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General Biology: Plant Diversity and Adaptations

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  • Land plants evolutionary origin
    Land plants evolved from freshwater algae and developed adaptations for life on land, forming the subgroup embryophytes.
  • Nonvascular plants characteristics
    Nonvascular plants lack tracheids, have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, and many have internal water-conducting tissue but cannot support large vertical growth.
  • Seedless vascular plants life cycle
    Seedless vascular plants have a sporophyte-dominant life cycle and possess vascular tissue with lignin, allowing vertical growth.
  • Seed plants groups
    Seed plants are monophyletic and divided into gymnosperms with naked seeds and angiosperms with seeds enclosed in fruits.
  • Cuticle function in plants
    The cuticle is a waxy film covering the epidermis that helps plants retain water by reducing water loss.
  • Stomata and guard cells
    Stomata are pores controlling gas exchange and water loss, regulated by guard cells that open and close the pore using turgidity.
  • Xylem structure and function
    Xylem transports water and minerals; it includes tracheids with secondary cell walls containing lignin for rigidity.
  • Phloem function
    Phloem transports sugars, amino acids, and other nutrients throughout the plant.
  • Roots and leaves in vascular plants
    Roots absorb water and nutrients, while leaves are specialized for photosynthesis; leaves can be microphylls or megaphylls.
  • Alternation of generations
    A life cycle with multicellular haploid gametophyte producing gametes and multicellular diploid sporophyte producing spores by meiosis.
  • Gametophyte vs. sporophyte
    Gametophyte is haploid and produces gametes; sporophyte is diploid and produces spores.
  • Sporophylls and sporangia
    Sporophylls are modified leaves bearing sporangia, which are structures where spores form.
  • Homospory vs. heterospory
    Homospory produces one type of spore; heterospory produces microspores (male) and megaspores (female).
  • Pollen and seeds
    Pollen is the male gametophyte with a protective sporopollenin coat; seeds contain an embryo and food supply with a tough coat.
  • Bryophytes characteristics
    Bryophytes are nonvascular plants including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, with gametophyte-dominant life cycles and homospory.
  • Gametangia types
    Archegonia are female gametangia producing eggs; antheridia are male gametangia producing sperm.
  • Monoicious vs. dioicous plants
    Monoicious plants bear sperm and egg on the same gametophyte; dioicous plants have separate male and female gametophytes.
  • Bryophyte sporophyte parts
    Sporophyte includes foot (nutrient absorption), seta (nutrient transport), and capsule (spore production via meiosis).
  • Protonema in bryophytes
    Protonema is a chain of cells growing from spores that develops into the mature gametophyte.
  • Seedless vascular plants and water dependence
    Seedless vascular plants have sporophyte-dominant life cycles, require water for sperm to reach eggs, and include lycophytes and monilophytes.
  • Ferns and sori
    Ferns produce sori, clusters of sporangia on leaf undersides; gametophytes contain antheridia, archegonia, and rhizoids.