Plant Growth and Development

Plant Growth: an irreversible change in the size of a cell,

organ or whole organism.

Plant Development: the orderly and progressive change

from seed germination through juvenility, maturity,
flowering and fruiting.
 Seed

(1) How is a seed formed? (2) How does a seed

become a seedling?
Fruiting
Seedling

Plant Life Cycle

(3) How is shoot formed?

Flowering
Mature plants

(5) How is a flower (4) How is root formed?

formed?
(1) How is a seed formed?

(2) How does a seed become a seedling?

(3) How is shoot is formed?

(4) How is root is formed?

(5) How is a flower formed?

Flower Structure
Figure 4.2
 Male and Female Gametophyte

Male

Gametophyte – anther

Gamete – two sperm cells (in pollen grain or tube)

Female

Gametophyte – embryo sac

Gamete – egg
 Anther

Pollen sac Pollen mother cells

(Microsporocytes)

21-14 Tapetum
Anther Epidermis (nutritive)
(lily)

Raven et al., 1999; Biology of Plants

 Pollen Development

Pollen mother cell (Microsporocyte)

(2n)
“‘diploid’”

Meiosis Nucleus of
vegetative cell

Generative cell

Tetrad Free microspores Mature pollen

(n) (n) (n)
“‘haploid’”
 Ovule Development

outer funiculus
integument

embryo
sac

inner
integument nucellus 20.8

micropyle
Esau, 1977; Anatomy of Seed Plants
 Fertilization

stigma
Pollen tube

ovule
Fertilization
 Double Fertilization

Antipodal cells

Central nuclei
Sperm nuclei
Endosperm
Egg cell
Embryo
Synergid cell
Simplified Structure of A Mature Seed

Seed coat Seed coat is dead tissue.

It protects everything
inside it.

Embryo Embryo is a minute

plant .

Endosperm Endosperm provides energy

for seed germination and
early seedling growth.
(1) How is a seed formed?

(2) How does a seed become a seedling?

(3) How is shoot formed?

(4) How is root formed?

(5) How is a flower formed?

Water Uptake: the First Event in Germination

Dry seeds Imbibed seeds

Some Seeds Require Light for Germination

Dark Light Dark

Tomato Seed Anatomy

Seed coat

0.5 mm Endosperm Embryo

Embryo Embryo

Endosperm Endosperm

Seed Coat Seed Coat

Constraint Growth Potential Embryo

Endosperm

Seed Coat
(1) How is a seed formed?

(2) How does a seed become a seedling?

(3) How is shoot formed?

(4) How is root formed?

(5) How is a flower formed?

Figure 4.1
Formation of SAM

Taiz and Zeiger, Plant Physiology

 Shoot Apical Meristem (SAM)

CZ: central zone; PZ: peripheral zone; RZ: rib zone

Taiz and Zeiger, Plant Physiology

Leaf Formation: Leaf Primordium
Leaf Anatomy

Taiz and Zeiger, Plant Physiology

Apical dominance is a
phenomenon in which the
apical bud tends to
“dominate” stem growth in
the sense that all of the
axillary buds immediately
below it do not grow out to
form branches. Thus the
stem grows tall, not wasting
resources by growing wide.
The idea is that auxin
produced in the apical bud is
transported down the stem
and suppresses the
outgrowth of the lateral
(axillary) buds. If the tip is
cut off the auxin source is
removed and the buds begin
to develop into branches.
(1) How is a seed formed?

(2) How does a seed become a seedling?

(3) How is shoot formed?

(4) How is root formed?

(5) How is a flower formed?

 Root Systems

Taproot system: characterized by Fibrous root system: characterized by

having one main root (the taproot)
from which smaller branch roots
emerge. When a seed germinates,
the first root to emerge is the radicle,
or primary root. In conifers and
most dicots, this radicle develops
into the taproot.
having a mass of similarly sized roots. The
radicle from a germinating seed is short lived
and is replaced by adventitious roots.
Adventitious roots are roots that form on
plant organs other than roots. Most monocots
have fibrous root systems.
 Root System development
Root tip has 4 developmental zones
Root cap: Protects RAM and push
Meristematic zone: Primary root
Elongation zone: Rapid cell
elongation, rate of division
decreases with distance from
meristem
Maturation zone: Cells get their
mature differentiated features.

No lateral organs produced from apical

meristem to avoid hindrance in soil
penetration

Branch roots arise from non

growing region
Cells of the root epidermis develop projections called root hairs. These
elongate by “tip growth” and increase surface area for water and mineral
uptake. Root hairs are found away from the root tip, in the region of
maturation.

Note that the root hair develops as an

outgrowth from individual epidermal
cells; that is, the root hair is not a cell
separate from the epidermal cell. The
Figure shows (bottom to top) four
stages of root hair development: cell
specification, root hair initiation, tip
growth, and maturation.
(1) How is a seed formed?

(2) How does a seed become a seedling?

(3) How is shoot formed?

(4) How is root formed?

(5) How is a flower formed?

Flower Structure
 Cues for Flower Evocation
Flower Evocation: The events occurring in the shoot apex that
specifically commit the apical meristem to produce flowers.

Internal factors
Phase change
Hormones

External factors
Light
Temperature
Total light radiation
Water availability
 Formation of Floral Meristems

Vegetative SAM Reproductive SAM

Genetic Control of Flower Development

Taiz and Zeiger, Plant Physiology

Three Types of Genes Control Floral Identify

1. Gene A activity controls the first and second whorls

2. Gene B activity controls the second and third whorls

3. Gene C activity controls the third and fourth whorls.

ABC Model for Flower Development

Taiz and Zeiger, Plant Physiology

Mutations in Floral Organ Identify Genes

Figure 4.8
 Seed

(1) How is a seed formed? (2) How does a seed

become a seedling?
Fruiting
Seedling

Plant Life Cycle

(3) How is shoot formed?

Flowering
Mature plants

(5) How is a flower (4) How is root formed?

formed?