Unit 11
Unit 11
Unit 11
the evolutionary history of the plant kingdom reflects increasing adaptation to the terrestrial environment. The colonization of land by plants transformed the biosphere. This transformation created new adaptive zones and paved the way for other organisms. I. An Overview of Plant Evolution A. Structural, chemical, and reproductive adaptations enabled plants to colonize land 1. Some characteristics of plants Plants are multicellular eukaryotes that are photosynthetic autotrophs; however, not all organisms with these characteristics are plants. Plants share these characteristics with their green algal ancestors. It is the set of structural, chemical, and reproductive adaptations associated with terrestrial life that distinguishes plants from algae. Plants have evolved complex bodies with cell specialization for terrestrial life. 2. Plants as embryophytes With the move from an aquatic to terrestrial environment, a new mode of reproduction was necessary to solve two problems: 1.
2.
3. Alternation of generations All plants have life cycles with an alternation of generations. - A haploid gametophyte generation pproduces and alternates with a diploid sporophyte generation. The sporophyte, in turn, produces gametophytes. - One of the multicellular bodies is calledd the gametophyte with haploid cells.
- Mitotic division of the diploid zygote produces the other multicellular body, the sporophyte.
Unlike the life cycles of other sexually producing organisms, alternation of generations in land
plants (and some algae) results in both haploid and diploid stages that exist as multicellular bodies. - For example, humans do not have alternatiion of generations because the only haploid stage in the life cycle is the gamete, which is single-celled. Plant spores:
The gametophytes of bryophytes, pteridophytes, and gymnosperms produce their gametes within multicellular organs, called gametangia. A female gametangium:
A sperm fuses with an egg within an archegonium and the zygote then begins development into an embryo 4. Classification of plants The major taxonomic category of plants is the division; it is comparable to phylum, the highest category in the animal kingdom. - Divisions are subdivided into lower taxa (class, order, family, genus). - Currently, eleven divisions of plants aree recognized. A CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS
Nonvascular Plants-(byrophytes) Division Bryophyta "Mosses" Division Hepatophyta "Liverworts" Division Anthocerophyta "Hornworts" Vascular Plants Seedless Vascular Plants Division Lycophyta "Lycophytes" Division Sphenophyta "Horsetails" Division Pterophyta "Ferns" Seed Plants Gymnosperms Division Coniferophyta "Conifers" Division Cycadophyta "Cycads" Division Ginkgophyta "Ginkgo" Division Gnetophyta "Gnetae" Angiosperms Division Anthophyta "Flowering plants" II. The Origin of Plants A. Plants probably evolved from green algae called charophytes The green algae are likely the photosynthetic protists most closely related to plants. This conclusion is based on homologies in:
B. Alternation of generations in plants may have originated by delayed meiosis What would be the adaptive advantage of delaying meiosis and forming a mass of diploid cells? It may: - If the zygote undergoes meiosis directly,, each fertilization event results in only a few haploid spores.
- Mitotic division of the zygote to form a multicellular sporophyte amplifies the sexual product. Many diploid cells can undergo meiosis producing a large number of haploid spores, enhancing the chances of survival in unfavorable environments. C. Adaptations to shallow water preadapted plants for living on land Some adaptations for life in shallow water could also have been adaptive for life on land. Natural selection may have favored shallow-water plants tolerant to periodic drying. Adaptations to shallow water may also have been preadaptive for terrestrial life. Examples: - Waxy cuticles - Protection of gametes - Protection of developing embryos - Eventually, accumulated adaptations made it possible for ancestral plants to live permanently above the water line. III. Bryophytes A. The embryophyte adaptation evolved in bryophytes The bryophytes include plants found in three divisions:
Bryophytes display a pivotal adaptation that made the move onto land possible: the embryophyte condition. B. The gametophyte is the dominant generation in the life cycles of bryophytes Contrary to the life cycles of vascular plants:
C. Bryophytes lack vascular tissue Bryophytes are anchored by tubular cells or filaments of cells, called rhizoids. - Rhizoids:
D. The three divisions of bryophytes are mosses, liverworts, and hornworts 1. Mosses (Division Bryophyta) Moss sporophytes consist of a foot, an elongated stalk, and a sporangium (the capsule). - The foot gathers nutrients and water fromm the parent gametophyte via transfer cells. - The stalk conducts these materials to thee capsule. - In most mosses, the stalk becomes eelongated, elevating the capsule and enhancing the spore dispersal. 2. Liverworts (Division Hepatophyta) Liverworts are less conspicuous than mosses. 3. Hornworts (Division Anthocerophyta) Hornworts resemble liverworts, but sporophytes are horn-shaped, elongated capsules that grow from the matlike gametophyte. IV. The Origin of Vascular Plants A. Additional terrestrial adaptations evolved as vascular plants descended from bryophyte-like ancestors
In addition to cuticles and jacketed sex organs, other adaptations for terrestrial life evolved in vascular plants as they colonized land: 1. Regional specialization of the plant body.
Xylem = - Composed of dead, tube-shaped cells that form a microscopic waterpipe system Phloem = - Composed of living cells arranged into tuubules - Distributes sugars, amino acids, and otheer organic nutrients 4. Pollen. 5. Seeds 6. Increased dominance of the diploid sporophyte V. Seedless Vascular Plants The earliest vascular plants were seedless and they dominated the Carboniferous forests. Modern flora includes three divisions of seedless vascular plants. A. A sporophyte-dominant life cycle evolved in seedless vascular plants
The sporophyte (diploid) generation emerged as the larger and more complex plant from the time of early vascular plants. It is the dominant stage in the life cycle in all extant (present) vascular plants. The sporophyte-dominant life cycle is exemplified by ferns, one group of the seedless vascular plants. - The familiar leafy plant: . - Gametophytes are: Vascular plants display two distinct reproductive strategies: - The sporophyte of a homosporous plant< produces a single type of spore (e.g., ferns); each spore develops into a bisexual gametophyte with both male (antheridia) and female (archegonia) sex organs. - The sporophyte of a heterosporous plannt produces two kinds of spores: 1. 2. B. The three divisions of seedless vascular plants are lycophytes, horsetails, and ferns 1. Lycophytes (division Lycophyta) The division Lycophyta includes; Lycophytes dominated the land during the Carboniferous Period (340-280 million years ago). - The sporangia of Lycopodium are boorne on sporophylls, leaves specialized for reproduction. In some, sporophylls: 2. Horsetails (division Sphenophyta)
The division Sphenophyta includes the horsetails; they reached their zenith during the Carboniferous period. Are comonly called horsetails because: 3. Ferns (division Pterophyta) Ferns are the most well represented seedless plants in modern floras. Most ferns have fronds: - The emerging frond is called:. Ferns are homosporous and the conspicuous leafy fern plant is the sporophyte. - Specialized sporophylls (green leaves invvolved in reproduction: : - The spore is the dispersal stage. - The free-living gametophyte is small and fragile, requiring a moist habitat. - Water is necessary for fertilization, sinnce flagellated sperm cells must swim from the antheridium to the archegonium, where fertilization takes place. - The sporophyte embryo develops protected within the archegonium. CHAPTER 3O PLANT DIVERSITY II: THE EVOLUTION OF SEED PLANTS The emergence of seed plants further transformed the Earth. Seeds and other adaptations of gymnosperms and angiosperms heightened the ability of plants to survive and reproduce in diverse terrestrial environments; these plants became the principal producers in the food webs of most ecosystems on land. I. Overview of Reproductive Adaptations of Seed Plants Three life cycle modifications contributed to terrestrial seed plant success:
1. Reduction of the gametophyte. They were retained in the moist reproductive tissue of the sporophyte generation. 2. Origin of the seed
3 . Evolution of pollen. A. The gametophytes of seed plants became even more reduced than the gametophytes of seedless vascular plants While the gametophytes of seedless vascular plants develop in the soil as an independent generation, those of seed plants are reduced in size and retained within the moist reproductive tissue of the sporophyte generation. - In seeds plants, the delicate female gammetophyte and young embryos are protected from many environmental stresses because they are retained within the moist sporangia of the parental sporophyte. B. In seed plants, the seed replaced the spore as the main means of dispersing offspring The relatively harsh terrestrial environment led to the development of resistant structures for the dispersal of offspring. - Bryophytes and seedless vascular plants produce and release hardy single-celled spores. - Seeds are more hardy because of their muulticellular nature. A seed consists of a sporophyte embryo together with a food supply surrounded by a protective coat. - The sporophytes do not release their spores, but retain them in their
sporangia (structures that produce spores). - Not only are the spores retained, but thhe gametophyte develops within the spore from which it is derived. All seed plants are heterosporous in that they possess two different kinds of sporangia, each producing a different type of spore. - Megasporangia produce megaspores that give rise to female eggcontaining gametophytes. - Microsporangia produce microspores that give rise to male spermcontaining gametophytes. The development of the seed is associated with the megasporangia.
