IB BIOLOGY Topic 9: Plant Biology

The tissue in plants responsible for transporting water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant.

The process by which water evaporates from the leaves of a plant, creating a pull that helps transport water and minerals through the xylem.

Dead hollow cells in the xylem that transport water and solutes, with perforated end walls allowing for easy passage of water between cells.

Dead conducting cells in the xylem that are smaller in diameter than vessel elements, with tapered ends and pits for side-to-side conduction.

Long, slender cells in the xylem that provide mechanical support and strength to the plant.

Thin-walled living cells in the xylem that play a role in storage, metabolism, tissue repair, and regeneration.

The tissue in plants responsible for transporting sugars and other organic compounds from the leaves to other parts of the plant.

Specialized parenchyma cells in the phloem that lack a nucleus and many other cellular components, connected by sieve plates and under positive pressure.

Cells adjacent to sieve tube elements in the phloem that help coordinate their function and support their metabolic processes.

Reproductive structures produced by plants, containing an embryo, seed coat, and endosperm, which can remain dormant until conditions are favorable for germination.

A period of growth inactivity in seeds, during which they remain viable but do not germinate. Different species have different requirements to break dormancy.

The process of initiating embryonic growth in a seed, resulting in the emergence of shoot and root structures.

Regions of actively dividing cells in plants that contribute to primary growth and the initiation of new organs or branches.

Meristems located at the tips of roots and shoots, responsible for primary growth and the development of new tissues.

Meristems that occur between mature tissues, often at the bases of grass leaf blades, contributing to leaf elongation.

Meristems responsible for secondary growth, increasing the width or girth of plant structures.

The process by which plants propagate and ensure the survival of their species. It includes both sexual and asexual mechanisms, such as vegetative reproduction.

The ability of plants to produce new individuals from vegetative parts such as stems, leaves, or roots without the involvement of gametes.

Plants, like cacti, that have the ability to reproduce asexually by growing a new plant from a detached segment of their stem.

Horizontal stems sent out by plants like strawberries that can develop into new plants by establishing roots and growing independently.

Horizontal underground stems with short internodes that are thickened for storage.

Horizontal stems, either aboveground or underground, with longer internodes and smaller diameter that can produce asexual plantlets.

Modified part of a stolon that is used for storage, such as potatoes.

The process of plant reproduction involving the fusion of male and female gametes.

Complex structures in sexually reproducing plants that contain both male and female reproductive organs.

The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma, which can occur through various mechanisms such as wind, insects, birds, or other animals.

A unique reproductive feature in flowering plants where one sperm cell fuses with an egg cell to form an embryo, while another sperm cell combines with polar nuclei to create endosperm.

The development of a seed from the fertilized ovule, which contains the embryo, endosperm, and a protective seed coat.

The maturation of the ovary into a fruit, which protects and aids in the dispersal of seeds.

The process by which a seed begins to grow and develop into a new plant.

The uptake of water through the seed coat, initiating metabolic processes within the seed.

The first structure to emerge from the seed, the embryonic root, which anchors the plant and absorbs water and nutrients from the soil.

The emergence of the plumule, containing the embryonic shoot, which develops into the stem and leaves of the new plant.

Environmental factors that can influence germination, as some seeds require specific temperature or light conditions to trigger germination.

A period of growth inactivity in certain seeds that allows them to survive adverse conditions, which can be broken by scarification, exposure to smoke compounds, or temperature fluctuations.

Chemical messengers like gibberellins that regulate seed germination by stimulating embryo growth and mobilizing stored energy reserves in the endosperm.