Plant Anatomy Quiz - Roots and Stems

Plant Morphology

• Morphology is derived from the Latin words "morphe" (form) and "logos" (study).
• Plant morphology is the study of the form and features of plant organs.
• Plant organs include roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits.

Parts of a Flowering Plant

• A typical angiosperm plant has an underground root system and an aerial shoot system.
• The shoot system consists of stems (including branches), leaves, flowers, and fruits.
• Roots, stems, and leaves are vegetative parts.
• Flowers are the reproductive part.

Seed Germination

• Seed germination is the process of a seed developing into a seedling.
• The radicle is the first part of the seedling to emerge from the seed.
• The plumule is the shoot that emerges from the seed.
• Two main types of seed germination are epigeal and hypogeal.

Types of Seed Germination

• Epigeal: The cotyledons are raised above the ground.
• Hypogeal: The cotyledon remains below the soil.

Entire Plant Body

• The plant body is divided into an underground root system and an aerial shoot system.
• The shoot system consists of the stem (including branches), leaves, flowers, and fruits.
• Roots, stems, and leaves are vegetative parts of the plant; flowers and fruits are reproductive parts.

Leaf

• Leaves carry out photosynthesis.
• Leaves come out from the stem at nodes.
• Leaves have midrib, veins, petiole, and lamina.
• Different types of leaf venation (reticulate, parallel, pinnate, palmate, etc.).

Stem

• Stems support the plant.
• Stems transport fluids.
• Stems store nutrients.
• Stems produce new living tissue.
• Types of stems (erect, weak, climbing).
• Erect: Plants with strong stems that stand upright (e.g., trees).
• Woody: Thick and persistent stems with a tough structure (e.g., woody trees).
• Herbaceous: Thin stems that die down or die after bearing fruits (e.g., grasses).
• Climbing: These plants need support to climb (e.g., vines).
• Twining: These plants climb by coiling or wrapping around their supports (e g. Convolvulus).
• Prostrate: These plants spread along the ground (often with support from their roots) (e.g., Cucurbita).
• Runners: These stems run along the ground, and new plants develop from the nodes of the runners(e.g., Strawberry).

Types of Roots

• Tap roots: Develop from the radicle of the germinating seed, with a primary root and secondary branches (e.g., carrot, turnip, beetroot).
• Adventitious roots: Develop from any part of the plant other than the radicle, often seen in monocots (e.g., fibrous roots, prop roots, storage roots, climbing roots, aerial roots, respiratory roots, haustorial roots, and contractile roots).

Types of Stems

• Terminal buds: These are located at the tip of a stem.

• Axillary (lateral) buds: These are located in the axil of a leaf (where the leaf joins the stem).

• Bud morphology: Classified into leafy (summer) bud and scaly (winter) buds.

• Functions of roots: support the plant in the soil, absorption of water and minerals, storage of food, conduction of water, photosynthesis and respiration, climbing, and holding the soil particles together.

• Types of Roots: Tap roots and adventitious roots (fibrous, prop, tuberous, climbing, aerial, respiratory, haustorial, contractile).

• Functions of Stem: supporting plants, transporting fluids between roots and shoots, storing nutrients, producing new living tissue.