- A seeds protective coat is derived fromm the integuments of the ovule. C. Pollen became the vehicles for sperm cells in seed plants The microspores develop into pollen grains, which in turn, mature to form the male gametophytes of seed plants. - Pollen grains can be carried away by winnd or animals (e.g., bees)
following release from microsporangia. A pollen grain: In seed plants, the use of resistant, far-traveling, airborne pollen to bring gametes together is a terrestrial adaptation. In bryophytes and other lower land plants, flagellated sperm must swim through a film of water to reach eggs cells in archegonia. The evolution of pollen in seed plants led to even greater success and diversity of plants on land. II. Gymnosperms A. Introduction The most familiar gymnosperms are the: The ovules and seeds of gymnosperms (naked seeds) develop on the surfaces of specialized leaves called sporophylls. In contrast, ovules and seeds of angiosperms: Gymnosperms appears in the fossil record much earlier than angiosperms. Most conifers are evergreen, retaining their leaves and photosynthesizing throughout the year. Some conifers, like the dawn redwood and tamarack, are deciduous, dropping their leaves in autumn. The needle-shaped leaves of some conifers, such as pines and firs, are adapted for dry conditions. B. The life cycle of a pine demonstrates the key reproductive adaptations of seed plants
Conifer life cycles are heterosporous; male and female gametophytes develop from different types of spores produced by separate cones. - Trees of most pine species bear: - Pollen cones have microsporangia; cells in these sporangia undergo meiosis producing haploid microspores, small spores that develop into pollen grains - the male gametophytes. - Ovulate cones have megasporangia; cells in these sporangia undergo meiosis producing large megaspores that develop into the female gametophyte. Each ovule initially includes a megasporangium (nucellus) enclosed in protective integuments with a single opening, the micropyle. It takes nearly three years to complete the pine life cycle, which progresses through a complicated series of events to produce mature seeds. See Outline of the Gymnosperm Life Cycle III. Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) A. Introduction Angiosperms, better known as flowering plants, are vascular seed plants that produce flowers and fruits. They are by far the most diverse and geographically widespread of all plants. - There is only one division, Anthophytta, with two classes, Monocotyledones (monocots) and Dicotyledones (dicots). - Most use insects and animals for transfeerring pollen, and therefore, are less dependent on wind and have less random pollination. B. The flower is the defining reproductive adaptation of angiosperms
Flower = Parts of the flower: Sepals Petals Stamen Carpel Stigma Ovary C. Fruits help disperse the seeds of angiosperms Fruit = Modifications of fruits that help disperse seeds include: - Seeds within fruits that are shaped likee kites or propellers to aid in wind dispersal - Burr-like fruit that cling to animal furr - Edible fruit with tough seeds which passs through the digestive tract of herbivores unharmed, dispersing seeds miles away D. The life cycle of an angiosperm is a highly refined version of the alternation of generations common to all plants Life cycles of angiosperms are heterosporous (in common with all seed plants) and the two types of sporangia are found in the flower: - Microsporangia in anthers produce microsspores that form male gametophytes. - Megasporangia in ovules produce megasporres that develop into female gametophytes.
Immature male gametophytes: - Are: - Each pollen grain has two haploid nucleii that will participate in double fertilization characteristic of angiosperms. Female gametophytes: - Do not produce an archegonium - Are located within an ovule - Consist of: - One of the cells is the egg See Outline of Angiosperm Life Cycle The seed is a mature ovule, consisting of: 1. Embryo. 2. Endosperm. 3. Seed coat. Monocots and dicots use endosperm differently. - Monocot seeds store most food in the enddosperm. - Dicots generally restock most of the nuttrients in the developing cotyledons. In a suitable environment the seed coat ruptures and the embryo emerges as a seedling, using the food stored in the endosperm and cotyledons. One hypothesis for the function of double fertilization is that it synchronizes the development of food storage in the seed with development of the embryo. Double fertilization may prevent flowers from squandering nutrients on infertile ovules.
As the ovules develop into seeds, the ovary develops into a fruit. CHAPTER 35 PLANT STRUCTURE AND GROWTH Plants form the foundation on which most terrestrial ecosystems are built. - As the primary producers in most systems (through the process of photosynthesis), plants serve as the first link in the food chain which affects all species of animals in the system. I. The Angiosperm Body A. Plants have three basic organs: roots stems and leaves Angiosperms (flowering plants) are the most diverse and widespread of the plants. - Characterized by flowers and fruits, whhich are believed to be adaptations for reproduction and seed dispersal - Taxonomists divide angiosperms into twoo taxonomic classes:
- Unlike the algal ancestors which were ccompletely surrounded by nutrient rich water, terrestrial plants face a divided habitat: -- Air is the source of CO2&nbbsp; and sunlight for photosynthesis -- Soil provides water and dissolved mineerals to the plant. - Each system depends on the other for suurvival of the whole plant. -- Roots depend on shoots: -- Shoots depend on roots: 1. The root system Root structure is well adapted to: - Anchor plants
- Absorb and conduct water and nutrients< - Store food There are two major types of root systems: a. The taproot system is seen in many dicots. - Structure: - Provides firm anchorage - Some taproots, such as carrots, turnipss, and sweet potatoes, are modified to store a large amount of reserve food. b. A fibrous root system is found primarily in monocots (palms, bamboo, grasses). - Structure: - Provides extensive exposure to soil watter and minerals Most absorption of water and minerals in both systems occurs near the root tips, where vast numbers of tiny root hairs increase the surface area enormously. Water and mineral absorption are also enhanced by mycorrhizae: Many plants possess root nodules: - the plant can use the nitrogenous compoounds in the synthesis of proteins and other organic molecules. Adventitious roots: - Form in addition to the normal root sysstem - Some, such as prop roots of corn, help support the plant stem 2. The shoot system Shoot systems are comprised of vegetative shoots and floral shoots.
Vegetative shoots: - may be the main shoot or a vegetative bbranch. Floral shoots:. a. Stems Stem morphology includes: - Nodes = - Internodes = - Axillary bud = - Terminal bud = Growth of a shoot is usually concentrated at the apex of the shoot where the terminal bud is located. - The presence of a terminal bud inhibitss development of axillary buds, a condition called apical dominance. - Apical dominance appears to be an evoluutionary adaptation to increase exposure of plant parts to light by concentrating resources on increasing plant height. Axillary buds begin to grow under certain conditions and after damage or removal of the terminal bud. - Some may develop into floral shoots. - Others develop into vegetative shoots wwith terminal buds, leaves, and axillary buds. -- This development results in branching which also increases exposure of plant parts to light. Some plants have modified stems which are often mistaken for roots. - Stolons: - Rhizomes:
-- Some end in enlarged tubers where foodd is stored (e.g., potatoes) - Bulbs are vertical, underground shoots with leaf bases modified for food storage (e.g., onions). b. Leaves Leaves are the main photosynthetic organs of a plant. A leaf usually exists in the shape of a flattened blade which is joined to the node of a stem by a petiole. - Most monocots lack petioles; instead, tthe leaf base forms a sheath surrounding the stem. Leaves of monocots and dicots vary in the arrangement of their major veins. - Monocot leaves: - Dicot leaves: Some plants have leaves that have become adapted for functions other than photosynthesis. - Tendrils: - Spines of cacti function in protection.. - Many succulents have leaves modified foor storing water. - Some plants have brightly colored leavees that help attract pollinators to the flower. B. The cells of a plant are organized into dermal, vascular, and ground tissue systems Each organ of a plant (leaf, stem, root) has three tissue systems: dermal, vascular, and ground tissue systems. Each of the three systems is continuous throughout the plant.
