Plants

Kingdom Plantae
Plants evolved about 500 million years ago
from simple green algae that lived in the
ocean.
All plants are autotrophic and some, like
the famous Venus fly-trap, can also be
heterotrophic.

Plant Cells
Like animal cells, plant
cells contain a nucleus
and organelles, but
they have two
distinguishing features:
Cell wall (made of
cellulose - provides
rigid structural
support)
Chloroplast
(conducts
photosynthesis)

Biodiversity & Plant Diversity

Biodiversity refers to the # of different species and
the # of individuals within each species
Most plants live on land and can withstand a wide
variety of climates.
Cacti live in arid, dry areas whereas mosses need to be in
moist environments to survive.

High biodiversity in rainforests (warm & wet) and low

biodiversity in extreme environments such as arctic
and deserts (extreme temp, windy, dry).

World Plant Biodiversity

Classifying
Plants
Plants are classified based on:
the presence or absence of
vascular tissue
Production of seeds (seed or nonseed)

Vascular tissue can be

compared to arteries and veins:
a network of specialized cells that
allows plants to transport water,
minerals and sugar throughout the
plant

VASCULAR
PLANTS
DEFINITION

Network of specialized
cells to provide transport
of water and nutrients
throughout plant
EXAMPLES
Flowering plants
(angiosperms),
conifers
STEMS, ROOTS, (gymnosperms), ferns
AND LEAVES?
Yes to all
UPTAKE OF
WATER AND
NUTRIENTS

OTHER

Through stems, leaves

and roots, and their
cells

Can grow tall, can live

in variety of
environments

NON-VASCULAR PLANTS
(Bryophytes)
No network of specialized
cells for transport of water
and nutrients throughout
plant
Mosses &
liverworts/hornwort
s
Lack true leaves and
roots
Osmosis, diffusion and
active transport

Grow low and close to the

ground; must live in moist
environments or near

Classifying Plants: Seed or NonSeed

Plants may or may not have the ability to
produce seeds as part of their reproductive
life cycle
All plants, however, can reproduce sexually and
asexually = alternation of generations

Seeds are specialized reproductive

structures that contain a plant embryo
Non-Seed Plants: Mosses & Ferns
Seed Plants: Flowering Plants
(Angiosperms) & Conifers (Gymnosperms)

Seed Plants
Important to humans because they provide us
with food
Why it is advantageous to be a seed plant:
Can sexually reproduce without free water
Can sexually reproduce with another individual far
away
Plant embryo surrounded by a protective coat
Seeds can be dormant till environmental
conditions are just right
Seeds can be carried by wind, water or by animals
to other parts of the ecosystem (or even a new
ecosystem)

Seed Plants
Can be grouped into:
Angiosperms (flowering plants). They are
grouped further into:
Monocots
Dicots

More later on!

Gymnosperms (conifers, etc)

ANGIOSPERMS
TYPE OF
PLANTS

LEAVES &
ROOTS

SEEDS

ECOSYSTE
MS &
PRACTICAL
USES

Herbaceous plants lack

woody tissues; flowering
plants (some trees can be
in this group)

GYMNOSPERMS

Woody plants woodproducing trees & shrubs,

conifers including
evergreens (pines, firs,
cedars, etc)
Conifers have needles for
Leaves are usually flat to
leaves (small surface area,
maximize photosynthesis.
thick waxy coat = prevents
Leaves have pores.
water loss. Roots are shallow
True roots to hold down plant
& spread out = anchors the
& take in nutrients.
tree in areas where soil is
Seed has coat. Male stamen Naked seed = no coat
sparse.
and female pistil (or carpel)
Conifers have male and female
on same flower. Pollen from
cones. Pollen grains inside
male moves down flower to
male cone are carried by wind
female part to fertilize the egg. to female cone, where egg is
Embryo forms within seed.
fertilized
Boreal Forest and Temperate
Diverse ecosystems
Rain Forests (hardier than
Food crops and products,
angiosperms)
perfumes, medicine
Wood, paper/pulp, varnishes,
fuel come from

Male (bottom) and Female (top) Pine Cones

Angiosperms: Monocots and Dicots

Angiosperms can be classified
as either a monocot or dicot
Monocots produce seeds in
which the embryo has only ONE
cotyledon
Dicots produce seeds in which
the embryo has TWO cotyledons

The cotelydon is a part of the

embryo within the seed that
may eventually become the
first leaves of a seedling

Examples of
Monocots

Lilies
Irises
Corn
Grasses

Examples of
Dicots

Oak
Maple
Daisies
Buttercups

Parts of a Plant Leaves,

Roots, Stems and Tissues

Function of
Leaves
1. Main photosynthetic organ
2. Broad, flat surface increases
surface area for light
absorption
3. Have systems to prevent
water loss

Stomata open in day but

close at night or when hot to
conserve water
Waxy cuticle on surface

4. System of gas exchange

Allow CO2 in and O2 out of

leaf

Elephant Ear Plant

Photosynthesis
Process by which plants convert carbon dioxide,
sunlight and water to oxygen, sugar and energy
Occurs in chloroplasts of plant cells
Chlorophyll pigment in thylakoid of chloroplast absorbs
the light energy to start process

Function of Roots
1. Anchor & support plant in ground
2. Absorb water and minerals
3. Hold soil in place
Taproots have large main root
with shorter branches. Fibrous
roots is a network of similarly
sized smaller roots (no main root)
Roots do have adaptations. Some of
which are:
Grow above-ground to collect more
water
Aerial plants can grow downwards on
top of standing plants, killing them. This
allows the aerial plant to obtain the

Function of Stems
1. Support system for plant body
Woody plant stems are hard to bend whereas
most flowering plants are softer

2. Transport system carries water & nutrients

(through vascular tissue!)
3. Holds leaves & branches upright
Stem Growth of
Woody Plant:
Looking at the
picture below:
What years had
the most rain?
What years
experienced the
worst drought?

Plant Growth Factors

Physical Growth Factors

Amount of Sunlight
Plants can sense the
presence of light, the
direction of light and its
intensity
Need enough sunlight for
photosynthesis
Plant will bend towards
sunlight in order to get it
(phototropism).

Physical Growth Factors

Soil
Soil pH (how acidic or basic
the soil is) ranges from 0
(acid) to 14 (base)
Plants grow best around 6.4
to 7.0 (nearly neutral)
If outside its preferred range,
will not grow as well

Soil type (clay, peat, sandy,

loam, etc) varies for each
plant, depending on how
much water is needed in the
soil or not.

Physical Growth Factors

Water
Some plants have adapted to
their environment if there is
little water available =
reduction of leaves, etc (eg.
Cacti, arctic plants)
Too much water, roots will not
receive enough O2 from soil
and they will rot
Too little water, cells lose their
turgor pressure and become
limp
Not enough or no water =
plant cannot photosynthesize
along with light from sun

Chemical Growth Factors

Plant hormones
Auxins

Bend towards light source

Encourage plant cuttings to grow leaves and roots quicker
Flower formation

Ethylene
Speed up ripening of fruit
Dropping of leaves (trees in fall)
Drooping of leaves (end of plants life)

ABA (Abscisic Acid)

Plant growth inhibitor (seed dormancy during poor
conditions)
Closing of stomata during dry conditions (stress)

Chemical Growth Factors

Fertilizers
Adding extra nutrients (eg. nitrogen,
potassium, phosphorus) to the soil
plant is set in encourages more
healthy growth and reproduction of
the plant
Yellowing of leaves = lack of
nitrogen
Retarded growth =lack of potassium
Poor seed germination, reddish
leaves = lack of phosphorus