Introduction to Plant Physiology

• General characteristics of plants

  • Eukaryotic
  • Generally multicellular
  • Photosynthetic (presence of chlorophyll in chloroplasts)
  • Sessile
  • Presence of cellulosic cell wall
  • Exhibit alternation of generations
• T or F: anatomical and physiological consequences of being photosynthetic/having autotrophic nutrition is developing specialized organelles and organ to perform photosynthesis

  anatomical and physiological consequences of being photosynthetic/having autotrophic nutrition

  True
• T or F: anatomical and physiological consequences of being photosynthetic/having autotrophic nutrition is the evolution of stomata and efficient transport system

  True
• T or F: anatomical and physiological consequences of having a sessile lifestyle/being non-motile is having a high surface area to volume ratio

  True
• T or F: anatomical and physiological consequences of having a sessile lifestyle/being non-motile is having an intermediate growth due

  True
• T or F: anatomical and physiological consequences of having a sessile lifestyle/being non-motile is having a modular architecture

  True
• T or F: anatomical and physiological consequences of having a sessile lifestyle/being non-motile is having few sophisticated mechanism for pollination, reproduction, and germination

  False
• T or F: anatomical and physiological consequences of having a sessile lifestyle/being non-motile is having unique ways to defend themselves from herbivores, predators, or competitors

  True
• 3 main cell components that differentiate plant cells from animal cells

  • Cell wall
  • Plastids
  • Vacuoles
• • Provides mechanical protection and rigidity to the plant cell
  • Protects the plant against mechanical injury and from pathogen attack
  • Prevents the cell from losing great amounts of water
  • Consists of cellulose and lignin

  Cell wall
• Microscopic channels that connect the cytoplasm of two adjacent cells

  Plasmodesmata
• Semi-autonomous organelles bounded by a double membrane

  plastids
• T or F: plastids contain a more or less homogenous matrix called stroma and have an internal membrane system consisting of flattened sacs called thylakoids

  True
• • Sites of photosynthesis
  • Contain chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments

  Chloroplasts
• • Contains only carotenoid pigments (yellow, red, orange)
  • Functions as attractants

  Chromoplasts
• • Nonpigmented plastids
  • Lack elaborate system of inner membranes

  Leucoplasts
• Types of leucoplasts

  • Proteinoplast
  • Elaioplast
  • Amyloplast
• Vacuoles Bounded by a thin, single membrane called tonoplast
• • Function as storage organelles or as lytic compartments
  • Water-filled; may occupy up to 80%-90% of the total volume of the cell

  Vacuole
• • Occur in green leaves
  • Play a role in the glycolate pathway of photorespiration

  leaf peroxisomes
• • Occur in endosperm of cotyledons of germinating seeds
  • Converts fats to carbohydrates through the glyoxylate cycle

  Glyoxysomes