1. Dermal tissue system (or epidermis) = - Functions in protection and has speciall characteristics consistent with the function of the organ it covers. - Root hairs specialized for water and miineral absorption are extensions of epidermal cells near root tips. - The waxy cuticle that helps the plant rretain water is secreted by epidermal cells of leaves and most stems. 2. Vascular tissue system = a. Water-conducting cells of xylem: tracheids and vessel elements Xylem consists of two cell types, both with secondary walls and both are dead at functional maturity. Tracheids: - Water flows from cell to cell through ppits on the overlapping tapered ends of the cells. - They also function in support. Vessel elements: - Vessel elements are aligned end to end.. - The end walls are perforated, permittinng the free flow of water through long chains of vessel elements called xylem vessels. b. Food-conducting cells of phloem: sieve-tube members Sieve-tube members: - The cells are alive at functional maturrity.
In angiosperms, the end walls of sieve-tube members have pores and are called sieve plates. - The pores probably facilitate the movemment of fluid between cells. - At least one companion cell is connecteed to each sieve-tube member by many plasmodesmata = -- Companion cells also help load sugar pproduced in the mesophyll into sieve-tubes of leaves of some plants. 3. Ground tissue system Ground tissue: - In dicot stems, ground tissue is divideed into pith, internal to vascular tissue, and cortex, external to the vascular tissue. - The functions of ground tissue include photosynthesis, storage, and support. Il. Plant Growth A. Meristems generate cells for new organs throughout the lifetime of a plant: an overview of plant growth Plant growth begins with germination of the seed and continues for the lifespan of the plants. Plants do not live indefinitely, they have finite life spans. - Most have genetically determined lifesppans. - Some are environmentally determined. - Annuals: - Biennials: - First year is a growth season, seecond year is a flowering season - Perennials:
Indeterminate growth is made possible by meristems (perpetually embryonic tissues). - Indeterminate growth = -- In contrast, most animals cease growinng after reaching a certain size (determinate growth). -- Certain plant organs, such as flower pparts, show determinate growth. - Meristematic cells are unspecialized annd divide to generate new cells near the growing point. -- New meristematic cells formed by divission either remain in the growing region as meristematic cells or become other cell types found in the various tissues of the leafs, stems, roots etc. The pattern of plant growth depends on the location of meristems: - Primary growth: -- Apical meristems: - Secondary growth: -- Lateral meristems = -- Cell division in the lateral meristemss produces secondary dermal tissues which are thicker and tougher than the epidermis it replaces. -- Also adds new layers of vascular tissuues. B. Primary growth: apical meristems extend roots and shoots by giving rise to the primary plant body Primary growth produces the primary plant body- the parts of the root and shoot systems produced by apical meristems.
- The youngest portions of woody plants aand herbaceous plants are examples of primary plant bodies. 1. Primary growth of roots Root growth is concentrated near its tip and results in roots extending through the soil. - The root tip is covered by a root caap: - The root tip contains three zones of ceells in successive stages of primary growth. Although described separately, these zones blend into a continuum i. Zone of cell division - Located: - The apical meristem is centrally locateed; it produces the primary meristems and replacement cells of the root cap. - The primary meristems will produce the tissue systems of the roots. ii. Zone of cell elongation - In this region: - The elongation of cells in this region pushes the root tip through the soil. - Continued growth is sustained by the meeristem's constant addition of new cells to the youngest end of the elongation zone. iii. Zone of maturation - Is located farthest from the root tip - Region where: a. Primary tissues of roots (see handout) Primary growth in roots leads to the formation of the following specialized tissues (described in sequence from the outside of the root to the inside):
1. Epidermis - location: - produces: - in older epidermis (of zone of maturatiion) the root hairs die and here the epidermis functions to protect the root. 2. Cortex - makes up the bulk of the root - main function: 3. endodermis - where is it: - forms a boundary between the cortex andd the stele - selectively regulates the passage of suubstances from the soil to the stele 4. vascular cylinder (= central cylinder or stele) - outer part of the vascular cylinder connsists of the pericycle which may become meristematic and give rise to lateral roots - inside the pericycle is the vascular tiissue - in dicots the xylem radiates from the sstele's center in spokes, with pholem in between the spokes - in monocots, a central pith (core of paarenchyma cells) is ringed by an alternating pattern of xylem and pholem 2. Primary growth of shoots A shoot's apical meristem is a dome-shaped mass of dividing cells at the tip of the terminal bud. - Forms the primary meristems that differrentiate into the three tissue systems. - On the flanks of the apical meristem doome:
- Meristematic cells left by the apical mmeristem at the base of the leaf primordia develop into: Most shoot elongation actually occurs due to growth of slightly older internodes below the shoot apex. - Growth is a result of both cell divisioon and elongation within the internode. Axillary buds: - Branches originate at the surface of thhe shoot and are connected to the vascular system which lies near the surface. Unlike their central position in a root, the vascular tissue runs the length of a stem in strands called: - At the transition zone, the stems vasccular bundles converge as the roots vascular cylinder. Each vascular bundle of the stem is surrounded by ground tissue. a. Primary tissues of stems (see handout) Primary tissue in the stem is similar to that of the root. The structures are as follows: 1. epidermis - epidermal cells are covered with a waxyy substance called cutin - cutin forms a protective layer called tthe: 2. cortex - consists: 3. vascular cylinder - consists of:
- in many conifers and dicots, the xylem and pholem are grouped in bundles which ring a central pith region, with the xylem facing the inside and the pholem the outside -- in between the xylem and pholem is a ssingle layer of cells that later will become the vascular cambium - in many monocots, the xylem and pholem bundles are scattered throughout a mast of pith and cortex cells 4. pith - consists of: b. Tissue organization of leaves Leaves are covered by an epidermis of tightly interlocked cells - It protects against physical damage andd pathogens. - A waxy cuticle prevents water loss. - Stomata: - Stomata also allow transpiration (waterr loss from plant by evaporation). - Stomata are usually more numerous on thhe bottom surface of the leaf. This location minimizes water loss. - specialized epidermal cells may be pressent such as hairs, glands, scales etc. The middle layer of tissue of a leaf is called the mesophyll. - Consists: - Dicots usually have two distinct regionns of mesophyll: i. Palisade parenchyma = - are specialized for photosynthesis - have numerous cholorplasts ii. Spongy parenchyma =
- the numberous intercellular spaces provvide air chambers that provide CO2 for photosynthetic cells and O2 for respiration The leaf vascular tissue is continuous with that of the stem through leaf veins which are branches from the stem vascular bundles. - Vascular bundles continue in the petiolle (stalk of the leaf) as a vein, which branches repeatedly throughout the mesophyll of the leaf blade. - This arrangement brings the photosyntheetic tissue of the leaf into close contact with xylem and phloem. - Functions also as a skeleton to supportt the shape of the leaf. c. Modular shoot construction and phase changes during development Shoots are constructed of a series of modules produced by the serial development of nodes and internodes within the shoot apex. - Each module consists: - Elongation of the internode provides foor primary growth of the plant. Modules found in the body of a plant represent various ages of tissue. The age of a module is: - In some plants, the mature shoot apex mmay undergo a second phase change to a flower-producing (reproductive) state. -- Primary growth of these shoot tips is terminated since the apical meristem is consumed in production of the flower. C. Secondary growth: lateral meristems add girth by producing secondary vascular tissue and periderm
A secondary plant body results from secondary growth. - Secondary growth results: - The secondary plant body is comprised oof the secondary tissues produced during growth in diameter. - Secondary growth results from two laterral meristems: -- Vascular cambium produces secondary xyylem and phloem. -- Cork cambium produces a tough, thick ccovering for roots and stems that replaces the epidermis. - Secondary growth occurs in all gymnospeerms and most dicot angiosperms. -- It is rare in monocots. 1. Secondary growth of stems a. Vascular cambium and the production of secondary vascular tissue Vascular cambium forms when meristemic cells develop between the primary xylem and primary phloem of each vascular bundle and in the rays of tissue between the bundles - Together, these meristematic bands formm a continuous cylinder of dividing cells around the xylem and pith of the stem. -- the vascular cambium of the rays produuce: -- the vascular cambium (developed withinn the vascular bundle) produce:
Over the years, the accumulated layers of secondary xylem produces wood that increases the girth of the stem and root. - The hardness and strength of wood resullts from these cells which, while dead at maturity, have thick, lignified walls.
