Lesson Summary
- Plants are multicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes that evolved from green algae.
- Plants have several adaptive features for living on land, including a cuticle, stomata,
and vascular tissue. - Plants are informally divided into four groups: the nonvascular plants, the seedless
vascular plants, the nonflowering plants (gymnosperms) and the flowering plants (an-
giosperms).
Review Questions
- How are plants necessary for animal life?
- Compare and contrast a typical plant to a photosynthetic protist like a diatom.
- Plants evolved from green algae. How are they different from green algae?
- What strategies have plants evolved for life on land?
- What is the purpose of the stomata?
- What term describes the plant life cycle?
- What is the diploid stage of the alteration of generations?
- Which generation of the alternation of generations is dominant in early plants?
- What is the term for plants that lack vascular tissue?
- What is the term for plants that have flowers and bear fruit?
Further Reading / Supplemental Links
- http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/plantae.html
- http://www.bioedonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?q=%22Plantae%22
- http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=BIO804
- http://www.perspective.com/nature/plantae
- http://plants.usda.gov
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Vocabulary
alteration of generations The plant lifecycle, which alternates between a haploid game-
tophyte and a diploid sporophyte.
angiosperms Plants that flower and bear fruit.
cuticle Waxy layer that aids water retention in plants.
gamete Haploid sex cell; egg or sperm