Biology 1011 Definitions - The Colonization Of Land By Plants I

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Accessory Pigment

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Any pigment that works in conjunction with chlorophyll a to extend the range of wavelengths that plants can utilize for photosynthesis. ex. Chlorophyll b

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Alternation of Generations

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A term that describes the lifecycle of plants, in which a multicellular, haploid generation of gametophytes alternates with a multicellular, diploid generation of sporophytes.

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Amylopectin

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The highly branched form of starch.

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Amylose

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The tightly packed, non-branching form of starch.

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Analogous Characters

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Characteristics or structures that share the same form /function but share individual evolutionary histories (i.e. not shared by the common ancestor).

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Angiosperm

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The flowering plants. Unlike gymnosperms, their seeds are protected by fruit. They are by far the most numerous phylum of plants - ~250 000 species.

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Antheridium

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The haploid structure found on male gametophytes that creates sperm cells.

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Archegonium

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The haploid structure found on female gametophytes that creates egg cells.

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Autotrophic

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An organism is autotrophic if it creates it's own food, i.e. photosynthesises.

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Cell Membrane

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The selectively permeable biological membrane that separates the interior of the cell environment from the exterior.

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Cell Plate

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The partition that forms during cytokinesis in plant cells. It is guided by the phragmoplast until it fuses with the cell membrane, effectively dividing the cell into two.

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Cell Wall

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The rigid, external wall of many types of cells. Formed mainly of cellulose in plant cells.

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Charophyta

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The group of green algae that most recently diverged from the embryophytes (Land Plants). These two groups share several characteristics.

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Traits shared by Charophyta and Embryophyta

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The specific presence of various peroxisome enzymes; the presence of plasmodesmata; the unique, rose shaped structure of cellulose-synthesizing complexes; the unique structure of sperm cells; and the cell-plate / phragmoplast mechanism of cytokinesis.

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Chlamydomonas

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A genus of green algae whose life cycle is very near to alternation of generations, but isn't because the diploid zygote remains unicellular for it's entire lifespan.

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Chlorophyta

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A group of green algae. Together with Charophyta and Embryophyta, they constitute our definition of 'Plants'.

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Traits shared by all plants

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Presence of starch (amylose & amylopectin); presence of cellulose; stacking of thylakoids into grana; and utilization of chlorophyll b as an accessory pigment.