- Forms annual growth rings due to yearlyy activity: cambium dormancy, spring wood production and summer wood production. - only xylem produced during the most reccent years remains active in the transport of water. This xylem is referred to as: - older xylem, located toward the center of the stem, is called: -- and functions: The secondary phloem does not accumulate extensively. The secondary phloem, and all tissues external to it, develop into bark which eventually sloughs off the tree trunk. It is important to note that primary and secondary growth occur simultaneously, but in different regions of the stem. b. Cork cambium and the production of periderm Cork cambium: - It first forms in the outer cortex of tthe stem. - Cork cells form to the outside oof cork cambium. - As cork cells mature, they deposit ssuberin (a waxy material) in their walls and die. - These dead cork tissues protect the steem from damage and pathogens while reducing water loss. - The combination of cork cambium and layyers of cork, form the periderm: - The term bark refers: Cork cambium is a cylinder of fixed size and does not grow in diameter. - As continued secondary growth splits itt, it is replaced by new cork
cambium formed deeper in the cortex. - When no cortex is left, it develops froom parenchyma cells in the secondary phloem (only the youngest secondary phloem, internal to cork cambium, functions in sugar transport). - Lenticels are present in the bark. Lenticel = 2. Secondary growth of roots Vascular cambium and cork cambium also function in secondary growth of roots. - The vascular cambium produces secondaryy xylem to its inside and secondary phloem to its outside. -- It is first located between xylem and phloem of the stele. -- The cortex and epidermis split and aree shed as the stele grows in diameter. - Cork cambium forms from the pericycle oof the stele and produces the periderm, which becomes secondary dermal tissue. -- Periderm:
Older roots become woody, and annual rings appear in the secondary xylem. - Old roots and old stems may look very ssimilar. CHAPTER 36 TRANSPORT IN PLANTS Land plants require a transport system, because unlike their aquatic ancestors, photosynthetic plant organs have no direct access to water and minerals. I. An Overview of Transport Mechanisms in Plants
Three levels of transport occur in plants: 1. Uptake and release of water and solutes by individual cells 2. Short-distance cell-to-cell transport at the level of tissues and organs 3. Long-distance transport of sap in xylem and phloem at the wholeplant level A. Transport at the cellular level depends on the selective permeability of membranes Water and solute transport was covered in detail in Chapter 8. B. Proton pumps play a central role in transport across plant membranes A proton pump hydrolyzes ATP and uses the energy to pump hydrogen ions (H+) out of the cell. - Produces a proton gradient with a higherr concentration outside of the cell - Produces a membrane potential, since thee inside of the plant cell is negative in relation to the outside This membrane potential and the stored energy of the proton gradient are used by the plant to transport many different molecules. C. Differences in water potential drive water transport in plant cells Osmosis results in the net uptake or loss of water by the cell and depends on which component, the cell or extracellular fluids, has the highest water potential. Water always moves from areas of high potential to areas of low potential. - was discussed initially in chapters 8. 1. How solutes and pressure affect water potential (a review) Pure water in an open container has a water potential of zero - Addition of solutes to water lowers the water potential into the negative range.
- Increased external pressure raises the wwater potential into the positive range. - A negative external pressure, or tensionn, may also move water across a membrane; this bulk flow (movement of water due to pressure differences) is usually faster than the movement caused by different solute concentrations. 2. Aquaporins Until recently, most biologists accepted the hypothesis that leakage of water through the lipid bilayer accounted for the flux of water across plasma membranes. Recent experimental data suggests that water transport is too specific and too rapid to be explained entirely by diffusion through the lipid bilayer, - Water-specific channels made up of transsport proteins, called aquaporins, have been discovered in plant and animal cells. - Aquaporins do not actively transport watter, but rather facilitate its diffusion (osmosis). -- Aquaporins do not affect the water poteential gradient or the direction of water flow, but rather the rate at which water diffuses down its water potential gradient. D. Vacuolated cells have three major compartments The three major compartments of a plant cell are the 1) cell wall, 2) cytosol, and 3) tonoplast. Tonoplast =
Two of the three cellular compartments of plants are continuous between cells. - Plasmodesmata (small tubes that cconnect the cytoplasm of adjacent cells) create a
cytoplasmic continuum called the symplast. - The walls of adjacent cells are connecteed to forming a continuum of cell walls called the apoplast. E. The symplast and apoplast both function in transport within tissues and organs Lateral transport is short-distance transport, usually along the radial axis of plant organs. It can occur by three routes, in plant tissues and organs: 1. Across the plasma membranes and cell walls: 2. The symplast route:
Water and solute molecules can move laterally in a plant organ by any one of these routes or by switching from one route to another. F. Bulk flow function in long-distance transport Diffusion in a solution is fairly efficient for transport over distances of cellular dimensions (less than 100 microns). However, diffusion is much too slow for long-distance transport within a plant - for example, the movement of water and minerals from roots to leaves.
Water and solutes can move more efficiently by bulk flow: Vascular tissues are involved in this type of transport as diffusion would be too slow. - Bulk flow (movement due to pressure diffferences) moves water and solutes through xylem. - Transpiration reduces pressure in the leeaf xylem; this creates a tension which pulls sap up through the xylem from the roots. - Hydrostatic pressure develops at one endd of the cells of phloem; this forces the sap to the other end of the cell. II. Absorption of Water and Minerals by Roots Water and minerals enter plants through the following transport pathway:
A. Root hairs, mycorrhizae, and a large surface area of cortical cells enhance water and mineral absorption
- Most absorption occurs near root tips whhere the epidermis is permeable to water. - Root hairs, extensions of epidermmal cells, increase the surface area available for absorption. - Most plants form symbiotic relationshipss with fungi; the "infected" roots form mycorrhizae, a structure made from the plant roots and the hyphae of fungi. Water and minerals absorbed by the hyphae are transferred to the host plant.
Lateral transport of minerals and water through the root is usually by a combination of
apoplastic and symplastic routes. - The apoplastic route brings the soil sollution into the cortex cells:
-- Cells cannot absorb a sufficient supplyy of mineral ions by diffusion alone, the soil solution is too dilute. Active transport permits root cells to accumulate essential minerals in very high concentrations. B. The endodermis functions as a selective sentry between the root cortex and vascular tissue
- Only minerals using the symplastic routee may move directly into the vascular tissues. They have been previously selected by the membrane of the root hairs. - Minerals and water passing through apopllasts:
Water and minerals enter into the stele through the cells of the endodermis. - Casparian strips ensure that all substannces entering the stele pass through at least one membrane, allowing only selected ions to pass into the stele. Also prevents stele contents from leaking back into the apoplast and out into the soil. - Water and minerals enter the stele via ssymplast: - Endodermal cells (of the stele) selectivvely discharge minerals into the apoplast so they may enter the xylem. This action probably involves
diffusion and active transport. - Those minerals and water that move into the apoplast are free to enter the tracheids and xylem vessels. III. Transport of Xylem Sap A. The ascent of xylem sap depends mainly on transpiration and the physical properties of water Xylem sap flows upward to veins that branch throughout each leaf, providing each with water. - Xylem sap flows upward at 15m per hour oor faster. Plants loose an astonishing amount of water by transpiration. Water transported up from roots must replace that lost by transpiration. - Transpiration: - The upward flow of xylem sap also providdes nutrients (minerals) to the shoot system. 1. Pushing xylem sap: root pressure When transpiration is low, active transport of ions into the xylem decreases the stele's water potential and causes water flow into the stele. This osmotic water uptake increases pressure which forces fluid up the xylem (= root pressure). - Root pressure causes guttation: - The water droplets escape which relieve the pressure caused by more water entering the leaves than is lost by transpiration.
