Plant Classification- Subject: Biology(UNIT 2)

-Photosynthesis: Green plants have the ability to make their own food using
sunlight, carbon dioxide and water.

The outermost covering of the plant is the waxy cuticle. It is waterproof and
prevents water loss. The layer of cells under the top coat are called the
epidermal cells. Underneath these are the palisade cells. They are highly
specialized for photosynthesis. They are long which gives them more surface
area. More surface area helps them absorb more sunlight and carbon dioxide.
The palisade cells are crammed with chloroplasts. Chloroplasts have chlorophyll
which absorbs sunlight. Then is the spongy mesophyll layer, it has spaces in
between for diffusion of gases and efficient gaseous exchange. It also has
xylem and phloem vessels. Underneath is the stomata. It has guard cells which
controls the opening and closing of the stomata to prevent water loss and for
gaseous exchange. Plants are autotrophs- they make their own food. They
make glucose(energy) using sunlight.

Photosynthesis and respiration maintain concentration of Carbon dioxide and

Oxygen because the waste product of plants is oxygen and human waste
product is carbon dioxide. So they get used by each other.
-Cell walls: Cell walls are the rigid layers of the plant cells. They are made of
cellulose which is a complex carbohydrate. It helps in protection as well as
structure.

-Cuticles: Waxy layer on the plants

which prevents water loss.

-Reproduction: Plants have two stages

in their life cycle- sporophyte and
gametophyte. Sporophyte- Plants
makes spores. In a suitable
environment, such as damp soil, the
spores of some plants grow. These new
plants are called gametophytes. During
the gametophyte stage, females gametophyte produces egg cells. Male
gametophyte produces sperm cells.

Fertilization- A sperm fertilizes the egg cells. The fertilized egg grows into a
sporophyte. The sporophyte makes more spores and the cycle continues.

Plant Structure-
!Cell wall- The role of a
cell wall is that it
supports and protects
the cell.

! Cell membrane- The

basic function of
the cell membrane is to
protect the cell from its
surroundings. The cell
membrane controls the
movement of
substances in and out
of cells and organelles.

! Chloroplast- Chloroplasts are specialized compartments and contain

chlorophyll. Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight.
! Vacuole- It is surrounded by a membrane and functions to hold materials
and wastes. It also functions to maintain the proper pressure within the plant
cells to provide structure and support for the growing plant.

Non Vascular Plants

-They do not have vascular bundles
-They grow in soil, barks, rocks
-They live in damp places
-Each cell of the plant must get water from the environment or from a nearby
cell.
-Mosses, liverworts and hornworts

MOSSES
-Live together in groups
-They have rhizoids which are root like structures that hold the plants in place. It
also helps plants get water and nutrients.
Life cycle-
a. The fertilized egg grows into a sporophyte
b. The sporophyte releases spores into the air
c. Spores land in a moist place, crack open, and grow into gametophytes.
d. Sperm swims through water from the male gametophyte to fertilize the egg
at the top of the female gametophyte.

LIVERWORTS AND HORNWORTS

-small
-live in damp places
-similar to the life cycle of mosses
-have rhizoids

Importance of non vascular plants

-First plants to live in the environment
-When they die, they add a thin layer to the soil
-Reduce soil erosion
-Animals use these as nesting material

Vascular Plants
-Have vascular bundles
-Large
-Ferns, Horsetails and club mosses

FERNS
-Grow in cold Arctic to warm Tropical forests
-Rhizome is an underground stem from which new leaves and roots grow.

Life cycle-
a. The fertilized egg grows into a sporophyte
b. The sporophyte releases spores into the air
c. Spores land in a moist place, crack open, and grow into
gametophytes.
d. Sperm swims through water from the male gametophyte to fertilize the
egg at the top of the female gametophyte.

HORSETAILS AND CLUB MOSSES

-Grows in wet, marshy places
-Club mosses grows in woodlands

Importance of Seedless Vascular plants

-Ferns, horsetails and clubhouses helps form soil
-Prevents soil erosion
-Ferns, horsetails and clubhouses are important houseplants

SEED PLANTS

Characteristics
-They can produce seeds. Seeds nourish and protect young sporophytes.

-Unlike the gametophytes of seedless plants, the gametophytes of seed plants

are tiny. The gametophytes form within the reproductive structures of the
sporophyte.

-Sperm of seedless plants needs water to swim to the eggs. The sperm of seed
plants do not need water to reach an egg. Sperm form inside tiny structures
called pollen.

Structure of a seed
A seed forms after the fusion of sperm and egg cell. It is made up of three
plants. First is the young plant or sporophyte. The second is stored food. It is often
found in cotyledons. Finally a seed coat surrounds the seed for protection.
Advantages of Seed plants over seedless plants
1. The spores of the seed plants have stored food which the young plant can
use. The spores of the seedless plants do not have stored energy to help a
plant grow.
2. Seeds of the seed plants can be spread by animals and animals do it much
more efficiently than wind. The spores of the seedless plants needs to be carried
by wind.
GYMNOSPERMS
-Have vascular bundles
-Seed plants that do not have flowers or fruits
-They are protected by a cone
-Conifers, ginkgoes, cycads, gnetophytes

Importance of Gymnosperms
-Conifers are most economically important
-Used for conifer wood for building materials and paper products
-Anticancer drug
-Anti allergy drug
-Popular in gardens and parks

Life cycle of Pine

a. The seed contains a young sporophyte, which grows into an adult
sporophyte
b. Spores are produced. They grow into gametophytes
c. Sex cells are produced in cones
d. Wind carries pollen grains to the egg. A sperm from a pollen grain fertilizes
the egg.
e. The fertilized egg develops into a young sporophyte within the seed.

Gymnosperms- life cycle

Two kinds of cones- male cones, female cones
The spores of each kind of cone become tiny gametophyte. The male
gametophyte of gymnosperms are found in pollen grains. The female
gametophyte produces eggs. Wind carries pollen grains from the male cones to
the female cones. This transfer of pollens causes pollination. Sperm fertilizes the
egg. The fertilized egg grows into a sporophyte.
ANGIOSPERMS-
-Vascular plants
-Produces flowers and fruits

Flowers help angiosperms reproduce. Some angiosperms depend on wind for

pollination. In others, animals visit the plants and carry pollen grains to the other
flowers. The pollen grains stick on the stigma, the pollen grains then travel
through the style and fuses with the ovules in the ovary. This forms a fertilized egg

Two types of Angiosperms

MONOCOTS
-Single cotyledon
-Parallel venation
-Vascular bundles are scattered
-Petals are in the multiples of 3
DICOTS
-Two cotyledons
-Network of veins
-Vascular bundles are in a ring
-Petals are 4 or 5

Importance of Angiosperms
-Provides many animals with food
-Major crops such as corn, wheat are flowering plants
-Some are used as building material
-Some are used for making clothes
-Also used to make medicines, rubber