Unit 3: Kingdom Plantae - Vital Functions

Nutrition

Photosynthesis: hotosynthesis is found in the chloroplasts. The absorbed water and carbon dioxide reach the chloroplasts from the green parts of the plant. When the water and carbon dioxide are in the chloroplasts, together with the light energy, they synthesise organic molecules, such as carbohydrates, and the oxygen is released as waste. After, the carbohydrates and the water are mixed to form phloem sap.

Respiration: The respiration takes place in the mitochondria, to carry out this process, the plant absorbs oxygen via the stomata, and it obtains energy from carbohydrates obtained in the photosynthesis. Water and carbon dioxide are produced, and the carbon dioxide is wasted.

Absorbing carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide enters through the stomata, are microscopic pores situated on the abaxial part of the leaves.

Absorbing water and minerals: The water and minerals are absorbed by cells in the roots called root hairs which produce xylem sap

Distributing substances: The parts of the plant have also, vessels, a combination of many tubes which circulate substances. The Xylem sap circulates from the roots towards the green parts of the plant. The Phloem Sap circulates from the green parts towards all of the plant's cells.

Expelling waste: The plants don't have special organs to expell out waste. This process is carried out by the entire surface in the plant, especially via the stem and the leaves. Here are the wasted products are: Gases, suchas oxygen carbon and excess water, which are eliminaed throught the stomata. And other waste products such as latex.

Interaction

Tropisms: The tropisms are movements to the plant growth on one of its parts. The tropisms can be positive, if the plant grows towards the stimulus) or it can be negative (if the plant is away from it) From example, the phototropism is positive on the stems, that it grows towards the light nad negative in the roots, which grow towards the darkness.

Seasonal changes: The seasonal changes are, for example, a plant grows in spring, the fruit ripes in summer, and the trees dropping leaves in autumn, this happens depending on many factors such as temperature, luminosity or the lenght of day and lenght of night. We can differentiate it between long-day plants and short.day plants. The long-day plants are plants that need more exposure of sunlight for flowering, like oats or orange trees, or short.day plants that they need more exposure to darkness for flowering, like soy or rice.

Nastic movements: The nastic movements are fast movements, but it doesn't last long. They are transitory responses and after it returns to its original position afterwards. They can be produced as a response of contact, that is called thigmonasty, for example, it happens on carnivorous plants, when a insect is in contact with the plant, or photnasty, that is when a plant like the sunflower follow to the sun trajectory.

Reproduction

Reproduction via budding: This reproduction consists of formation of buds which detach from the mother plant and developing into new plants. Tubers are underground stems which contain many reserves and buds, for example potatoes.
Rhizomes are underground stems which grows horizzontally and develop buds, for example lilies.
Bulbs are underground stems which contain buds, for example tulips.
Stolons are stalks above the ground which grow parallel to the ground, form example the strawberry plant

Reproduction via fragmentation: Plant fragmentation is a procedure used by humans to reproduce them asexually

Reproduction via sprores: The asexual spores are cells which some plants forms in special organs. The spores detach from the mother and they can develop to form a new plant. This type of reproduction can we find it on the seedless plants, mosses and ferns, in a complex life cycle in which sexual and asexual reproduction are alternated.

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Sexual reproduction in seed plants

Seed Formation: The seed develops from the fertilised ovule and it contains the embryo. The embryo is the blueprint for the future plant, with a root a stem and cotyledons, which develop nutrients.

The fertilisation is the the male and female gametes to form a cell called zygote.

Seed formation: The seed develops from the fertilised ovule and it contains the embryo. The embryo is the blueprint for the future plant, with a root a stem and cotyledons, which develop nutrients.

The entomophilt: This usually happens with colorful plants which produce substances such as nectar, to attract insects, for example, the rose.

But the pollination can be in other animals, such as birds or bats or via water.

The albumen: This is a substance that surrounds the embryo

The anemophily: This type of pollination happens in plants without having a corolla or a calyx and long anthers which produce many graims of pollen, for example, the pine tree.

The seed coat: This is a protective cover which surround all the seed.

Fruit formation and seed dispersal: After the fertilisation, the angiosperms loses its parts, it form the fruit, which inside the fruit is another seed.

Pollination: The pollination happens between flowers off different plants, since the maturation of the staments and the pistils it doesn't happen in the same flower. Here are different types of pollination:

The formation of gametes: The gametes are seed plants which are formed in the reproductive parts of the plant. They are the stamens and the pistil.

The fruit is divided into fleshy or dry. The fleshy builds up the reserves, whereas in a dry fruit in the walls, to protefct the seed.

The fruit of an angiosperm protects the seed and help it with hs dispersal, but it can happen in different ways: Helping animals, by wind, or by water.

The germination: The germination takes place when the seed fallen into the ground and it absorbs water, opens, and also, the embryo star growing up.