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Biodiversity of Plants
Introduction to Plant Kingdom
The Bryophytes
The Pteridophytes
The Gymnosperms
The Angiosperms
Spore bearing
capsule
The male and female reproductive organs are
found on different branches of the same plant.
The sperms have to move from the male
reproductive organs to the female reproductive
organs.
The sperms swim to reach the egg in the female
reproductive organ.
The sperms swim in a film of water to reach the
egg.
Therefore we say that the moss is
Horsetail
fern
Whisk fern
These plants have vascular tissue.
They also have supporting tissue.
They therefore have true roots, stems and leaves.
2. Differences
The gymnosperms are able to produce seeds,
while the pteridophytes do not.
The gymnosperm have separate male and female
gametophytes, while the pteridophytes have only
one gametophyte with both the male and female
sex organs on the gametophyte.
These are terrestrial plants, that occur over a
widespread area.
They are a very successful group of plants.
Some of them occur in very dry areas, these are
called xerophytes.
Other angiosperms are found in areas that have
an abundant water supply, these plants are called
hydrophytes.
Then finally some of them live in areas of
moderate water supply, such plants are called
mesophytes.
These plants also have both the sporophyte and
gametophyte generations.
The sporophyte is the dominant generation.
Two separate gametophyte generations occur.
They are the male gametophyte and the female
gametophyte.
Both these gametophyte generations occur in the
sporophyte generation.
Lets discuss the sporophyte generation now.
STRUCTURE:
The sporophyte generation is the flowering plant.
It is made up of roots, stems leaves and flowers.
Two types of roots systems may occur.
These are the tap root system or the adventitious
root system.
The tap root system has one main root and several
side roots.
The tap roots arise from the radicale of the seed.
They occur in dicotyledonus plants.
The tap root system
has one main root
and several side
roots.
The tap roots arise
from the radical of
the seed.
They occur in
dicotyledonous
plants.
The adventitious root is
made up of a number of
roots that are more or
less the same size.
There is no main root.
The adventitious root
arises from any part of
the plant but the
radical.
They occur in
monocotyledonous
plants.
FUNCTIONS
Roots have 2 functions.
They are:
1. They anchor the plant firmly to the ground.
2. They absorb water and mineral salts.
Tabulate two differences between the tap root and
adventitious root system.
Differences between tap root and adventitious
root system
FUNCTION
The stem holds the flower in a perfect position
for pollination.
The stem holds the leaves in a perfect position to
receive sunlight.
The stem also transports water and mineral salts
from the roots to the leaves.
They also transport manufactured food from the
leaves to all parts of the plant.
Therefore it has well developed xylem and
phloem.
Explain how the stem is adapted for its functions.
It has strengthening and supporting tissue to hold
the leaves and flowers in a perfect position to
receive sunlight and for pollination.
It has xylem and phloem to transport food and
water throughout the plant.
STRUCTURE:
The leaves are green
in colour.
They can be broad
and flat as in the dicot
leaf or long and
narrow in the
monocot leaf.
Dicot leaves have net
venation while Monocot leaf Dicot leaf
monocot leaves have
parallel venation.
They arise from the
node of the stem.
In the dicot plant the
are attached to the
stem by means of a
petiole.
The monocot leaves
are attached directly
to the stem.
Therefore they are
called sessile leaves.
Tabulate differences between monocot and dicot
leaves.
Differences between monocotyledonous leaves
and dicotyledonous leaves.
Monocot Dicot
1. Leaves broad and 1. Leaves long and
flat narrow.
2. Attached to stem by 2. Attached directly to
the petiole. the stem.
3. Net venation. 3. Parallel venation.
FUNCTION:
Leaves trap sunlight for photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis occurs in the leaves.
Explain how the leaf is adapted for its function.
The broad flat shape of the leaf offers a large
surface area to allow for the maximum absorption
of sunlight.
Leaves have pigment chlorophyll to trap sunlight
for photosynthesis.
They have xylem to transport water to the leaf for
photosynthesis.
They have phloem to transport the manufactured
food to all parts of the plant.
They have stomata for gaseous exchange.
They are covered by a cuticle to reduce water loss
by transpiration.
The flower is the reproductive organ of the plant.
The male and female gametophyte are found in
the flower.
The male and female gametes are found within
the male and female gametophyte.
The dicot flower is
made up of 4 parts.
These are the calyx,
corolla, androecium
and gynaenium.
Dicot Flower
In the monocot flower the calyx and corolla is
fused to form the perianth.
Monocot Flower
All angiosperms have the following characteristics:
1. They have true roots, stems and leaves.
2. They have vascular tissue.
3. They bear seeds that occur within fruits.
4. They also have separate male and female
spores.
5. Male spores are found within the pollen grain
while female spores are found within the
ovules.
6. Some spores many need water for spore
dispersal.
7. They do not depend on water for sexual
reproduction.
8. Insects and animals are used as pollinating
agents.
9. They have a dominate sporophyte generation.
10. Separate male and female gametophyte
generations occur within the sporopyhte
generation.
