As plants evolved, moving from the sea to land, there were many adaptations that needed to occur to sustain the new mode of life. Adaptations addressed the major problems of how to prevent water loss, how to transport water, and how to reproduce in a newly dry environment (Lecture 4). Different organisms addressed these issues in a variety of ways, giving rise to anatomical differences in tissues and biochemical changes, which contributed to the rise in genetic variation of plant species. First, plants had to use adaptations to prevent water loss in the new, dry environment. The first plants to evolve to deal with this were the bryophytes, or non-vascular, plants. These plants had a cuticle, a waxy covering of leaves which helps to trap …show more content…
While maintaining all vascular structures, gymnosperms and angiosperms adapted to reproduce in different ways, while both are plants with seeds. Both also contain microspores and megaspores, the male and female gametes of the plants, respectively. Gymnosperms produce naked seeds, or plants that are not enclosed in the ovary for protection. The gymnosperms also developed tracheids, to aid in water transport. There are four living phyla which are classified as gymnosperms, including ginko, cycad, conifer, and gnetophyte (Lecture 5). The next group, angiosperms, contribute many previously unseen adaptations. First, these plants have a different mode of reproduction with an enclosed seed, protected in the ovary. This group holds the unique characteristics of fruits and flowers, which are evolutionarily beneficial because these structures attract pollinators, to spread pollen, and result in a farther reaching spread of genetic material for the angiosperms (Lab 2). The xylem of the plant also has vessels and tracheids, a new adaptation that most gymnosperms lack (Lecture 7). The angiosperms can be further divided into monocots and eudicots, which have a number of differences including number of cotyledons and leaf vein organization (University of California, Berkeley). The last trait that angiosperms developed to be better suited for life on land is double fertilization, where there is a time that the endosperm contains three sets of chromosomes, and is not in diploid
Epiphytes have evolved to take advantage of resources not widely available to other plants. Epiphytes have evolved a variety of morphological and physiological differences to deal with difficulty in mineral absorption, photosynthesis, propagation, water acquisition and water retention.
(1) Chloroplast development (a) The development of chloroplasts from proplastids is regulated by light Meristematic cells in the shoot and root apices and leaf primordia contain low numbers of small, undifferentiated proplastids. The ultrastructure of these non-green proplastids is simple and consists of the envelope, often with some invaginations from the inner membrane, and a stroma with some ribosomes, nucleoids, plastoglobuli, sometimes some inner membranes, and a limited amount of prokaryotic type DNA [1]. In those tissues and organs destined to become green and photosynthesising in light, the proplastids develop into etioplasts in darkness. Etioplasts are the end product of a differential route in dark-grown angiosperm seedlings that begins with the proplastid stage.
As a result of these factors, the flora has adapted to these conditions in a variety of ways including their shape, leaf type, root system, and color. One of the most prominent adapt...
Ecosystems are the basic biological units of ecology, and consist of biotic organisms and their interactions amongst other living organisms, as well as the surrounding abiotic environment (Putman and Wratten 1984). One facet of ecosystems that is less-often mentioned is the process of decomposition, as it many may view it as an unclean, unpleasant process that occurs after an organism has ceased to exist. To those with an ecological framework, however, decomposition is viewed as the opposite – an interesting, intricate process teeming with biological activity and life (Swan and Kominoski 2012). What is decomposition? Formally, decomposition is defined as the process to which complex organic matter is broken down to its basic constituents (i.e.
1. Shelton, A. M., Zhao, J. Z., & Roush, R. T. (2002). Economic, ecological, food safety, and social consequences of the deployment of Bt transgenic plants. Annual review of entomology, 47(1), 845-881. This paper do the research on the potential ecological and human health consequences of Bt plants, including effects on nontarget organisms, food safety, and the development of resistant insect populations.