Root pressure is not the major mechanism driving the ascent of xylem sap. - Cannot keep pace with transpiration - Can only force water up a few meters 2. Pulling xylem sap: the transpiration-cohesion-tension mechanism For the most part, xylem sap is not pushed from below by root pressure but pulled upward by the leaves themselves. Transpiration pulls xylem sap upward, and cohesion of water transmits the upwardpull along the entire' length of xylem. a. Transpirational pull Transpirational pull depends upon the creation of negative pressure. Transpiration (the evaporation of water from plants) creates:
This negative pressure pulls water from the xylem into the mesophyll of the leaf:
b. Cohesion and adhesion of water The transpirational pull on the xylem sap is transmitted all the way from the leaves to the root tips and even into the soil solution. Cohesion of water due to hydrogen bonding Helping to fight gravity is the strong adhesion of water molecules The small diameter of vessels of the xylem is important to the adhesion effect. By being small in diameter, you have a greater portion of the water column in contact with the side walls, allowing for a greater effect due to adhesion. IV. The Control of Transpiration
A. Guard cells mediate the photosynthesis-transpiration compromise Transpiration results in a tremendous water loss from the plant. This water is replaced by the upward movement of water through the xylem. Guard cells surrounding stomata balance the requirements for photosynthesis with the need to conserve water. 1. The photosynthesis-transpiration compromise Large surface areas along a leafs air spaces are needed for CO2 intake for photosynthesis, but also results in greater surface area for evaporative water loss. - Internal surface area of a leaf may be 110 to 30 times the external surface area. - This structural feature: - About 90% of the water that a plant losees escapes through stomata, though these pores account for only 1 - 2 % of the external leaf surface. - Stomata are more concentrated on the botttom of leaves, away from the sun; this reduces evaporative loss. - The waxy leaf cuticle prevents water losss from the rest of the leaf surface. Benefits of transpiration:
If transpiration exceeds delivery of water by xylem, plants wilt. - Plants can adjust to reduce risk of wiltting.
The change in turgor pressure that regulates stomatal opening results from reversible uptake and loss of K+ by guard cells. - Uptake of K+ decreases guard cell water potential so H2O is taken up, cells become turgid, and stomata open. - Closing of the stomata results when K+ eexits the guard cells and creates an osmotic loss of water. By integrating internal and external environmental cues, guard cells open and close, balancing the requirements for photosynthesis with the need to conserve water from transpirational loss. B. Xerophytes have adaptations that reduce transpiration Xerophytes: - Small, thick leaves (reduced surface areea:volume, so less H2O loss) - A thick cuticle - Stomata are in depressions on the undersside of leaves to protect from water loss due to drying winds. - Some shed leaves in the driest time of tthe year. - Cacti and others store water in stems duuring the wet season. Two mechanisms have also involved in response to hot dry days 1. C4 Plants C4 plants: - this adaptation has occurred because PEPP has a greater affinity for CO2 then does rubisco (the molecule of the Calvin cycle that normally incorporates
the CO2). Thus during hot dry bright days when the stomata are closed, the plant has a better ability to incorporate the limited amount of CO2 into photosynthesis. - examples of plants that do this are sugaarcane, corn, and members of grass family 2. CAM plants Some plants ouse CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) to assimilate CO2
- Thus, stomata can close during the day, the plant conserves water, and there is still an ample supply of CO2 for photosynthesis. V. Translocation of Phloem Sap Translocation = - In angiosperms, sieve-tube members are tthe specialized cells of phloem that function in translocation. -- Sieve-tube members are arranged end-to--end forming long sieve tubes. -- Porous cross walls called sieve plates are in between the members and allow phloem to move freely along the sieve tubes. Phloem sap contains primarily sucrose, but also: A. Phloem translocates its sap from sugar sources to sugar sinks Phloem sap movement is not unidirectional; it moves through the sieve tubes from a source (production area) to a sink (use or storage area).
Sugar source = Sugar sink = Sugar flows from source to sink. - Source and sink depend on season. A tubeer is the sink when stockpiling in the summer, but is the source in the spring. - Minerals may also be transported to sinkks. - The sink is usually supplied by the nearrest source. - Direction of flow within a phloem elemennt can change, depending on locations of the source and sink. B. Phloem loading and unloading Sugar produced at a source: - Depending upon the species, the movementt of sugar may involves a combination of symplastic and apoplastic routes - In addition, some plants have transfer ccells.
Sucrose is unloaded: - In some plants, sucrose is unloaded fromm the phloem by active transport. - In other species diffusion moves the succrose from the phloem into the cells of the sink. - Both symplastic and apoplastic routes maay be involved. C. Pressure flow is the mechanism of translocation in angiosperms Phloem sap flows up to 1 m per hour, too fast for just diffusion or cytoplasmic streaming. The flow is by a bulk flow (pressure-flow) mechanism:
- At the source end, phloem loading causess high solute concentrations. -- Hydrostatic pressure is greatest at thee source end of the tube. - At the sink end, the water potential is lower outside the tube due to:
- Xylem vessels recycle water from the sink to the source. CHAPTER 37 PLANT NUTRITION I. Nutritional Requirements of Plants Plants and other photosynthetic autotrophs play a critical role in the energy flow and chemical cycling of ecosystems by transforming: - Light energy into chemical bond energy - Inorganic compounds into organic compounds To accomplish these tasks, plants require: - Sunlight as the energy source for photosynthesis - Inorganic, raw materials, such as: -- Carbon dioxide -- Water -- Variety of inorganic, mineral ions in the soil To acquire the resources of light and inorganic nutrients, plants have highly branched root and shoot systems with large surface areas for exchange with their environment, soil and air. II. The Special Case of Nitrogen as a Plant Nutrient A. The metabolism of soil bacteria makes nitrogen available to plants Plants require nitrogen to produce proteins, nucleic acids and other organic molecules. - Plants can not use nitrogen in gaseous form (N2) - To be assimilated by plants, nitrogen must be in the form of
ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3- ). There is a complex cycling of nitrogen in ecosystems: - Over the short term, the main source of nitrogenous minerals is the decomposition of humus by microbes. -- For example, ammonifying bacteria -- Nitrogen in organic compounds is repackaged into inorganic compounds that can be absorbed as minerals by roots. - Nitrogen is lost from this local cycle when soil denitrifying bacteria convert NO3- to N2, which diffuses form the soil to the atmosphere. - Nitrogen fixing bacteria restock nitrogenous minerals in the soil by converting N2 to NH3 (ammonia), a metabolic process called nitrogen fixation. -- Nitrogen fixation = The process of converting atmospheric nitrogen (gaseous state) to nitrogenous compounds that can be directly used by plants (nitrate ion or ammonia) -- In the soil, ammonia is converted to the ammonium ion which plants can absorb: NH3 + H+ --NH4+ -- Plants acquire most of their nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO3- ), which is produced in soil by nitrifying bacteria that oxidize ammonium ion. NO4+ ----NO3-
-- Other species of nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in plant roots in symbiotic relationships (see below). -- Nitrogen absorbed by the plant is incorporated into organic compounds. III. Nutritional Adaptations: Symbiosis of Plants and Soil Microbes A. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation results from intricate interactions between roots and bacteria
Legumes (e.g., peas, beans, soybeans, peanuts, alfalfa, clover) have a builtin source of fixed nitrogen because they possess root nodules. Nodules = Root swellings composed of plant cells that contain nitrogenfixing bacteria of the genus Rhizobium. This association is mutualistic; the bacteria supplies fixed nitrogen, and the plant supplies carbohydrates and other organic compounds. Most of the ammonium produced is used by the nodules to make amino acids for export to the shoots and leaves. B. Mycorrhizae are symbiotic associations of roots and fungi that enhance plant nutrition Mycorrhizae = Symbiotic associations (mutualistic) between plant roots and fungi; the fungus either forms a sheath around the root or penetrates root tissue - Help the plant absorb water - Absorb minerals, and may secrete acid that increases mineral solubility and converts minerals to forms easily used by the plant - The plant nourishes the fungus with photosynthetic products. Almost all plants are capable of forming mycorrhizae if exposed to the proper species of fungi. Plants grow more vigorously when mycorrhizae are present IV. Nutrition Adaptations: Parasitism and Predation By Plants Some plant adaptations enhance nutrition through interactions with other organisms. A. Parasitic plants extract nutrients from other plants Some parasitic plants: - Are photosynthetic, and only supplement nutrition by obtaining xylem
