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Lab 4 - Photosynthesis and Diversity of Plants Without Seeds

60 important questions on Lab 4 - Photosynthesis and Diversity of Plants Without Seeds

What is the name of the horizontal underground structure that lends support to the sporophyte?

The rhizome is the horizontal underground structure that lends support to the sporophyte.

Are the moss or the fern gametophytes larger?

The moss gametophytes are larger than the fern gametophytes

In ferns, which lifeform is diploid and which is haploid?

The sporophyte is diploid and the gametophyte is haploid

In ferns, is the gametophyte or the sporophyte photosynthetic?

Both the gametophyte and sporophyte are photosynthetic

What are spores produced in the sporangia that are in clusters on the underside of the leaflets called?

They are called sori

What process drives life on our planet?

Photosynthesis is the process that drives life on our planet.

In moss, is the gametophyte or the sporophyte photosynthetic or both? Which is the dominant life form?

The majority of photosynthesis is carried out in the gametophyte, but the sporophyte does partake in some photosynthesis. The gametophyte is the dominant life form.

Where is the archegonia found and where does the sporophyte develop from in a fern?

In the thallus

In ferns, what characteristics does the sporophyte have?

The sporophyte is persistent, photosynthetic, upright, and branched

What does the fiddlehead unravel into?

It unravels into the characteristic fern fronds as it grows taller

What do plants use to drive the production of oxygen from carbon dioxide?

Plants use sunlight and the associated wavelengths of energy to drive the production of oxygen from carbon dioxide.

What arises from the rhizome?

A leaf that in most species is large and divided into many leaflets.

How are plants classified in terms of feeding, and what do they produce?

Plants are classified as autotrophs, meaning they are "self-feeders" and produce their own food (C6H12O6).

What does each moss archegonia produce?

Each moss archegonia produces one egg cell.

What do moss plants have instead of roots?

They have rhizoids

Where is the majority of photosynthesis in the moss life cycle carried out?

In the gametophyte

What do the antheridia produce in mosses?

The antheridia produce many flagellated sperm.

What role do plants play in the terrestrial food chain?

Plants are at the base of the terrestrial food chain (primary producers) and supply food to primary consumers (herbivores), which in turn supplies food to secondary consumers (carnivores).

Where are the gametangia typically found in mosses?

These gametangia are typically on separate plants in the mosses.

What is the shape of the larger hermaphroditic gametophytes in ferns?

The larger hermaphroditic gametophytes are heart-shaped.

What does each spore of a moss plant have the capacity to do?

They each have the capacity to generate a new haploid gametophyte

What results from the fertilization of the egg in mosses?

Fertilization of the egg results in the growth of the sporophyte.

Where is the site of the meristem in the heart-shaped thallus?

The heart-shaped thallus has a notch, which is the site of the meristem, or point of growth.

What is the role of plants in the marine environment?

In the marine environment, plants are at the base of the food chain as phytoplankton.

What is the dependency of the sporophyte in mosses?

The sporophyte is dependent on the gametophyte for nutrition and thus cannot live independently.

What structure does the fern sporophyte grow out of the soil in?

The fern sporophyte grows up out of the soil in a special curved structure called a fiddlehead.

What do different plant pigments do with different wavelengths of light?

Different plant pigments absorb or reflect different wavelengths of light.

What is the role of absorbed light in photosynthesis?

Absorbed light, and the associated energy, is used to drive the processes of photosynthesis.

What happens to reflected light?

Reflected light bounces off the plant and gives us the colors we see.

What is considered the primary pigment in photosynthesis?

Chlorophyll a is considered to be the primary pigment in photosynthesis.

What do club mosses and whisk ferns share in terms of their gametophytes?

Their gametophytes are not only small, but they also have chlorophyll

How are spike mosses and quillworts similar to ferns?

They are similar in that they have a dominant sporophyte, but these plants produce single sex spores that form a unisexual microscopic gametophyte within the spore

Why must the spores of spike mosses and quillworts be dispersed to moist environments?

This must happen in order for sexual union to occur

Which colours of light have the highest energy?

Violet has the highest energy and shortest wavelength. Blue has the second highest energy and second highest energy.

Which colour has the highest energy and shortest wavelength?

Violet

Why would two peaks be important in terms of their role in photosynthesis for Chlorophyll A and B?

