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Questions and Answers
What are cladodes or cladophylls?
What are cladodes or cladophylls?
Which of the following is an example of a plant species that forms cladodes?
Which of the following is an example of a plant species that forms cladodes?
Which of the following tissues is included in the bark?
Which of the following tissues is included in the bark?
What is the primary function of heartwood?
What is the primary function of heartwood?
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Which type of cambium primarily contributes to the secondary growth of stems?
Which type of cambium primarily contributes to the secondary growth of stems?
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What differentiates softwood from hardwood?
What differentiates softwood from hardwood?
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Which structures serve the function of gas exchange in the plant?
Which structures serve the function of gas exchange in the plant?
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What is the role of periderm in a plant?
What is the role of periderm in a plant?
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What is one of the primary functions of the stem in plants?
What is one of the primary functions of the stem in plants?
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Which of the following is NOT a function performed by specialized stems?
Which of the following is NOT a function performed by specialized stems?
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Which part is found at the terminal portion of a plant stem?
Which part is found at the terminal portion of a plant stem?
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Which structure distinguishes monocot stems from dicot stems during microscopic examination?
Which structure distinguishes monocot stems from dicot stems during microscopic examination?
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What type of growth is characterized by secondary xylem and phloem in dicot stems?
What type of growth is characterized by secondary xylem and phloem in dicot stems?
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What are axillary buds and where can they be typically found?
What are axillary buds and where can they be typically found?
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Which type of phyllotaxy is characterized by leaves arranged in a spiral pattern along the stem?
Which type of phyllotaxy is characterized by leaves arranged in a spiral pattern along the stem?
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What is the term for the arrangement of leaves on a stem called?
What is the term for the arrangement of leaves on a stem called?
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Study Notes
Introduction to the Stem
- The stem, alongside leaves and other aerial parts, forms the shoot system of plants.
- Primary functions include providing support and facilitating water and solute transport between roots and leaves.
- Some stems have modifications for specialized functions, e.g., photosynthesis, storage, and asexual reproduction.
Materials Needed
- Plant specimens: monocot & dicot stem terminal portions, specialized stems (potato, banana, ginger, bougainvillea, cactus, common lawn grass, and Cucurbitaceae).
- Compound microscope.
- Prepared cross-section slides of monocot and young dicot stems.
- Prepared slide of dicot stem with secondary growth.
Procedure Overview
External Features of the Stem
- Examine terminal portions of monocot and dicot stems and identify parts: terminal bud, node, internode, leaf axil.
- Analyze specialized stems and illustrate their functions.
Microscopic Features of the Stem
- Examine prepared slides of monocot and dicot stem cross-sections (Low Power Objective - LPO) to identify: pith, vascular bundle, xylem, phloem, sclerenchyma cells, cortex, and epidermis.
- Assess vascular bundles in detail (High Power Objective - HPO), drawing them with labels such as bundle sheath cells, xylem, phloem, air space, fiber cap.
- Analyze a prepared slide of a dicot stem with secondary growth, identifying parts: primary xylem, secondary xylem, xylem ray, vascular cambium, secondary phloem, phloem ray, periderm, bark, and lenticel.
Guide Questions
- Compare external features of monocot and dicot stems, highlighting distinctions between stems and roots.
- Define axillary buds, their location, and functions.
- Explain phyllotaxy and differentiate between types: spiral, distichous, opposite, decussate, and whorl.
- Define cladodes or cladophylls and provide examples of two plant species.
- Create a comparison table for: vascular cambium vs. cork cambium, ray initials vs. fusiform initials, softwood vs. hardwood, heartwood vs. sapwood, lenticels vs. stomata.
- Enumerate the three tissues of the periderm.
- Define bark and identify its included tissues.
- Differentiate between observed steles in the activity.
External Features - Monocot vs Dicot Stem
- Common names and scientific names for both types of stems are to be recorded.
- Assess specialized stems from various plants and identify their functions, emphasizing the types and scientific names.
Microscopic Features - Monocot Stem
- Document the details from the cross-section and the bundle sheath, noting total magnification for both.
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Description
Explore the role of the stem in plant biology through this quiz. Learn about the stem's structure, its primary functions in support and transport, and the various modifications that allow stems to perform specialized tasks. Test your understanding of these essential concepts in plant science.
