We are approaching Christmas. Accordingly, find Christmas related stuff here.
I hate to break this to you: Santa does not live
in the North Pole click
here to find out the real residence of Santa Claus.
The reason for his choice naturally is that there
are very few fungi in the North Pole for his reindeers to eat. Check here
to see what the reindeer munch on during the winter.
Should you be desperate for Morphine and Massive Attack, click and find out about them.
Notes and comments:
I will make a sincere effort to focus on broader concepts. This will still require that you can identify key features of the groups of plants involved. You should also be able to compare different life cycles and understand why some of the characteristics that those groups possess make them better adapted for terrestrial environment. As usual, I have a lengthy list of questions that you should be able to answer; you should also know why you answer those the way you do.
I. Classification and taxonomy
How does a plant get its name (binomial)?
Why do these names change sometimes?
What is a type specimen; why is one needed?
Do animals have type specimens?
Again, remember that a binomial does present an evolutionary hypothesis!
II. Diversity and classification
What are the 5 kingdoms?
What kinds of organisms belong to each kingdom?
What is a species?
What are the differences/similarities in species concepts between animals and plants?
III. Evolution and unique features of plants
What is symbiosis?
What is endosymbiosis?
What is mycorrhizal symbiosis?
How did mycorrhizal symbiosis potentially assist in the invasion of the terrestrial environment?
IV. Cells and tissues
How do plant cells differ from animal cells?
What are the functions of these structures in the cells?
What are the different tissues in plants and what do these tissues do?
V. and VI. Photosynthesis
CO2 + 2H2O + energy = (CH2O) + H2O + O2
Where do CO2, H2O, energy, and O2 come from?
What is the purpose of the light reactions?
Where is the energy stored in the light dependent reactions?
Where does the energy come from in the light independent reactions?
What is the relationship of light dependent and light independent reactions?
What is Calvin cycle, what are its inputs and outputs?
What are C3 and C4 plants, what are the evolutionary advantages of the two?
How about advantages of C3 and C4 metabolism in changing environment?
GENERAL ON LIFE CYCLES:
What is meiosis?
What is mitosis?
Haploid?
Diploid?
Fertilization?
Gamete?
Spore?
For each of the major groups you should know how or why it is better adapted for the terrestrial environment.
VII. Fungi
Where would you find fungi? On a pizza?
What do the fungi do to make a living? Symbiosis is likely pop up hereึ
What are lichens?
What is asexual reproduction and what are its advantages?
What are the diploid cells in the fungal life cycle?
Where do Fungi belong in evolutionary sense? Why?
VIII. Algae
What do algae do for living?
How do algae relate to the rest of the photosynthetic organisms?
What is alternation of generations?
What is a sporophyte/gametophyte, what does each of them do?
IX. Bryophytes
This is where we should enter the character evolution that explains plant life on land.
What are non-vascular and vascular plants?
Where do bryophytes reside in the evolutionary sense?
Why would bryophytes be more successful in the terrestrial environments than algae?
Which parts of the life cycle require free aqueous substrate?
X. Vascular tissues
How does vascular tissue explain further invasion of the terrestrial environment?
How may vascular tissue explain plant diversification in the terrestrial environment?
How do vascular plants address the problems of gas exchange, water loss, and desiccation?
XI. Seedless vascular plants
How do seedless vascular plants relate to the rest of the photosynthetic organisms?
Remember to keep your spores, gametes, sporophytes, and gametophytes straight!
How are seedless vascular plants better adapted to terrestrial environment than bryophytes?
XII. Gymnosperms
What are gymnosperms?
What makes seeds so good for survival and dispersal on land?
How are gymnosperms better adapted to terrestrial environment than seedless vascular plants?
What does alternation of generations mean in gymnosperms?
XIII. Angiosperms I
What are angiosperms?
Where did the angiosperms come from?
How do they relate to other groups of plants, especially gymnosperms?
XIV. Angiosperms II
What does alternation of generations mean in angiosperms?
How does angiosperm life cycle differ from gymnosperm life cycle?
You should know the evolutionary history of the flower or the bisporangiate strobilus.
What is a monocot/dicot?
XV. Embryogenesis
Where do the micro- and megagametophytes come from?
How does the fertilization occur in the angiosperms; how about gymnosperms?
What does the double fertilization mean?
Which are the cells/nuclei that are pertinent for a successful reproductive event?
What are the cotyledons?
XVI. Primary growth
What are the apical meristems and what do they do?
What makes leaves fall off in the autumn?
What is rhizosphere?
What is a casparian strip and what is its function?
XVII. Secondary growth
What is secondary growth?
What tissues produce secondary growth in perennial gymnosperms and woody dicots?
Why is secondary growth important in evolutionary sense; how about for longetivity?
XVIII. Plant hormones
What are hormones; how do they work?
What is leaf abscission and how does that work?
Stomata, how do they function?
I would like you to be aware of Auxin as cell elongation hormone and its function in leaf abscission. Similarly, you should recall gibberellins and cytokinins as cell division involved hormones and, as auxin, anti-senescence hormones. Ethylene, then, is more like the senescence hormone. Abscissic acid should be known as growth inhibitory hormone, maybe even as the stress hormone.
XIX. Environmental interactions
What is phototropism; how does it work?
What is gravitropism; how does that work?
Why do leaves turn red and yellow in the fall?
Why are some ripe apples green whereas others are yellow and red?
What is phytochrome; how does it explain plants sensing the day length?
How is phytochrome involved in flowering and dormancy/tissue senescence?
XX. Human dominance of the global environment
What are the components in global change?
How is the human population size connected with the global change?
How is land transformation linked with global warming?
What is the main driver of global climate change?
Where does all that CO2 come from; where does it go?
Do you produce CO2, can you decrease the amount of CO2 released?
What is the greenhouse effect; how does it relate to plant growth, decomposition?
How much N do humans incorporate into the global N cycle?
Why is some of this fertilization not good or undesirable?
You should also understand that all the components of global change feed into the loss of biodiversity and global climate change.
XXI. Diversity and invasions
What is biodiversity?
While sitting in the class room, could you observe, or vision, biodiversity being present?
What is extinction?
How many species go extinct in a year?
Why are the extinction rate estimates inaccurate?
What causes most of the extinctions today?
What is exotic invasion?
Why does invasion of exotics potentially reduce biodiversity?
Why is it important to have diverse plant communities?
What is the rivet hypothesis?
What is the insurance hypothesis?
What does "the Earth as a spaceship" mean?
Happy holiday season! Treasure friends and family! I hope Santa is going to be generous with you!
May the reindeers be flying with the speed of light to your chimney!