell type that carries out most of the metabolism, synthesizes and stores organic products, and develops into a more differentiated cell type
perennial
A flowering plant that lives for many years.
pith
Ground tissue that is internal to the vascular tissue in a stem; in many monocot roots, parenchyma cells that form the central core of the vascular cylinder.
primary growth
Growth produced by apical meristems, which lengthen stems and roots.
sclerenchyma cell
A rigid, supportive plant cell type usually lacking protoplasts and possessing thick secondary walls strengthened by lignin at maturity.
secondary growth
Growth produced by lateral meristems, which thickens the roots and shoots of woody plants.
stem
A vascular plant organ consisting of an alternating system of nodes and internodes that support the leaves and reproductive structures.
taproot system
A root system common to eudicots consisting of one large, vertical root (the taproot) that produces many smaller lateral, or branch, roots.
tissue
An integrated group of cells with a common function, structure, or both.
vascular cambium
A cylinder of meristematic tissue in woody plants that adds layers of secondary vascular tissue called secondary xylem (wood) and secondary phloem.
active transport
The movement of a substance across a biological membrane against its concentration or electrochemical gradient with the help of energy input and specific transport proteins.
aquaporin
A transport protein in the plasma membrane of a plant or animal cell that specifically facilitates the diffusion of water across the membrane (osmosis).
chemiosmosis
An energy-coupling mechanism that uses energy stored in the form of a hydrogen ion gradient across a membrane to drive cellular work, such as the synthesis of ATP. Most ATP synthesis in cells occurs by chemiosmosis.
circadian rhythm
A physiological cycle of about 24 hours that is present in all eukaryotic organisms and that persists even in the absence of external cues.
flaccid
Limp. A walled cell is flaccid in surroundings where there is no tendency for water to enter.
guttation
The exudation of water droplets, caused by root pressure in certain plants.
mychorrhizae
Mutualistic associations of plant roots and fungi.
plasmolyze
To shrink and pull away from a cell wall, or when a plant cell protoplast pulls away from the cell wall as a result of water loss.
transpiration
The evaporative loss of water from a plant.
turgid
Very firm. A walled cell become turgid if it has a greater solute concentration than its surroundings, resulting in entry of water.
turgor pressure
The force directed against a cell wall after the influx of water and the swelling of a walled cell due to osmosis.
water potential
The physical property predicting the direction in which water will flow, governed by solute concentration and applied pressure.
wilting
The drooping of leaves and stems as a result of plant cells becoming flaccid.
crop rotation
The alternation of planting a non-legume one year and a legume the next year to restore concentration of fixed nitrogen in the soil
nitrogen fixation
The assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by certain prokaryotes into nitrogenous compounds that can be directly used by plants
rhizobacteria
root-colonizing bacteria that form symbiotic relationships with many plants
soil horizon
layer parallel to the soil surface, whose physical characteristics differ from the layers above and beneath
sustainable agriculture
Long-term productive farming methods that are environmentally safe
apoptosis
The changes that occur within a cell as it undergoes programmed cell death, which is brought about by signals that trigger the activation of a cascade of suicide proteins in the cell destined to die
day-neutral plants
A plant whose flowering is not affected by photoperiod
ethylene
The only gaseous plant hormone. Among its many effects are response to mechanical stress, programmed cell death, leaf abscission, and fruit ripening.
etiolation
Plant morphological adaptations for growing in darkness
gravitropism
A response of a plant or animal to gravity
hormone
In multicellular organisms, one of many types of circulating chemical signals that are formed in specialized cells, travel in body fluids, and act on specific target cells to change their functioning
long-day plant
A plant that flowers (usually in late spring or early summer) only when the light period is longer than a critical length
photomorphogenesis
Effects of light on plant morphology
photoperiodism
A physiological response to photoperiod, the relative lengths of night and day. An example of photoperiodism is flowering
phytochrome
A class of light receptors in plants. Mostly absorbing red light, these photoreceptors regulate many plant responses, including seed germination and shade avoidance
second messenger
A small, non-protein, water-soluble molecule or ion, such as calcium ion or cyclic AMP, that relays a signal to a cell's interior in response to a signal received by a signal receptor protein
thigmomorphogenesis
A response in plants to chronic mechanical stimulation, resulting from increased ethylene production. An example is thickening stems in response to strong winds.
thigmotropism
A directional growth of a plant in response to touch
tropism
A growth response that results in the curvature of whole plant organs toward or away from stimuli owing to differential rates of cell elongation
vernalization
The use of cold treatment to induce a plant to flower
virulent
A term describing a pathogen against which a plant has little specific defense
rhizosphere
region of soil that is immediately adjacent to and affected by plant roots
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