sap from their host plant (e.g., mistletoe) Epiphytes are plants that: - Grow on the surface of other plants, anchored by roots, but are not parasitic - Nourish themselves from the water and minerals absorbed from rain - Examples include Spanish moss and staghorn ferns B. Carnivorous plants supplement their mineral nutrition by digesting animals Carnivorous plants: - Live in habitats with poor (usually nitrogen deficient) soil conditions - Are photosynthetic, but obtain some nitrogen and minerals by killing and digesting insects Most insect traps evolved by modification of leaves and are usually equipped with glands that secrete digestive juices to the outside to breakdown the trapped insect. CHAPTER 38 PLANT REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT Modifications in reproduction were key adaptations enabling plants to spread into a variety of terrestrial habitats. - Water has been replaced by wind and animals as a means for spreading gametes. - Embryos are protected in seeds. - Vegetative reproduction is an asexual mechanism for propagation in many environments. I. Sexual Reproduction A. Sporophyte and gametophyte generations alternate in the life cycles of plants - review from previous notes
Several variations on the basic flower structure have evolved during the angiosperm evolutionary history. Perfect power = A flower having both stamens and carpels (may be incomplete by lacking either sepals or petals) Imperfect fower = A flower that is either staminate (having stamens but no carpels) or carpellate (having carpels but no stamens); a unisex flower Monoecious = Plants having both staminate flowers and carpellate flowers on the same individual plant Dioecious = Plants having staminate flowers and carpellate flowers on separate individual plants of the species B. Pollination brings female and male gametophytes together - review from previous notes Pollination = The placement of pollen onto the stigma of a carpel - Some plants use wind to disperse pollen. - Other plants interact with animals that transfer pollen directly between flowers. - Some plants self-pollinate, but most cross-pollinate. Most monoecious angiosperms have mechanisms to prevent selfpollination. These mechanisms thus contribute to genetic variation in the species by ensuring sperm and eggs are from different plants. - The stamens and carpels mature at different times in some species. - Structural arrangement of the flower in many species pollinated by animals reduces the chance that pollinators will transfer pollen from anthers to the stigma of the same flower. - Other species are self-incompatible. If a pollen grain lands on the
stigma of the same flower, a biochemical block prevents the pollen grain from developing and fertilizing the egg. C. Double fertilization gives rise to the zygote and endosperm - review from previous notes D. The ovule develops into a seed containing an embryo and a supply of nutrients (endosperm) 1. Endosperm development - review from previous notes 2. Embryo development (embryogenesis) - review from previous notes 3. Structure of the mature seed In mature seeds, the embryo is dormant until germination. - The embryo is surrounded by endosperm, enlarged cotyledons, or both. - The seed coat is formed from the integuments of the ovule. The arrangement within the seed of a dicot: - Below the cotyledon attachment point, the embryonic axis is called the hypocotyl, which terminates in the radicle, or embryonic root. - Above the cotyledons, the embryonic axis is called the epicotyl, which terminates in the plumule (shoot tip with a pair of tiny leaves). - Fleshy cotyledons are present in some dicots before germination due to their absorption of nutrients from the endosperm. - In other dicots, thin cotyledons are found, and nutrient absorption and transfer occur only after germination.
A monocot seed has a single cotyledon. - in many monocots, a sheath called the coleoptile surrounds and protects the epicotyl. E. The ovary develops into a fruit adapted for seed dispersal A fruit develops from the ovary of the flower while seeds are developing from the ovules. A true fruit is a ripened ovary. F. Evolutionary adaptations contribute to seedling survival Seed germination represents the continuation of growth and development, which was interrupted when the embryo became quiescent at seed maturation. - Some seeds germinate as soon as they reach a suitable environment. - Other seeds require a specific environmental cue before they will break dormancy. 1. Seed dormancy The evolution of the seed was an important adaptation by plants to living in terrestrial habitats. - The environmental conditions in terrestrial habitats fluctuate more often than conditions in aquatic habitats. Seed dormancy prevents germination when conditions for seedling growth are unfavorable. - It increases the chance that germination will occur at a time and place most advantageous to the success of the seedling. Conditions for breaking dormancy vary depending on the type of environment the plant inhabits. - Seeds of desert plants may not germinate unless there has been heavy
rainfall (not after a light shower). - In chaparral regions where brushfires are common, seeds may not germinate unless exposed to intense heat, after a fire has cleared away older, competing vegetation. - Other seeds may require exposure to cold, sunlight, or passage through an animal's digestive system before germination will occur. A dormant seed may remain viable for a few days to a few decades (most are viable for at least a year or two). This provides a pool of ungerminated seeds in the soil, which is one reason vegetation appears so rapidly after environmental disruptions. 2. From seed to seedling The first step in seed germination in many plants is imbibition (absorption of water). - Hydration causes the seed to swell and rupture the seed coat. - Hydration also triggers metabolic changes in the embryo that cause it to resume growth. - Storage materials of the endosperm or cotyledons are digested by enzymes and the nutrients transferred to the growing regions of the embryo. - The radicle (embryonic root) then emerges from the seed. The next step in the change from a seed to a seedling is the shoot tip breaking through the soil surface. - elongation of the hypocotyl pushes the hypocotyl above ground. - Light stimulates the hypocotyl to straighten, raising the cotyledons and epicotyl. - The epicotyl then spreads the first leaves which become green and begin photosynthesis. Germination may follow different methods depending on the plant species. - In monocots, the coleoptile pushes through the soil and the shoot tip
grows up through the tunnel of the tubular coleoptile. Only a small fraction of the seedlings will survive to the adult plant stage. - Large numbers of seeds and fruits are produced to compensate for this loss. II. Asexual Reproduction A. Many plants can clone themselves by asexual reproduction Asexual reproduction (or vegetative reproduction) = The production of offspring from a single parent; occurs without genetic recombination, resulting in a clone The major natural mechanisms of vegetative reproduction is fragmentation. Fragmentation = Separation of a parent plant into parts that re-form whole plant -The most common form of vegetative reproduction - Some species of dicots exhibit a variation of fragmentation during which the parental root system develops adventitious shoots that become separate shoot systems. CHAPTER 39 CONTROL SYSTEMS IN PLANTS Control systems in plants are adaptations that evolved over time in response to interactions with their environment. Plants respond to environmental stimuli by: - Sending signals between different parts of the plant. - Tracking the time of day and the time of year. - Sensing and responding to gravity and direction of light, etc. - Adjusting their growth pattern and development. I. Plant Hormones
Hormone = A compound produced by one part of an organism that is transported to other parts where it triggers a response in target cells and tissues A. Research on how plants grow toward light led to the discovery of plant hormones: science as a process Phototropism = Growth toward or away from light - Growth of a shoot toward light is positive phototropism; growth away from the light is negative phototropism. - Results form differential growth of cells on opposite sides of a shoot, or in the case of a grass seedling, coleoptile. - Cells on the darker side elongate faster than those on the light side. Experiments on phototropism led to the discovery of a plant hormone. Charles and Francis Darwin removed the tip of the coleoptile from a grass seedling (or covered it with an opaque cap) and it failed to grow toward light. They concluded that: - The coleoptile tip was responsible for sensing light. - Since the curvature occurs some distance below the tip, the tip sends a signal to the elongating region. Peter Boysen-Jensen separated the tip from the remainder of the coleoptile by a block of gelatin, preventing cellular contact, but allowing chemical diffusion. - Seedlings behaved normally. - If an impenetrable barrier was substituted, no phototropic response occurred. - These experiments demonstrated that the signal was a mobile substance. In 1926, F.W. Went removed the coleoptile tip, placed it on an agar block, and then put the agar (without the tip) on decapitated coleoptiles kept in the dark.
