ACTIVITY 2

Name: Joyce Anne C. Sevilla Course/Section: BS BIOLOGY 1A

Answer the following item/questions briefly.

1. What is differentiation and what does it play in plant

growth and development?
Plant cell differentiation is, according to the meaning of the words,
the origin of differences between plant cells. Differences without
importance for development have to be excluded. Differentiation in
plants is open because they retain the capacity for unlimited growth
throughout their lifespan. It is due to the presence of meristematic
tissues at certain locations, which keep on adding new cells to the
plant body, which differentiate to perform specific functions. These
structural changes result in the achievement of the specific function.
One of the major example of differentiation in plants is the formation
of interfascicular and cork cambium which is derived from the fully
differentiated Parenchyma cells.

2. What plant hormone is concerned with the following:

a. Elongation of Cell- Auxins function primarily in stem elongation
by promoting cell growth. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is the major
naturally occurring auxin and one of the major growth factors in
plants. Auxins serve dual roles in plants depending on where they are
produced.
b. Shedding of Leaves- The hormone ethylene has two functions. It
helps ripen fruit and it is involved in the process of abscission, the
dropping of leaves, fruits, and flowers.
c. Breaking of Seed Dormancy- Gibberellins (GAs) break seed
dormancy and promote germination (1, 2), and several other hormones,
including brassinosteroids, ethylene, and cytokinin, have also been
shown to promote seed germination
 ACTIVITY 2
Name: Joyce Anne C. Sevilla Course/Section: BS BIOLOGY 1A

Answer the following item/questions briefly.

3. What two hormones are essential for vascular tissue
differentiation?
Auxin and cytokinin have been considered essential for vascular
tissue differentiation; this is supported by recent molecular and
genetic analyses. Auxins are the main hormones responsible for cell
elongation in phototropism and gravitropism. They also control the
differentiation of meristem into vascular tissue and promote leaf
development and arrangement. Cytokinins are most abundant in
growing tissues, such as roots, embryos, and fruits, where cell division
is occurring. They are known to delay senescence in leaf tissues,
promote mitosis, and stimulate differentiation of the meristem in
shoots and roots. Many effects on plant development are under the
influence of cytokinins, either in conjunction with auxin or another
hormone.

4. Distinguish between Phototropism and Geotropism.

The key difference between phototropism and geotropism is
that the phototropism is the response of plants towards or away from
the sunlight whereas, geotropism is the response of plants towards or
away from the gravitational force. Plants need sunlight for the
process called photosynthesis. They convert the energy of light into
carbohydrates (foods). Therefore they should get an ample amount
of sunlight during the daytime. Hence, they bend, grow or turn
towards the sunlight. Phototropism is this phenomenon. In other
words, phototropism is the response of plants to the direction of
sunlight. The word ‘Geo’ refers to the Earth. Then the geotropism is
the response of plants to the gravity. In other words, geotropism is
the movements of plants or plant parts towards or away from the
earth.
 ACTIVITY 2
Name: Joyce Anne C. Sevilla Course/Section: BS BIOLOGY 1A

Answer the following item/questions briefly.

5. What do you mean by Meristematic tissue? Give the
characteristic features of meristematic tissue.
Meristematic tissues, or simply meristems, are tissues in which the
cells remain forever young and divide actively throughout the life of
the plant. These are cells or group of cells that have the ability to
divide, these tissues in a plant consist of small, densely packed cells
that can keep dividing to form new cells. The plant tissue contains
living cells with varied shapes and can divide actively throughout its
life. The four main characteristics Of Meristematic Tissue are:
These tissues have the quality of self-renewal
These tissues comprise very small and few vacuoles
Meristematic tissue possess a single, large and prominent nucleus
Meristematic tissues are made up of immature cells and are rich in
the cytoplasm.

6. Discuss the classification of Meristems.

Meristems are classified by their location in the plant as apical
(located at root and shoot tips), lateral (in the vascular and cork
cambia), and intercalary (at internodes, or stem regions between the
places at which leaves attach, and leaf bases, especially of certain
monocotyledons—e.g., grasses).
Apical- Apical meristems give rise to the primary plant body and
are responsible for the extension of the roots and shoots.
Lateral- Lateral meristems are known as secondary meristems
because they are responsible for secondary growth, or increase in
stem girth and thickness.
Intercalary- Intercalary meristem is a type of meristematic tissue
associated with the growth in length in the middle position, thus
the name.