Introduction to plants

Goals

1. To become familiar with the types of cells that make up vascular plants

2. To understand how cells are organized in tissue systems

3. To understand how tissue systems are organized into plant organs and plant "bodies"

Outline

Taxonomy: what is a plant?

• mosses
• ferns
• conifers
• flowering plants (= angiosperms)

Levels of organization

• body
  • root system
  • shoot system
• organs
  • roots
  • stems
  • leaves
  • flowers
  • fruits
• tissues
  • organized into tissue systems
    • dermal tissue system = epidermis: interface with external environment -- functions: protection and absorption
    • vascular tissue system = xylem + phloem -- function: conduction of fluids
    • ground tissue system -- functions: support, storage, photosynthesis, etc.
  • types of tissues
    • simple
    • complex
• cells
  • cell structure
    • The cell = cell wall + protoplast
    • cell wall = primary wall w/ optional lignified secondary wall + middle lamella
    • protoplasts contain water vacuole, and may be joined by plasmodesmata
  • cell types -- differ with respect to
    • cell shape
    • cell wall
      • thick vs. thin cell walls
      • presence or absence of secondary cell wall
    • cell living or dead at maturity
  • note: know the kinds of cells, even though not covered extensively in class
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Vocabulary

click here to go to plant intro vocabulary