Study Notes
Plants have various external structures that help them grow and reproduce, including roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.
- Flowering Plants — plants that produce seeds and flowers. Example: Orchids, Grasses, Sedges
- Non-flowering Plants — plants that do not produce flowers; some produce seeds. Example: Mosses, Ferns, Conifers
- Roots — typically underground structures that absorb moisture and nutrients. Example: Aerial roots in some plants
- Stems — support the plant and transport water and nutrients. Example: Corms or rhizomes as modified stems
- Leaves — use sunlight to make food through photosynthesis. Example: Leaves of a cactus are modified into spines
- Chloroplasts — organelles in leaf cells that capture sunlight for photosynthesis. Example: Palisade cells packed with chloroplasts
Exam Tips
Key Definitions to Remember
- Flowering Plants: Plants that produce seeds and flowers.
- Non-flowering Plants: Plants that do not produce flowers; some produce seeds.
- Photosynthesis: Process by which plants make food using sunlight.
Common Confusions
- Not all non-flowering plants lack seeds; gymnosperms have seeds.
- Stems can be both above and below ground.
Typical Exam Questions
- What do flowering plants use to reproduce? Answer: Seeds
- What is the scientific definition of a fruit? Answer: The part of a plant that holds the seeds
- Which part of the plant holds it in one place in the ground? Answer: Roots
What Examiners Usually Test
- Differences between flowering and non-flowering plants
- Functions of different plant organs
- The process and importance of photosynthesis