Learning Objectives for General Biology II

Objectives for Chapters 35-39

• Chapter 35: Plant Structure, Growth, and Development
• Chapter 36: Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants
• Chapter 37: Soil and Plant Nutrition
• Chapter 38: Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology
• Chapter 39: Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

1. Describe the importance of root systems and shoot systems to plants and explain how they work together; and define xylem and phloem.
2. Explain the differences between taproot and fibrous root systems.
3. On a diagram of a stem, locate nodes, internodes, axillary buds and terminal buds.
4. Describe the differences in structure and function of parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma, water- conducting cells and sieve-tube elements.
5. Explain the importance of tracheids and vessel elements to plants.
6. Describe the functions of the dermal tissue system, vascular tissue system, and ground tissue system; distinguish between primary and secondary growth and the meristems responsible for each.
7. Distinguish among annual, biennial, and perennial plants.
8. Explain what occurs within the zones of cell division, elongation, and maturation in primary growth of roots, and define meristems.
9. Define stomata, guard cell, and mesophyll in the leaf.
10. Explain the importance of the cuticle in the shoot and endodermis in the root.
11. Distinguish between the arrangement of vascular tissue in roots and shoots.
12. Describe how wood forms due to secondary growth of stems.
13. Using a diagram, describe the basic structure of a root, a stem, and a leaf, and describe the functions of the various parts of each.

Chapter 36: Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

1. Explain the difference between active and passive transport of solutes and describe the role of transport proteins and the proton pump; explain how a proton pump may affect mineral transport in plants and the role of cotransport; and define aquaporins.
2. Define water potential, and explain how solute concentration and pressure affect water potential.
3. Trace the path of water and minerals from outside the root to the shoot system; describe the symplast and apoplast routes for this path; and explain how solutes are transferred between the symplast and apoplast.
4. Explain the function of root hairs, the endodermis, and Casparian strip.
5. Explain how root pressure is created by some plants and how it causes guttation.
6. According to the transpiration-cohesion-tension mechanism, describe how xylem sap can be pulled upward in vessels.
7. Describe both the disadvantages and benefits of transpiration.
8. Explain how guard cells control stomatal opening, and how guard cell functioning is affected by K+ fluxes across guard cell membranes.
9. List three cues that contribute to stomatal opening at dawn, and environmental stresses that can cause stomata to close during the daytime.
10. Describe how xerophytes are adapted to arid climates, and how CAM plants, in particular, reduce their transpiration rate.
11. Describe source-to-sink transport in phloem and explain what determines the direction of sap flow.
12. Explain what causes phloem sap to flow from source to sink and describe how aphids are used to study pressure-flow in phloem.

Chapter 37: Soil and Plant Nutrition

1. Explain how soil is formed.
2. Explain what determines the texture of topsoil; explain why loams are the most fertile soils; and explain how humus contributes to the texture and composition of soil.
3. Explain why plants cannot extract all of the water in soil.
4. Define cation exchange, explain why it is necessary for plant nutrition and how soil particles prevent the leaching of cations.
5. Explain why soil management is necessary in agricultural systems but not in natural ecosystems such as forests and grasslands.
6. Describe problems arising from farm irrigation in arid regions and list several current approaches to solving these problems.
7. List the three mineral elements that are most deficient in farm soils, and the environmental consequence of overusing commercial fertilizers.
8. Explain how soil pH determines the effectiveness of fertilizers and a plant's ability to absorb specific mineral nutrients.
9. Describe precautions that can reduce wind and water erosion.
10. Explain how hydroponic culture is used to determine which minerals are essential nutrients.
11. Distinguish between macronutrient and micronutrient; list the nine macronutrients and describe their importance to plants; explain why plants need only minute quantities of micronutrients.
12. Explain how a nutrient's role and mobility determine the symptoms of a mineral deficiency.
13. Define nitrogen fixation and state the forms of nitrogen that plants can absorb.
14. Explain why the symbiosis between a legume and nitrogen-fixing bacteria is considered mutually beneficial, and state the function of leghemoglobin.
15. Describe modifications for nutrition that have evolved among mycorrhizae, parasitic plants, and carnivorous plants.

Chapter 38: Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

1. Explain what is meant by the alternation of generations; define sporophyte and gametophyte; and outline the angiosperm life cycle.
2. From a diagram of an idealized flower, correctly label the following structures and describe their function: sepals, petals, stamens (filament and anther), and carpel (style, ovary, ovule, and stigma).
3. Distinguish between complete and incomplete flowers, between bisexual (or perfect) and unisexual (or imperfect) flowers, and between monoecious and dioecious species.
4. Describe the formation of a pollen grain in angiosperms, and distinguish among generative cell, tube cell, and sperm.
5. Describe the formation of an embryo sac.
6. Distinguish between pollination and fertilization and describe how pollen can be transferred between flowers.
7. Outline the process of double fertilization and describe the function of the endosperm.
8. From a diagram, identify the following structures of a seed and recall a function of each: seed coat, embryo, hypocotyl, radicle, epicotyl, endosperm, and cotyledons.
9. Explain how monocot and eudicot seeds differ.
10. Explain how seed dormancy can be advantageous to a plant and describe some conditions for breaking dormancy.
11. Distinguish among simple, aggregate, multiple, and accessory fruits.
12. Distinguish between sexual and vegetative reproduction; describe natural methods of vegetative reproduction in plants, and describe methods horticulturists use to vegetatively propagate plants from cuttings and grafting.
13. Describe mechanisms that result in self-incompatibility.
14. Explain what is meant by test-tube cloning of plants.
15. Explain what is meant by transgenic crops and contrast the benefits and problems of genetically engineered plants.

Chapter 39: Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

1. Recall how signal transduction pathways link signal reception to response.
2. Define hormone and describe the experiments of F.W. Went with phototropism of oat coleoptiles.
3. List the major classes of plant hormones, describe their main functions and recall where they are produced in a plant.
4. Explain how auxin can initiate cell elongation according to the acid-growth hypothesis.
5. Define apical dominance; explain how a ratio of cytokinin to auxin affects root and shoot debelopment.
6. Describe how stem elongation and fruit growth depend on interactions between auxin and gibberellins.
7. Explain the probable mechanism by which gibberellins stimulate seed germination.
8. Explain the role of abscisic acid in seed dormancy, and give an example of how it acts in response to drought.
9. Describe the role of ethylene in plant cell death (apoptosis), fruit ripening, and leaf abscission.
10. Explain how the interconversion of phytochrome can act as a switching mechanism to help plants detect sunlight and trigger many plant responses to light.
11. Define circadian rhythm and explain what happens when a plant is artificially maintained in a constant environment.
12. Define photoperiodism; distinguish among short-day, long-day and day-neutral plants, give an example of each, and explain why critical night length is important.
13. Describe how plants apparently tell up from down, and explain why roots display positive gravitropism and shoots display negative gravitropism.