Structure of a Plant

The "Typical" Plant Body

The Root System

Underground (usually) Anchor the plant in the soil Absorb water and nutrients Conduct water and nutrients Food Storage

The Shoot System Above ground (usually) Elevates the plant above the soil Many functions including: photosynthesis reproduction & dispersal food and water conduction Note: the shoot system includes the leaves and the reproductive organs, although these will be covered in more detail separately

Photosynthesis and Respiration Photosynthesis is the process by which organisms that contain the pigment chlorophyll convert light energy into chemical energy which can be stored in the molecular bonds of organic molecules (e.g., sugars). Photosynthesis powers almost all trophic chains and food webs on the Earth. The net process of photosynthesis is described by the following equation:

6CO2 + 6H2O + Light Energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2

This equation simply means that carbon dioxide from the air and water combine in the presence of sunlight to form sugars; oxygen is released as a by-product of this reaction. Respiration is the general process by which organisms oxidize organic molecules (e.g., sugars) and derive energy (ATP) from the molecular bonds that are broken.

Tropism Tropisms are directional movement responses that occur in response to a directional stimulus. Plants are not able to relocated if they happen to start growing where conditions are suboptimal. However, plants can alter their growth so they can grow into more favourable conditions, To do so requires the ability to detect where the conditions are better and then alter their growth so they can "move" in the appropriate direction. One of the most commonly observed tropic responses in plants is phototropism, in which plant stems grow towards light. As anyone who has grown plants near a window knows, the plants tend to lean towards the window where the light is usually stronger than inside the room. Another commonly observed tropic responses is gravitropism, where a plant will grow so that it stays oriented relative to the source of gravity (the earth). Thus, if a plant is knocked down the shoot will grow faster on the lower side until the shoot is more-or-less standing up again. Tropic responses result from differential growth. Phototropism is a bluelight-dependent response controlled by the action of specific blue light photoreceptors called phototropism. Gravitropism is dependent on the

presence of starch-filled plastids (amyloplasts) in specialized cells. When the orientation of the cells changes, the mass of the starch-filled plastids causes them to sink to the lower end of the cell. The tumbling of the amyloplasts triggers, through unknown mechanisms, differential growth that causes curvature to develop.

Life Cycle of a Plant

Plant Hormones

Plant Adaptions