Each plant species has a unique pattern of resource allocation that is genetically determined but not fixed. Plants can adjust there allocation pattern when they experience different environments and the presence of other species. Phenotypic plasticity goes hand in hand with resource allocation as well. When a plant has to adjust itʻs resource allocation, sometimes it uses itʻs resources to help the plant grow different characteristic so that the plant can have a greater chance of living in the environment. For example, if a plant from an environment that does not experience wind on the regular basis enters a new environment that has a lot of wind the plant may change itʻs resource allocation and spend more of itʻs resources growing deeper
“Modern man does not experience himself as a part of nature but as an outside force destined to dominate and conquer it. He even talks of a battle with nature, forgetting that if he won the battle he would find himself on the losing side” (E.F. Schumacher, 1974).
Plants also had to adapt on the surface in order to survive the climate change of moving onto land. The changes made to the surface of plants are most closely observed by their formation of a cuticular wax. This waxy cuticle is impermeable to water and acts as a method of controlling plant’s water intake. It can be made thinner or thicker depending on the plant’s needs and the environment at the time, changing in response to droughts or excessive amounts of rain.
own roots (not just the plant kind), this meant they needed a structure that was different than
How do plants resist being uprooted during typhoons? How do they absorb water? The answer lies on a particular plant structure, which is called the root. Basically, a monocot and a dicot root differ but also have common parts like the xylem and the phloem. Through examining the roots using the light microscope, the students would hopefully be able to understand how the root is designed to perform its vital functions. A root tip basically has 4 main regions, the root cap, the meristematic region, the region of cell elongation, and the region of cell differentiation. These parts are all essential for a root to function properly, thus further stressing its importance in t...
The relationships between plants and pollinators play a key role in our ecosystems. Pollinators are animals, such as bees, butterflies, moths, bats, flies, wasps, and birds, that transfer pollen from one flower to another. Pollination is the movement of pollen to the male or female part of the plant. This leads to fertilization and the production of seeds and flowers. They maintain and establish ecosystems. “Pollinators are an integral part of our environment and our agricultural systems; they are important in 35% of global crop production” (NCRS 2013). “Pollinator declines can result in loss of pollination services which have important negative ecological and economic impacts that could significantly affect the maintenance of wild plant diversity,
Humans depend on plants in numerous ways. One reason we depend on plants is for consumption. Plants have the unique ability of producing their own food through a process called photosynthesis. In this process, plants are able to produce macromolecules such as carbohydrates that cannot be produced in animals or humans. In humans, the only to gain these macromolecules is to consume plant matter, or consume plant-eating animals (herbivores).
For many years, nature has cloned organisms. When a plant sends out a stalk and it takes root, the new ...
Home gardens offer a wide variety of benefits to the environment and serve a diverse group of people. Home gardening provides a source of fresh produce and free of chemicals, it also gives you complete control over the chemicals and products used during the growing process. A home garden allows you to pick the produce when its ripe, unlike produce at the store is often picked before its fully ripe. The quality and flavor of the freshly picked produce from home is better than the produce that might have unknown chemicals and was likely picked several days or weeks before being sold. The produce retains more nutrients when consumed shortly after being picked, making your home garden vegetables a healthier option. A garden also provides a positive environmental impact. The compost allows you to recycle certain kitchen and yard waste into a nutrient-rich additive for the garden. This provides natural fertilizer for you plants and reduces the wastes you produce. If you choose to avoid or limit chemical use, you reduce pollution from your gardening activities. Besides being good for the environment gardens have environmental gains for us. Gardening help control urban temperatures, If the environmental landscape design is effective it can cool your home in summer and warm it in winter, it can also reduce the energy cost by up to 20%. Gardening, and all the physical activity that goes along with it, leads to a better overall physical health, weight loss, improve you bones, and reduces the risk of having osteoporosis. “In a study of 3,310 older women, researchers from the University of Arkansas found that women involved in yard work and other types of gardening exercises had lower rates of osteoporosis than joggers, swimmers, and women wh...
Would you enjoy having fresh, delicious, luscious vegetables to eat all summer long that cost you almost nothing? I know I would. Well, now you can have your veggies and eat them too. Try building your own vegetable garden. It can fit all sizes of yards and decks. You just need to pick the location and type of garden. Next, you will prepare the garden site and work the soil. Finally, you will plan the specifics and plant your garden. With some care and patience, you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor in no time.