The land plants progressed in the following areas:
1. Increase in the size of Plants
2. The increasing size of the Sporophyte and the
decreasing size of the Gametophyte.
3. Decreasing Dependence on Water for Sexual
Reproduction.
1. Increase in the size of Plants:
We started with the bryophytes. They were very
small. This is because they do not have any
conducting tissue, which will be needed to
transport water to all parts of the plant, even if it
very big and tall.
Then we studied the pteridiophytes, they are much
larger, some of them can even grow into tall trees.
They are able to grow taller than the bryophytes
because they have conducting tissues.
The gymnosperms and angiosperms are much taller
because they have well developed conducting
tissue that will be able to transport substances to
the tips of the plant.
2. The Increasing size of the Sporophyte and the
Decreasing size of the Gametophyte.
In bryophytes the gametophyte is the dominant
generation. The sporophyte grows on the
gametophyte and is semi-parasitic on the
gametophyte generation.
In pteridophytes, the sporophyte is dominant.
The gametophyte generation is separate, and is
very small.
In the gymnosperm and angiosperm, the
sporophyte generation is dominant. Separate
male and female gametophytes occur. The
gametophytes are enclosed and protected by a
much larger sporophyte generation.
ancestral
stock.
Itis found at the
base of the
phylogentic tree.
All the taxonomic
groups on this tree
arose from this
ancestor. A Phylogentic Tree
Now lets look at B
B is called the point of
divergence.
It is the point where a
new species evolved
from the ancestral
stock.
This new species can
be the ancestor of a
new taxonomic group. B
We must remember that
the ancestral stock
continues to exist, but Ancestral stock
it can undergo
evolutionary change. Phylogentic Tree
Now lets move onto C.
C shows the formation of 1 2 3
a new species.
This is where C diverges
leading to the formation C
of a new species 1 and 2.
We can see that the tree
also shows close
relationships.
For example 1 and 2 are
closely related because Ancestral stock
they are twigs of the
same branch.
Phylogentic Tree
While 3 is on a separate
branch therefore not
closely related to 1 and
2.
Finally lets look at
4
D.
D shows that the D
ancestral stock
continues to exist
but has undergone
evolutionary
change and Ancestral stock
diversified to
become phylum Phylogentic Tree
4.
Vascular plants: are those with conducting tissue.
Non-vascular plants: are those that do not have
conducting tissue.
Conducting tissue: are tissue that transport water
and mineral salts and manufactured food
throughout the plant.
Thallus: is a plant that does not have true roots,
stems and leaves.
Dominant generation: is the one that is alive for
more than one reproductive cycle.
Genera: is plural of genus
Extant: means that the organism is not extinct.
Xerophytes: are plants that occur in very dry
areas.
Hydrophytes: are plants that are found in areas
that have an abundant water supply.
Mesophytes: are plants that live in areas of
moderate water supply.
Radical: is the first root that develops from the
embryo of a plant found within the seed.
Adventitious root system: a roots system in
which all the roots are more or less the same size.
Tap root system: made of one main root and
several smaller roots.
Petiole: is a small stem-like structure that
attaches the leaf to the stem.
Sessile: these are leaves that are attached directly
to the stem, they do not have petioles.
Pollination: is the transfer of pollen grains from
one plant to another.
Phylogenetic trees: are special diagrams that are
used to show evolutionary relationships.
The diagram used to study evolutionary
relationships is called the…
A. Cladogram
B. Gametophyte
C. Sporophyte
D. Prothallus
The dominant generation in mosses is…
A. Cladogram
B. Gametophyte
C. Sporophyte
D. Prothallus
The angiosperms are able to grow so tall because…
A. They have well developed conducting tissue.
B. Sessile
C. Perianth
D. Dicot
The following are a list of characteristics of dicot plants…
A. Sessile, net venation, separate calyx and corolla
B. Pteridophytes
C. Gymnosperms
D. Angiosperms
Gymnosperms and angiosperms are similar because
they…
A. Are dependent on water for fertilization.
B. Are independent of water for fertilization.
C. Are dependent on water for pollination
D. Are both bryophytes
The bryophytes are called thallus plants because
they…
A. Do not have true roots, stems and leaves.
B. Do not have petioles.
C. Are very tall plants.
D. Need water for fertilization.
The leave arise from the…
A. Nodes
B. Internodes
C. Petioles
D. Auxiliary bud
Plants that are found in areas of abundant water
supply are called…
A. Mesophytes
B. Xerophytes
C. Hydrophytes
D. Terrestrial
Plants that are found in areas of moderate water
supply are called…
A. Mesophytes
B. Xerophytes
C. Hydrophytes
D. Terrestrial
Plants that are found in areas of limited water
supply are called…
A. Mesophytes
B. Xerophytes
C. Hydrophytes
D. Terrestrial
Land plants are called…
A. Mesophytes
B. Xerophytes
C. Aquatic
D. Terrestrial
1. A 11. D
2. B 12. B
3. A 13. D
4. C 14. B
5. D 15. A
6. D 16. A
7. C 17. C
8. A 18. A
9. A 19. B
10. B 20. D