Two peaks are important for more absorption of light which leads to an increase of nutrients. Chlorophyll B absorbs light at different wavelengths and then passes the extra light onto Chlorophyll A for more nutrient supply.

What does the plant life cycle consist of?

The plant life cycle consists of a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte. Both phases of the life cycle are multicellular organisms, but they are quite different in form.

What is the moss gametophyte?

The moss gametophyte is the green leafy moss plant that we normally see in the field. Fusion of gametes from leafy moss plants produces a zygote that forms the sporophyte.

What do rhizoids provide for moss plants?

Rhizoids can provide anchorage.

What is the perennial horizontal stem in the soil of a fern called?

The sporophyte has a perennial horizontal stem in the soil, known as a rhizome.

What is the role of accessory pigments in photosynthesis?

Accessory pigments transfer energy to chlorophyll a in order to contribute to the conversion of light energy to chemical energy.

Which colour has the lowest energy and longest wavelength?

Red

What is the role of the sporophyte in moss?

The sporophyte undergoes meiosis to generate haploid spores. In this way, the moss sporophyte meets the need for dispersal and multiplication through spore production.

Can rhizoids conduct water within themselves?

Rhizoids cannot conduct water within themselves to supply water from the soil to the foliage.

Why do tiny sperm need flagella?

The tiny sperm need flagella so they are able to successfully reach the egg.

What are two things about ferns' sperm shape and anatomy that causes them to move the way they do?

The sperm are biflagellated with a corkscrew shape that helps with their movement to the egg by using a whip-like motion.

Why is the gametophyte dependent on water?

The gametophyte is dependent on water to keep it moist because it lacks vascular tissue. Water is also an essential part of reproduction so that the sperm can swim to find the archegonia and produce a zygote.

What is a similar life cycle seen in hornworts and liverworts?

A similar life cycle is seen for hornworts and liverworts, which are relatives of the mosses. All three groups are land plants, but they are not vascular, that is, they lack xylem and are therefore restricted to low growth in moist environments.

What is the name of the zipper-like structure on the edge of each sporangium? What is its function?

Annulus is the name of the zipper-like structure, and they help with spore dispersal.

What is the green leafy plant we see in the field for ferns?

For ferns, the green leafy plant we see in the field is actually the diploid sporophyte.

How is the fern gametophyte described in contrast to the sporophyte?

The fern gametophyte, in contrast, is small and usually not noticed.

What is necessary for the fern gametophyte to grow?

The need for the fern gametophyte to grow in moist films of water on the land surface restricts ferns to environments that are regularly moist.

What does the xylem of the fern sporophyte permit?

Even so, xylem of the fern sporophyte does permit significant upright growth of the plant into the desiccating aerial world.

How are horsetails related to ferns?

Horsetails are close relatives of ferns with a very similar life cycle.

What do club mosses and whisk ferns rely on for survival?

Club mosses and whisk ferns rely on symbiotic fungi within the soil to supply them with sugars to survive.

What is required for spike mosses and quillworts in their life cycle?

Moisture within the life cycle is still needed for spike mosses and quillworts to facilitate gamete transfer from male gametophyte to female gametophyte.

What are the functions of each part of the moss sporangia?

Spore capsule produces spores, protects, and disperses the spores.
Peristome is responsible for controlling the gradual release of spores.
Operculum is responsible for protecting developing spores and controls release by preventing dehydration of the plant.
Calyptra protects the developing sporophyte apex.

Describe the characteristics and function of fern spores.

Fern spores are small and have a desiccation-resistant coat made of sporopollenin. Although resistant to desiccation during transit, the spores must germinate in a moist site in order for the gametophyte they produce to survive.

What are the features of heart-shaped (hermaphroditic) gametophytes in ferns?

Heart-shaped (hermaphroditic) gametophytes have the male sex organs known as antheridia located on the edge of the plant near the rhizoids. For these same individuals, the female sex organs known as archegonia are found in the vicinity of the notch meristem.

How do heart-shaped gametophytes in ferns reproduce?

The archegonium has a short neck that protrudes from the thallus. The hermaphrodite gametophyte produces the hormone antheridiogen, which stimulates neighboring gametophytes to develop as males. Each antheridium produces 16 sperm and these are attracted to special chemicals that are released by the archegonia in the manner that pheromones work in the animal kingdom. Water is essential for reproduction in these plants.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

BFI - Laboratory Assignments

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