- A block centered on the coleoptile caused the stem to grow straight up. - If the block was placed off-center, the plant curved away from the side with the block. - Went concluded the agar block contained a chemical that diffused into it from the coleoptile tip, and that this chemical stimulated growth. - Went called this chemical an auxin. Kenneth Thimann later purified and characterized auxin. B. Plant hormones help coordinate growth, development, and responses to environmental stimuli Plant hormones control plant growth and development by affecting division, elongation, and differentiation of cells. - Effects depend on site of action, stage of plant growth and hormone concentration. - Reaction to hormones depends on hormonal balance (relative concentration of one hormone compared with others). Major classes of plant hormones include: 1. Auxin (such as IAA) 2. Cytokinins (such as zeatin) 3. Gibberellins (such as GA3) 4. Abscisic acid 5. Ethylene 1. Auxin Auxin = A hormone that promotes elongation of young developing shoots or coleoptiles The natural auxin found in plants is a compound named indoleacetic acid (IAA). a. Auxin and cell elongation The apical meristem is a major site of auxin production.
Auxin moves from the apex down to the zone of cell elongation. - IAA is actively transported down a stem by auxin carriers located on the basal ends of cells (carriers are absent on the apical ends). Auxin promotes plant growth by facitliating the elongation of developing cells. - Auxins stimulate proton pumps that acidify the cell wall. - Acidification causes the crosslinks between the cellulose myofibrils of the cell walls to break (via disruption of hydrogen bonds). - This loosens the wall, allowing water uptake, which results in elongation of the cell. b. Other effects of auxin Affects secondary growth by inducing vascular cambium cell division and differentiation of secondary xylem. Promotes formation of adventitious roots. Promotes fruit growth in many plants. 2. Cytokinins Cytokinins = Modified forms of adenine that stimulate cytokinesis Cytokinins function in several areas of plant growth: - Cell division and differentiation - Apical dominance - Anti-aging hormones a. Control of cell division and differentiation Cytokinins move from the roots to target tissues by moving up in the xylem sap. They stimulate RNA and protein synthesis. The new proteins produced by stimulation of RNA appear to be involved in cell division. Cytokinins, in conjunction with auxin, control cell division and differentiation. - More cytokinin than auxin causes shoot buds to develop. - More auxin than cytokinin causes roots to form.
b. Control of apical dominance Cytokinins and auxin contribute to apical dominance through an antagonistic mechanism. - Auxin from the terminal bud restrains axillary bud growth, causing the shoot to lengthen. - Cytokinins (from the roots) stimulate axillary bud growth. - Auxin cannot suppress axillary bud growth once it has begun. - Lower buds thus grow before higher ones since they are closer to the cytokinin source than the auxin source. Auxin stimulates lateral root formation while cytokinins restrain it. This stimulation-inhibition action may help balance plant growth since an increase in the root system would signal the plant to produce more shoots. c. Cytokinins as anti-aging hormones Cytokinins can retard aging of some plant organs, perhaps by inhibiting protein breakdown, stimulating RNA and protein synthesis, and mobilizing nutrients. 3. Gibberellins More than 80 different gibberellins, many naturally occurring, have been identified. a. Stem elongation Gibberellins are produced primarily in roots and young leaves. They: Stimulate growth in leaves and stems but show little effect on roots Stimulate cell division and elongation in stems, possibly in conjunction with auxin - Cause bolting (rapid growth of floral stems, which elevates flowers) b. Fruit growth
Fruit development is controlled by both gibberellins and auxin. - In some plants, both must be present for fruit set. c. Germination The release of gibberellins signals seeds to break dormancy and germinate. - A high concentration of gibberellins is found in many seeds, especially in the embryo. - Imbibed water appears to stimulate gibberellin release. - Environmental cues may also cause gibberellin release in seeds which require special conditions to germinate. In breaking both seed dormancy and apical bud dormancy, gibberellins act antagonistically with abscisic acid, which inhibits plant growth. 4. Abscisic acid (ABA) Abscisic acid is produced in the terminal bud and helps prepare plants for winter by suspending both primary and secondary growth. - Directs leaf primordia to develop scales that protect dormant buds. - Inhibits cell division in vascular cambium. The onset of seed dormancy is another time it is advantageous to suspend growth. - In most cases, the ratio of ABA:gibberellins determines whether seeds remain dormant or germinate. - In other plants, seeds germinate when ABA is washed out of the seeds (desert plants) or degraded by some other stimulus such as sunlight. ABA also acts as a stress hormone, closing stomata in times of water-stress thus reducing transpirational water loss. 5. Ethylene Ethylene = A gaseous hormone that diffuses through air spaces between plant cells - Ethylene can also move in the cytosol, traveling from cell to cell.
