CB2c-Growth in plants

• Describe the stages of growth in plants

  -Plant cells divide by mitosis, just behind the tips of shoots and roots

  -Then, cells grow by enlarging

  -Young cells have vacuoles which take in water by osmosis and enlarge, causing cells to elongate

  -Cells can then differentiate into specialised cell types

  -Plants continue to grow throughout their life
• Give examples of specialised plant cells (2 atleast)

  Possible answers:

  -Root hair cell

  -Xyelm

  -Pholem

  -Stoma cell

  -Mesophyll cell
• Describe how the structures of specialised plant cells are related to their function

  Root hair cell (can be others)

  -Root hair cells have root hairs that increase the surface area of the root, allowing foor greater absorption of water/nutrients

  -It also has a large central vacuole to store nutrients

  -It also gas a thin cell wall that allows for good exchange of materials with soil
• Explain why cell differentiation is important in the development of specialised cells in plants

  So that cells develop features that enable them to fufill specific roles. Without specialisation, complex multicellular plant structures would not be able to exist.
• 3 stages of plant growth

  Mitosis, elongation, differentiation