Plant Organ Systems and Functions Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the defining characteristic of biennials?

They produce flowers and seeds every year

Their shoots die back to the ground every year

They have a main tap root with lateral rooting

They produce seeds and die within 1 year (correct)

Which of the following statements best describes perennial plants?

Generate food storage organs the first year

Live only for 2 years

Have stems that die back to the ground annually

Produce flowers and seeds every year (correct)

What is a key characteristic of herbaceous perennial plants?

They produce flowers and seeds every year

Their shoots die back to the ground annually (correct)

They have a large taproot

They have a stem that lives for only a year or two

What is the function of palisade cells in leaves?

Absorb light efficiently for photosynthesis Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the leaf is responsible for regulating the passage of water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide?

Guard Cells Signup and view all the answers

Which type of leaf vein arrangement has veins radiating outwards from a single point, resembling fingers on a hand?

Palmate Signup and view all the answers

What type of plant lacks vascular tissues, true leaves, seeds, and flowers?

Bryophytes Signup and view all the answers

Which nonvascular plant often grows in colonies that carpet the ground?

Liverworts Signup and view all the answers

What do liverworts lack compared to other nonvascular plants?

Stems Signup and view all the answers

Which nonvascular plant has sporophytes that rise several centimeters above the gametophytes?

Hornworts Signup and view all the answers

What is the main mode of reproduction for nonvascular plants like the liverworts?

Spores Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic sets liverworts apart from other nonvascular plants?

Leaf-like photosynthetic tissues Signup and view all the answers

What type of plants have tiny, photosynthetic structures similar to leaves that encircle a central stem-like structure?

Herbaceous perennials Signup and view all the answers

Which plant group grows in dense clumps to help retain moisture?

Club mosses Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of the root system in a plant?

Transport materials Signup and view all the answers

Which type of plant reproduces through seeds enclosed in fruits?

Angiosperms Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes gymnosperms from angiosperms?

Needle-like leaves Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the plant serves to disperse the seeds it produces?

Fruit Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Plant Organ Systems and their Functions

Roots hold the plant in the ground and take in water and nutrients for the plant's growth.
There are two types of root systems: Tap (develops a main tap root with lateral rooting) and Fibrous (develops small roots that spread out in a mat-like growth).

Stem

Holds up the plant parts above the ground.
Has tiny tubes to transport water and nutrients to the plant's parts.
Canes are stems that live only a year or two and contain a large amount of pith (soft tissue) in the center.

Vascular Tissues

Xylem transports water, nutrients, and minerals from roots to upper portions of the plant and forms the "wood" of woody plants.
Phloem conducts sugars from leaves to growing points, fruits, and storage areas and comprises much of the bark of woody plants.

Leaves

Are attached to the stem by petioles.
Consist of: Blade, Midrib, and Smaller Veins.
Function to manufacture sugars in a process called photosynthesis.
Petiole expands the leaf area and orients the leaf.
Blade provides a large area for the efficient absorption of light.
Midrib and Veins conduct water, sugar, and other compounds throughout the leaf.

Outer Structure of Leaves

Epidermis is the outer protective layer.
Cuticle is a waxy layer (cutin) in some plants that protects plants from dehydration and penetration by some diseases.
Guard Cells are special epidermal cells that are capable of enlarging and contracting.
Stomates are openings that develop between enlarged guard cells, usually on the underneath side of the leaf, and regulate the passage of water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in and out of the leaf.

Inner Structure of Leaves

Mesophyll is where photosynthesis occurs and is comprised of two layers: Palisade cells and Parenchyma layer.
Palisade cells are dense upper layers of the leaf.
Parenchyma layer is the lower spongy area with considerable air space.
Chloroplasts are the actual site of photosynthesis and are found in the palisade cells and the parenchyma layer.

Special Leaves

Tendrils are specialized leaves that aid in climbing.
Bract is a leaf-like structure that serves a different purpose.
Cotyledons are seed leaves that provide nutrients to the growing plant.

Types of Leaf Veins

Pinnate: veins that are arranged in a feather-like pattern.
Parallel: veins that are arranged in a parallel manner.
Palmate: veins that are arranged in a palm-like pattern.

Leaf Arrangements

Alternate: leaves that are arranged in an alternating pattern.
Rosulate: leaves that are arranged in a rose-like pattern.
Whorled: leaves that are arranged in a circular pattern.
Opposite: leaves that are arranged in an opposite pattern.

Flowers

Are made of petals.
Vascular plants include all the seed-containing plants, angiosperms (flowering plants), gymnosperms, and the pteridophytes (lycophytes, horsetails, and ferns).

Non-Vascular Plants

Characteristics: small, lack vascular tissues, lack true leaves, seeds, and flowers, and have hair-like rhizoids.
Occupy niches in moist habitats and depend on moisture to reproduce.
Reproduce by spores.

Diversity of Non-Vascular Plants

Liverworts: tiny nonvascular plants with leaf-like, lobed, or ribbon-like photosynthetic tissues.
Hornworts: minute nonvascular plants with very fine rhizoids and lack stems.
Mosses: larger nonvascular plants with coarser, multicellular rhizoids and tiny, photosynthetic structures similar to leaves.

Vascular Plants

Plants with seeds: Seedless plants, Angiosperms (flowering plants), Gymnosperms (non-flowering plants), Ferns, Horsetails, Club Mosses.
Gross Anatomy of a Plant (Angiosperm = Flowering Plant): Root System, Shoot System (leaves, flowers, fruits).

Angiosperm Reproduction

From Seed to Fruit: After fertilization, the embryo begins growing, and the result is a seed.
The ovary will develop into a fruit, which serves to disperse the seeds the plant produces.
Gymnosperm (non-flowering plant): Produces "naked" seeds (they are not inside a fruit) and usually has needle-like or scale-like leaves and a deep growing root system.

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Description

Test your knowledge on plant organ systems and their functions, including roots and stems. Learn about the different types of root systems like tap roots and fibrous roots, as well as the role of stems in supporting plant parts and transporting water and nutrients.