High auxin concentrations induce release of ethylene, which acts as a growth inhibitor. a. Senescence in plants Senescence (aging) is a natural process in plants that may occur at the cellular, organ, or whole plant level. Ethylene probably plays an important role at each level. Examples: - Leaf fall in the autumn - Withering of flowers - Death of annuals after flowering The best studied forms of senescence are fruit ripening and leaf abscission. b. Fruit ripening During fruit ripening, ethylene triggers senescence, and then the aging cells release more ethylene. - The breakdown of cell walls and loss of chlorophyll are considered aging processes. - The signal to ripen spreads from fruit to fruit since ethylene is a gas. c. Leaf abscission Leaf abscission is an adaptation that prevents deciduous trees from desiccating during winter when roots cannot absorb water from the frozen ground. - Before abscission, the leafs essential elements are shunted to storage tissues in the stem from which they are recycled to new leaves in the spring. - Environmental stimuli are shortening days and cooler temperatures. When a leaf falls, the breakpoint is an abscission layer near the petiole base. Mechanics of abscission are controlled by a change in the balance of ethylene and auxin. - Auxin decrease makes cells in the abscission layer more sensitive t o ethylene. Cells
then produce more ethylene which inhibits auxin production. - Ethylene induces synthesis of enzymes that digest the polysaccharides in the cell walls, further weakening the abscission layer. Wind and weight cause the leaf to fall by causing a separation in the abscission layer. Even before the leaf falls, a layer of cork forms a protective scar on the twig's side of the abscission layer. The cork prevents pathogens from entering the plant. II. Plant Movements As Models for Studying Control Systems A. Tropisms orient the growth of plant organs toward or away from stimuli Tropisms = Growth responses that result in curvatures of whole plant organs toward or away from stimuli. - Mechanism is a differential rate of cell elongation on opposite sides of the organ. Three primary stimuli that result in tropisms are light (phototropism ), gravity (gravitropism), and touch (thigmotropism). 1. Phototropism Phototropism = Growth either toward or away from light It is generally accepted that cells on the darker side of a grass coleoptile elongate faster than cells on the bright side due to asymmetric distribution of auxins moving down from the shoot tip. - For organs, other than grass coleoptiles, the mechanism may be different. No evidence exists that unilateral light causes an asymmetric distribution of auxins in the stems of many dicots. There is evidence that other substances that act
as growth inhibitors do have an asymmetric distribution toward the lighted side of the stem. Regardless of the mechanism, the shoot tip is the site of the photoreception that triggers the growth response. 2. Gravitropism Gravitropism = Orientation of a plant in response to gravity Roots display positive gravitropism (curve downward). Shoots display negative gravitropism (bend upward). The response to gravity by stems and roots is not well understood. In general, both auxins and gibberellins are involved, but their action depends on their relative concentrations and the target organ ( stem or root). The role of auxin appears to agree with the following: a. If a stem is horizontal, axins produced in th apical meristem move down the stem and concentrate on its lower side. Since auxin stimulates cell elongation, the cells on the bottom elongate and the stem bends upward. b. If a root is horizontal, auxin is produced at the apical meristem (root tip), moves up the roots, and concentrates on the lower side. However auxins in roots inhibit growth. Auxins and gibberllins do not move in response to gravity. Starch, in plastids called statoliths, does respond to gravity. It is believed that the movement of starch to the lower part of the stem or root somehow influences the direction of the auxin movement. 3. Thigmotropism
Thigmotropism = Directional growth in response to touch - Contact of tendrils stimulates a coiling response caused by differential growth of cells on opposite sides of the tendril. - Usually results from increased ethylene production in response to chronic mechanical stimulation. III. Control of Daily and Seasonal Responses A. Biological clocks control circadian rhythms in plants and other eukaryotes Biological clocks (internal oscillators that keep accurate time) are common in all eukaryotes and control many rhythmic phenomena. - Many human features (e.g., blood pressure, temperature, metabolic rate) fluctuate with the time of the day. - Plants display sleep movements and a rhythmic pattern of opening and closing stomata. Circadian rhythm = A physiological cycle with a frequency of about 24 hours - Persists even when an organism is sheltered from environmental cues. - The oscillator is probably endogenous (build in) and is set to a 24-hour period by daily signals from the environment. - Most biological clocks are cued to the light-dark cycle resulting from the Earth's rotation. - Recent research suggests that the clock is a molecular mechanism common to all eukaryotes. Timekeeping appears to be related to the synthesis of a protein that regulates its own production through feedback. B. Photoperiodism synchronizes many plant responses to changes of season Photoperiodism = A physiological response to day length
Seasonal events (seed germination, flowering) are important in plant life cycles. Plants detect the time of year by the photoperiod (relative lengths of night and day). 1. Photoperiodism and the control of flowering W.W. Garner and H.A. Allard (1920) postulated that the amount of day length controls flowering. Based on their studies, they classified plants into three categories: i. Short-day plants require a light period shorter than a critical length and generally flower in late summer, fall and winter. ii. Long-day plants flower only when the light period is longer than a certain number of hours, generally in late spring and summer. iii. Day-neutral plants are unaffected by photoperiod and flower when they reach a certain stage of maturity. a. Critical night length It was discovered in the 1940s that night length, not day length, actually controls flowering and other responses to photoperiod. - Therefore, short-day plants flower if night is longer than a critical length, and long-day plants need a night shorter than a critical length. Others respond to photoperiod only if they have been previously exposed to another stimulus. For example, some plants need cold before flowering. IV. Phytochromes A. Phytochromes function as a photoreceptors in many plant responses to light and photoperiod
Pigments named phytochromes help plants measure the length of darkness in a photoperiod. Phytochrome = A protein containing a chromophore (light-absorbing component) responsible for a plant's response to photoperiod There are two forms of phytochrome: - They differ in regards to what wavelengths of light they absorb - Pr (or P660) absorb red wavelengths (wavelength of 660 nm) - Pfr (or P730) absorb far-red wavelengths (wavelength of 730 nm) The two froms are photoreversible: - When Pr is exposed to red light , it is converted to Pfr. - When Pfr is exposed to far-red light, it is converted back to Pr. 1. The ecological significance of phytochrome as a photoreceptor Phytochrome functions as a photodetector that tells the plant if light is present. Plants synthesize phytochrome as Pr (in the leaves of the plant) - If kept in dark, it remains as Pr, but if the phytochrome is illuminated, some Pr, is converted to Pfr. - Shifts in the Pr and Pfr ratio may cause changes (e.g., increased growth) which would adjust a plant's growth and development in response to some environmental changes. Phytochromes trigger many plant responses to light (e.g., seed germination, flowering, growth). V. Plant Responses to Environmental Stress A. Plants cope with environmental stress through a combination of developmental and physiological responses
A plant must adjust to environmental fluctuations every day of its life. Severe fluctuations may put plants under stress. Stress = An environmental condition that can have an adverse effect on a plant's growth, reproduction, and survival 1. Responses to water deficit Plants have control systems in both the leaves and roots that help them cope with water deficits. Most control systems in leaves help the plant conserve water by reducing transpirational water loss. - Guard cells lose turgor and the stomata close when a leaf faces a water deficit. - Growth of young leaves is inhibited by a water deficit since cell expansion is a turgor-dependent process. -- This reduces transpiration by slowing the increase in leaf surface area. - The leaves of many grasses and other plants wilt; they roll into a shape that reduces the surface area exposed to the sun, thus reducing transpiration. Roots respond to water deficits by reducing growth. - Drying of the soil from the surface down inhibits the growth of shallow roots. -- The cells cannot retain the turgor necessary for elongation. - Deeper roots surrounded by moist soil continue to grow. -- This maximizes root exposure to soil moisture. 2. Responses to heat stress Transpiration is one mechanism that helps plants respond to excessive heat and prevent the denaturing of enzymes and damage to metabolism. - The evaporative cooling associated with transpiration keeps the temperature of the
leaf 3o to 10oC lower than ambient temperature. - Cooling via transpiration will continue while stomata remain open; however, if a water deficit occurs, the stomata close and the cooling function is lost in order to conserve water. 3. Responses to cold stress Chilling of a plant (reduction of ambient temperature to a non-freezing level) causes a change in the fluidity of cell membranes. Plants respond to the cold stress of chilling by altering the lipid composition of their membranes. - The proportion of saturated fatty acids in the membrane is increased. -- The shape of the fatty acids reduces crystal formation, thus maintaining fluidity at lower temperatures. - This modification works best for gradual temperature changes as it takes several hours to days to occur. Subfreezing temperatures are the most severe form of cold stress because ice crystals begin to form in the plant. - When ice crystals form in the protoplasts, the cell usually dies. -- The ice crystals perforate the membranes and organelles. - Woody plants which are native to regions where cold winters occur have adaptations to cope with the stress of freezing. -- The solute composition of live cells is changed in a way that prevents ice crystal formation. 4. Responses to herbivores Plants counter excessive grazing by herbivores with both physical and chemical defense measures.
- Physical defenses include structures such as thorns and spines. - Chemical defenses take the form of distasteful or toxic compounds. Some plants even recruit predatory animals to help defend against herbivores. - Certain wasps inject their eggs into their prey (e.g., caterpillars). Upon hatching, the larvae feed upon, and eventually kill, the caterpillar (this benefits the plant). - The plant attracts wasps via volatile chemical signals released from caterpillar-induced wounded plant tissue. VI. Defense Against Pathogens Plants, like animals, are subject to infection from various pathogens. Plant structure (epidermis and periderm) offers the first line of defense. Plants also posses a chemicalbased second line of defense akin to the immune system of animals. Plants infected by a virulent pathogen are capable of resisting infection through a localized chemical signaling system. The response involves the following factors: - Activation of genes that encode for compounds that are antibacterial or act as signals to adjacent cells. -- The adjacent cells now will produce their own antibacterial agents or signal hormones. - The infected cells will also synthesize lignin or cross-link of molecules of cell wall, actions aimed at isolating the infection. This acts as a barrier, slowing the spread of the pathogen