Botany Essentials Quiz

Lesson 1: Introduction to Plants

• Characteristics of Plants:
  • Domain: Eukarya
  • Nonmotile
  • Presence of a cell wall
  • Eukaryotic
  • Multicellular
  • Photoautotrophic
  • Chloroplasts and chlorophyll
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Overview: Linnaeus System of Classification: Hierarchical system for classifying organisms.

Vascular and Nonvascular Plants

• Vascular Plants (Tracheophytes): Plants with specialized tissues for transporting water and nutrients.
  • Xylem: Transports and stores water and water-soluble nutrients via transpiration.
  • Phloem: Transports sugars, proteins, and other organic molecules (food and nutrients) via translocation.
• Nonvascular Plants (Bryophytes): Lack specialized vascular tissue.
  • Small stature
  • Rhizoids instead of roots
  • No true stems, leaves, or vascular tissue.
  • Absorb water and nutrients from the surface directly.
• Types of Vascular Plants:
  • Pteridophytes (Spore-forming plants): Examples include clubmosses and ferns.
  • Angiosperms (Flowering plants): Most diverse group with 300,000 species, play a vital role in biodiversity.
  • Gymnosperms (Non-flowering plants): Examples include conifers, pine trees, and cycads.
  • Monocots and Dicots: Subcategories of angiosperms distinguished by seed structure.

Types of Plants (Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees)

• Herbs: Short, soft-stemmed plants.
• Shrubs: Short-to-medium-sized woody plants with multiple stems.
• Trees: Tall, woody plants with a single trunk and branches.
• Creepers: Plants that creep along the ground.
• Climbers: Plants that climb using external support.

Endemic and Native Plants

• Endemic Plants: Species found in a limited geographical area.
• Native Plants: Indigenous species that naturally occur or have existed for a long time in an area.
• Exotic Plants: Plants introduced from other areas, may be invasive species and impact native diversity.

Ecosystem Services

• Direct and Indirect Contributions: Direct services (e.g., food, materials), indirect services (e.g., climate regulation), and cultural services benefit human life.
• Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, Supporting: Categorization of ecosystem services.

Plant Pathology

• Study of Plant Diseases: Understanding causes and implications, improving plant health, improving yield and preventing food loss.

Plant Ecology

• Interactions with Ecosystems: How plants utilize resources and their relationship with other components of the ecosystem.

Plant Physiology

• Anatomy and Physiology: Plant structure and functions, including photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration.

Conservation Biology

• Biodiversity Conservation: Preserving ecosystems and the diversity within them.

Microscopy

• Magnification: Ratio of an object's size to its actual size.
• Resolution: Ability to distinguish between closely spaced objects.
• Contrast: Differences in brightness in an image.
• Microscope Parts: Eyepiece, body tube, arm, base, illuminator, stage, stage clips, revolving nosepiece, objective lenses, coarse and fine adjustment knobs.

Cell Theory

• Spontaneous Generation: Early theory stating that living organisms could arise from nonliving matter.
• Francesco Redi's Experiment: Experiment that disproved spontaneous generation.
• Louis Pasteur's Experiment: Experiment that disproved spontaneous generation.
• Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann: Key contributors to cell theory proposing that all living things are composed of cells.
• Rudolf Virchow: Expanded cell theory with the concept that all cells come from pre-existing cells.

Cell Structures

• Organelles: Specialized components within cells with specific functions.
• Cell Membrane: Semi-permeable membrane that separates the interior of the cell from its external environment.
• Cytoplasm: Fluid within the cell, including cytosol and organelles.
• Cytosol: Fluid part of cytoplasm where everything floats.
• Membrane-bound Organelles: Surrounded by a membrane.
• Non-membrane-bound Organelles: Lacking a membrane.

Plastids

• Chloroplast: Site of photosynthesis; contains chlorophyll.
• Chromoplast: Contains colored pigments.
• Leucoplast: Contains no pigments; used for storage.

Vacuoles

• Central Vacuole: Large storage compartment in plant cells, maintaining turgor pressure.
• Lysosomes: Contain enzymes for digesting materials.
• Peroxisomes: Contain enzymes that break down fatty acids.
• Mitochondria: Site of cellular respiration.

Plant Cells

• Cell Wall: Rigid outer layer providing structural support in plants.
• Cell Wall Characteristics: Primary cell wall, middle lamella, and optional secondary cell walls.
• Vacuoles: Fluid-filled sacs that store materials; in plant cells maintains turgor pressure.

Plant Crystals (Biomineralization)

• Raphides: Needle-like crystals
• Prismatic: Uniform cross-section crystals
• Druse: Clusters of roughly spherical crystals.

Plant Cells (specific functions)

• Stomata: Pores in leaves for gas exchange
• Guard Cells: Control opening and closing of stomata.
• Cell Types: Xylem and phloem tissues to transport water and nutrients.

Other Notable Topics

• Plant genetic engineering: techniques for improving crop yields and resistance.
• Phytoremediation: cleaning contaminants using plants.
• Additional Staining Techniques: Gram staining which helps distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria based on cell wall structure.