Plant Structure and Photosynthesis

•Start at the beginning—underground•Where does soil meet plant?•At the root hairs—structures that increase surface area to aid in absorption of water and minerals needed by the plant

Notice the root hairs in the region of cell maturation (differentiation). These are extensions of epidermal cells. Purpose-increase surface area in contact with soil.

• Water (and nutrients) can travel by passive diffusion within the ground tissue of the cortex.

Once materials reach the endodermis, they must enter the living part of the cell due to the CASPERIAN STRIP.

I understand that osmosis moves nutrients and water to the cortex

from the root epidermis.Laurel C. 1st period

I get they (roots) absorb water and nutrients but how do they absorb nutrients? Some form similar to osmosis? Yes! Exactly!

Devon P. 1st period

Water can move outside the cell (red line) along the cell wall or in the space between cells OR it can move inside cells (blue line) by osmosis

I understand that osmosis is invol-ved in the absorption of water and nutrients, but what is osmosis?

Q: What if the plant absorbs chem-ical water? Does it know not to absorb that? Some are needed! A: We learned about osmosis in unit 3 homework #15. Thank you!

Ben C. 3rd period

Ismeny S. 3rd period

Dude—I just clicked, plants have an outside layer on their roots called the epidermis, just like us humans!

John-Anthony 3rd

I understand that the Casperian strip is found in the endodermis of root cells, but was won-dering if (it) was found any where else in the plant and in what type of tissue? Water-proofing in some areas of the plant could be useful. John D 3rd period

The same waxy substance (suberin) can be found filling cork cells in the outer bark of older, woody plants. It is waterproofing!

I get that primary growth is the result of cells at the tip of roots and secondary growth is the widening. Do both monocots and dicots go through secondary growth? Just dicots—and mostly the woody dicots. Do you see a connection between the location of vascular bundles in the first year and xylem and phloem in the second year?

Kenze M. 3rd period

Eventually the vascular bundles will make a continuous ring of vascular tissue. This happens in roots of dicots also.

First year Second year

In meristematic tissue are they cells kind of like (human) stem cells because they haven’t turned (differentiated) into anything with a specific function? Saul C. 7th period

Exactly right. They will differentiate into different cell types.

I studied the parenchyma cell for my cell poster. There are also collenchyma and sclerenchyma cells for support. Jen J 3rd period

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Here is how Jen remembers—Collenchyma collaborative people are flexible and help support each other (flexible support for green stems.)Sclerenchyma thick, rigid…make ground tissue tough and strong (strict people are rigid and make you strong)

I understand that dicots produce secondary growth from meristematic tissue called vascular cambium. A young dicot first goes through primary growth, secondary growth and then is a mature stem. Brogan J. 1st period

I understand that a leaf consists of spongy mesophyll with air spaces that connect to the exterior (outside) through stomata and that each stoma has two guard cells, con-trolling the stoma’s opening and closing.

Chelsea C. 7th period

I understand the stomata but do they only open up for water to enter the plant? Connor R. 7th period

The main function of the leaf is photosynthesis. The stoma must let in CO2 and let out O2 as well as water vapor so this can happen!

I understood that the stomata open and close in response to changes in water pressure within the guard cells.

Brogan J. 1st period

I understood transpiration, but I don’t understand why being moist helps gas enter and leave more easily.

Brian H. 4th period

Oxygen (and CO2) dissolves more easily in a wet environment. Just the same way you must have a layer of moisture in your lungs.

Did you notice that alveoli in your lungs

and spongy mesophyll in the leaves both

increase surface area?

I understand that stomata open and close just enough to allow photosynthesis to take place, but do underwater plants that have access to SOOOO much water, do those plants leave their stomata open all day and all night? Kelsey M. 4th period

Remember, leaves need CO2 and O2 as well as water for photosyn-thesis and water plants have stomata on top only.

How do the requirements for photosynthesis get in to the leaf and the results get out?

Water in

Glucose out

Carbon dioxide in

Oxygen out

Sunlight inSunlight in

Chlorophyll?Chlorophyll?

I understand that the tuber allows the potato plant to store food, but what kind of food does a potato store? Sunlight? Reggie D. 7th period

In a way—yes. Photosynthesis makes what kind of food? If we link a bunch together we get…….

GLUCOSE

STARCH is a polymer of glucose!

U: I understand that transportation is different in plants and leaves. Q: Why can’t transport be one thing, not different. Can’t it all work together at once? Ismeny S 3rd period

It does! Let us see how by building a model of the transport system in Plants.

Soil-plant-air continuum means a solid column of water all the way.