Chapter 1

You should understand and be able to define:

1. general overview of impact of plants on our biosphere

2.scientific method: problem, hypothesis, principle, theory

3.overview of Botany:

• plant anatomy
• plant physiology
• plant taxonomy
• plant geography
• plant ecology
• plant morphology
• plant genetics
• cell biology
• economic botany
• enthobotany

Chapter 2

This chapter is not specifically covered. If you have no knowledge of the chemistry of biological systems, you should read it. If later in the semester, discussion involving biological molecules has you confused, turn back to this chapter for the basics.

Chapter 3

You should understand and be able to define:

1. Microscopes

• compound light microscopes
• electron microscopes
• transmission electron microscopes
• scanning electron microscopes
• scanning tunneling microscopes

2. Prokaryotic versus eukaryotic cells

3. Cell structure and function (for each component, you should understand the anatomy and physiology - know what it is made of and what it looks like, and what it does)

• cell size
• cell wall
• plasmodesmata
• plasma membrane
• nucleus (nuclear membrane or envelope, nuclear pores)

• nucleolus
• chromosomes
• endoplasmic reticulum
• ribosomes
• dictyosomes (golgi in animal cells)
• plastids - chloroplasts, chromoplasts, leukoplasts
• stroma, grana, thylakoids, chlorophyll
• mitochondria
• microbodies - peroxisomes, glyoxisomes
• vacuoles
• cytoskeleton - microtubules and microfilaments

4. The cell cycle

• interphase - G1, S, G2
• mitosis - prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase

Mitosis is very important. You should be able to distinguish the phases, understand what is happening during each, and realize the importance of the cell cycle and mitosis.

Chapter 4

1. Basic plant structure: organs and tissues

organs: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits

tissues: groups of cells performing a similar function

2. Meristematic tissues or Meristems

permanent regions of growth

• apical meristems - found near the ends of roots and stems, increase length
• primary meristems: protoderm, ground meristem, procambium
• lateral meristems - found along roots and stems, increase girth (width)
• vascular cambium
• cork cambium

This is confusing terminology; view figure 4.1 to help visualize the meristems

• intercalary meristems - these are growth tissues found near nodes in grasses and plants that do not have a vascular nor a cork cambium

3. Simple tissues - contain only one type of cell

• parenchyma - most abundant; have large central vacuole; often 14 sided; may contain starch or other granules; walls usually of cellulose; remain alive and capable of giving rise to new cells when injury occurs
• collenchyma - cell walls are thicker, provide flexible support, usually longer than wide; example - celery strings are made of collenchyma cells
• sclerenchyma - cell walls are thick and impregnated with lignin; usually dead at maturity; sclereids and fibers

4. Complex tissues - two or more types of cells; 4 important ones

• xylem - see figure 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9 - vessels, vessel elements, tracheids, pits, rays

• phloem - see figure 4.10 - sieve tube members, companion cells, sieve tubes and plates

• epidermis - outer covering of young plant organs (roots, stems, leaves); cuticle, stomata, guard cells

• periderm - replaces epidermis as cork cambium produces cork and bark

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