botany

• What are bryophytes?

  Non-vascular plants like moss, hornworts, liverworts
• When did bryophytes evolve?

  500 million years ago in the Palaeozoic era
• What is the difference between thalloid and leafy bryophytes?

  Thalloid includes liverworts and hornworts; leafy includes mosses and most liverworts
• What do rhizoids do in bryophytes?

  Anchor mosses and absorb nutrients
• What is the dominant generation in bryophytes?

  Haploid gametophyte
• What are the reproductive structures in bryophytes?

  Male antheridium and female archegonium
• What are pteridophytes?

  Seedless vascular plants like ferns, club mosses, horsetails
• What are the components of the vascular system in pteridophytes?

  Phloem and xylem
• When did pteridophytes evolve?

  Silurian period
• How do ferns reproduce?

  By spores on the underside of the leaf
• What is a sorus?

  A cluster of sporangia on the underside of a fern leaf
• What are the four phyla of gymnosperms?

  Conifers, gnetophytes, cycads, ginkgos
• How many species of conifers are there?

  550 species
• What are the native UK conifer species?

  Yew, Scots pine, juniper
• What is the life cycle of pines?

  Mature sporophyte generation with separate male and female cones
• How long does seed production take in pines?

  3 years
• How do pine seeds disperse?

  Wing-like appendages help with dispersal, often after fire
• What are cycads?

  Gymnosperms that resemble palms
• What does dioecious mean in cycads?

  Females have large cones; males produce pollen and motile sperm
• What are the key features of angiosperms?

  Flowers, ovules in carpels, double fertilization
• What is the structure of xylem in angiosperms?

  Xylem with vessels
• What is the structure of phloem in angiosperms?

  Phloem with sieve tube elements
• What does heterosporous mean in angiosperms?

  Male gametophyte has 3 cells; female gametophyte has 7 cells
• What are the characteristics of dicotyledons?

  4 or 5 flower petal parts, parallel vein patterns, vascular bundles scattered
• What are the characteristics of monocotyledons?

  3 flower petal parts, leaf veins in net pattern, vascular bundles in a ring
• What is protandry?

  Stamens develop and mature before carpels
• What is protogyny?

  Carpels develop and mature before stamens
• What is heterostyly?

  Stamens and styles are at different positions
• What is dioecy?

  The plant is either male or female
• How do insects recognize flowers for pollination?

  UV reflection patterns and different scents
• What scents attract butterflies and moths?

  Heavy scents
• What scents attract flies?

  Carrion-like scents
• What are the rewards for pollinators?

  Pollen and nectar
• What is the composition of pollen?

  Rich in protein, starch, oils, fats
• What is the composition of nectar?

  Sugar solution of glucose, fructose, sucrose
• What is mimicry in flowers?

  Flowers look like their arthropod pollinators
• What is zygomorphy?

  Bilateral symmetry in flowers
• What are the directions for zygomorphy?

  Above or below
• How do birds contribute to pollination?

  Birds feed on nectar and are attracted to bright colors, especially red
• What are the characteristics of wind-pollinated plants?

  Small, smooth, buoyant pollen grains and explosive anthers