Diversity of plants

Chapters 15 & 36

Outline:
 general characteristics
 alternation of generations
 plant phylogeny
– non-seed plants
– seed plants

Plants
General characteristics:
 multicellular eukaryotes
 photosynthetic autotrophs
 cell walls of cellulose
 chlorophyll a & b
 carbohydrates stored as
starch
 alternation of generations Ginkgo biloba

Plants adapted to life on land

Problems to be solved:
 gametes must be dispersed in an aquatic environment
 embryos must be protected against desiccation
Solutions:
 waxy covering over aerial parts - cuticle
 gases diffuse from the air through pores - stomata
 layer of cells protects gametes - gametangium (pl: gametangia)
 embryo develops within female gametangium
 support provided by lignin

Knox 15.16
 Reminder – some definitions...

 Diploid (2n) - two sets of chromosomes in nucleus

 Haploid (n) - one set of chromosomes

 Mitosis - process of cell division leading

to two new cells identical to the original
cell…..growth

 Meiosis - cell
division leading
to 4 new cells
that have half no.
of chromosomes

Knox 36.16

The plant life cycle alternates between

two different generations
 haploid stage & diploid stage take turns producing one
another

 haploid stage -
gametophyte - produces
gametes by mitosis
– the gametes fuse to
form diploid stage
 diploid stage -
sporophyte - produces
spores meiosis

Knox 15.1

Alternation of generations…

gametophyte

(n) (n)
egg
spore sperm

HAPLOID
meiosis fertilisation
DIPLOID

(2n) zygote

sporophyte
 Comparison of life cycles is
useful because:
 It points to an important
trend in plant evolution:
reduction of haploid
generation
(gametophyte) and
dominance of diploid Knox 36.15
(sporophyte).
 Certain life cycle
features are key
evolutionary adaptations
to terrestrial habitat

Origin of land plants

Australian Fossil liverwort (120 mya)

Knox 36.8
Rhynia a vascular fossil plant
(420 mya) see Box 36.2

Origin of land plants

The stonewort Chara a

green alga closely
Knox 36.4-5 related to land plants
 Plants probably evolved from green algae
Evidence:
 homologous chloroplasts
– similar photosynthetic
pigments
– similar structure
 biochemical similarity
– starch
– cell walls of cellulose Knox 36.2-3
– similar pigments
 reproduction
– oogamy
– alternation of generations

Phylogeny of living plants Knox 36.6

See Table 36-1 for

Major groups of
living land plants

Phylogeny of living plants Knox 36.6

bryophytes

See Table 36-1 for

Major groups of
living land plants
 Hornwort - Anthoceros
Bryophytes
 Liverworts, hornworts
& mosses

 gametophyte is main
photosynthetic part of
life cycle. Moss - Sphagnum

 sporophyte protected
AND dependent on
gametophyte

Knox 36.12-13

Bryophytes - 2 adaptations that made

move onto land possible
 Cuticle

Knox 36.11

Bryophytes - 2 adaptations that made

move onto land possible
 Gametangia- protect developing gametes

But...
Still need water to reproduce - mobile sperm must swim to
egg for fertilisation
Knox 36.11
No vascular tissue - size limit
 Moss life cycle
Gametophytes

Archegonia Sporophytes
Sporangium Protonema

Spores

Moss life cycle

Knox 36.9

Moss in Space

Kern et al (2005)
Gravitropic moss cells
default to spiral growth
on the clinostat and in
microgravity during
spaceflight
Planta 221, 149 - 157
Phylogeny of living plants Knox 36.6

Vascular plants
See Table 36-1 for
Major groups of
living land plants

The move to vascular plants

 regional specialisation of
the plant body
–roots & shoots
 vascular system of phloem
& xylem
 structural support
 pollen, seeds & increased
dominance of sporophyte

Vascular tissue was an

evolutionary breakthrough
Knox 36.21, 26

Phylogeny of living plants Knox 36.6

Ferns

See Table 36-1 for

Major groups of
living land plants
 Ferns
 sporophyte main photosynthetic part
of life cycle
 Still dependent on water for
fertilisation (gametes mobile)
 sporophyte initially dependent on
gametophyte
Knox 36.11

Fern life cycle prothallus

(gametophyte)

sporophyte

Fern life cycle

Knox 36.23
Main points of fern life cycle
 gametes swim (flagellated)
 dependence on water for
fertilisation
 dependence on water for
viability of photosynthetic
tissue
 sporophyte initially Knox 36.24
dependent on the
gametophyte for nutrition
 sporophyte is main
photosynthetic plant

Summary

 Plant life cycles have an

alternation of generations
 Move to land requires
waterproofing cuticle &
stomatal pores for gas
exchange
 Evolution of vascular system
for support and conduction
allows plants to get really
big…….

Knox 36.33