Checklist Questions

• Characteristics common to all plants

  • Photosynthesis: they make their own food using sunlight
  • Cell wall: rigid, made of cellulose, for support
  • Multicellular: made up of many cells
  • Chloroplasts: contain chlorophyll which makes plants green + conducts photosynthesis
  • Stationary: don't move from place to place
  • Reproduction: reproduce using seeds/spores
• Structures and functions of roots, stems and leaves

  1. Roots: Underground parts of plant, can be thin or thick

  2. Hold plant firmly in soil, take in water/minerals/nutrients from soil, store food/nutrients

  3. Stems: Above-ground parts of plant that supports leaves/flowers, can be thick/thin, woody/green

  4. Hold up leaves/flowers, transport water/minerals/nutrients between roots and leaves, allow plant to grow taller and spread out leaves for sunlight

  5. Leaves: flat, green, thin, wide, veiny, attached to stem

  6. Photosynthesis, take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen through stomata, release excess water vapour into air to help cool plant
• Chloroplasts


  Main organelles involved in photosynthesis, green, oval-shaped, found in plant cells, contain chlorophyll (green pigment)
• Photosynthesis


  1. Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight

  2. Sunlight used to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen

  3. Entire process happens inside chloroplasts
• Photosynthesis


  • Provides food to plants (producers) and plants need to conduct it to survive
  • Plants provide oxygen into atmosphere for respiration and are a food source for herbivores/omnivores
  • Without photosynthesis, plants die, herbivores/omnivores die, and the carnivores that eat them die
  • Producers are foundation of food chain and support all organisms in it directly and indirectly
• Plant adaptations that make it possible for plants to survive on land

  • Waxy cuticle layer on leaves and stems that reduces water loss
  • Stomata has small openings on leaves that control gas exchange and water loss
  • Roots anchor plants and absorb water/nutrients/minerals from the soil
  • Specializes tissue (xylem, phloem) transport water/food/nutrients throughout plant
  • Stem helps plants stand upright and reach sunlight
• Mangrove adaptations


  • Aerial roots, roots that stick out of water/mud to absorb oxygen directly from air
  • Specialized roots/cells filter out salt allowing plant to absorb freshwater
  • Prop roots provide extra support in unstable, waterlogged soil
  • Vivipary are seeds that germinate while still attached to parent plant allowing seedlings to establish quickly after falling into mud
• Mangroves reduce soil erosion, protect shorelines from storms, provide habitats, improve water quality by filtering pollutants
• Energy pyramids


  1. Producers have most energy at base

  2. Herbivores (primary consumers) eat producers in middle levels

  3. Carnivores (secondary or tertiary consumers) eat herbivores or other carnivores in middle levels

  4. Apex predator gets the least energy because energy lost at each trophic level
• Carbon cycle


  1. Photosynthesis: Plants/phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide from atmosphere and make food, releasing oxygen

  2. Respiration: Animals/plants release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere

  3. Decomposition: Decomposers break down bodies releasing carbon dioxide back into atmosphere and soil

  4. Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from atmosphere, some used by marine organisms for photosynthesis, some forms carbonates

  5. Volcanoes release carbon dioxide stores in Earth's crust back into atmosphere

  6. Carbonates in rocks react with rainwater releasing carbon dioxide into atmosphere over long periods of time
• Human activities that upset carbon balance

  • Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into atmosphere
  • Deforestation reduces number of plants able to absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis
  • Industrial processes and agriculture release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into atmosphere
• Greenhouse effect


  • Helps regulate Earth's temperature but human activities have intensified it leading to global warming/climate change
  • Sunlight reaches Earth's surface, warming it
  • Some sunlight absorbs by Earth's surface which then emits heat energy in form of infrared radiation
  • Greenhouse gases in atmosphere trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation, keeping Earth's surface warmer
• Factors that affect plant growth

  • Light affects photosynthesis
  • Water needed for photosynthesis and nutrients, not enough leads to wilting and stunted growth
  • Soil NPK minerals needed for plant growth, most plants need slightly acidic or neutral soil
  • Carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis, oxygen needed for respiration, pollutants can damage plant tissues and reduce growth
  • Nutrient balance, too much or too little nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium can lead to nutrient deficiencies
• Acidic solutions


  • Lemon juice
  • Vinegar
  • Battery acid (sulfuric acid)
  • Hydrochloric acid (found in stomach acid)
• Alkaline solutions


  • Ammonia solution
  • Bleach
  • Baking soda
  • Soap
• Differences between soils


  • Composition, texture, pH, nutrient content can affect plant growth
  • Sandy soil: large particles, drain quickly, low in nutrients
  • Silty soil: medium-sized particles, retain water well
  • Clay soil: small particles, hold water tightly, can become compacted
  • Acidic soil: pH below 7, limit nutrient availability
  • Alkaline soil: pH above 7, excess calcium or magnesium, affecting nutrient uptake
  • Plants need the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium
• Acid rain formation


  1. Sulfur reacts with oxygen to form sulfure dioxide

  2. Sulfur dioxide reacts with oxygen and water in atmosphere to form sulfuric acid

  3. Nitrogen gas reacts with oxygen to form nitric oxide

  4. Nitric oxide reacts with additional oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide

  5. Nitrogen dioxide reacts with water in atmosphere to form nitric acid

  6. They dissolve in rainwater, lower its pH and make it acidic
• Combustion of fossil fuels in power plants/vehicles emits sulfure dioxide and nitrogen oxides, the source of acid rain
• Acid rain


  • Lowers pH of soil making it more acidic, affecting availability of nutrients for plant growth
  • Directly damage plant tissues and leaves, weakens plants natural defenses making them more vulnerable to diseases
  • Acidify lakes, rivers, streams, can affect aquatic organisms