UNIT 2 PLANTS

2.1. Major Characteristics of plants

• Like other living things plants :-
Grow
 reproduce and
respond to changes in the environment.
• Plants are multicellular.
 made up of many eukaryotic cells & have:-
 well-defined nuclei and
membrane-bound organelles.
• have a rigid cell wall made primarily of cellulose.
Provide rigidity & support
• Plant cells contain the green pigment chlorophyll
enables them to absorb sunlight and produce their own
food.

• Plants are autotrophic (self–feeding).

They are also named Producers.
• Most have a waxy cuticle that helps to prevent
drying out.
 Plants are sessile.
 They cannot move by themselves. They remain
fixed at one place, firmly anchored to the soil by
their root.

 the leaves of plants can turn towards light and

some respond to touch.

 The roots of plants can also orient towards water

or moist soil.
 called tropism –growth response to stimulus
• Plants practice asexual and sexual reproduction
patterns.
• lower plants such as mosses and liverworts,
reproduce asexually through spores.
Formation of spore is called sporulation
• Higher and seed-bearing plants such as
gymnosperms and angiosperms reproduce
sexually which involves the union of gametes or
sex cells.
2.2.Major groups of plants (Flowering and non – flowering plants)
 Lower plants, such as mosses and liverworts
which are:-
– non – vascular, i.e., do not have transporting
system or conducting vessels, essential to
transport water, nutrient and food needed for
the plant.
– are generally small with limited height &
restricted to moist and shaded areas.
– lower plants are seedless and
– do not have flowers and fruits.
 Plants known as gymnosperms :-
• are vascular- having transporting vessels (vascular
bundles)( xylem and phloem)
• Have well-developed root stem and leaves
• have no flowers.
• Their reproductive organ is cone, instead of
flowers.
• the seeds produced in their cone are without
cover (naked seeds).
Flowering plants, commonly known as
Angiosperms
• Are vascular having transporting vessels (vascular
bundles)( xylem and phloem)
• have well-developed root, stem and leaves.
• they have flowers as reproductive organ and
produce seeds within a fruit.
2.3 Structure and function of plant parts
• Plants have different structures which perform a
vital function essential for the plant life.
• the external structure of a typical angiosperm has
two major systems.
The shoot system
• Vegetative parts and
• reproductive parts
The root system
The shoot system:

 the plant part usually found above the ground and

includes the organs such as:-
Stem

• stem grow commonly erect

• stem grow horizontally over ground-runners

• stem grow Underground-rhizomes (ginger),
tubers (potato)
• Very short and never showing above the grounds
–bulbs(onion)
• Very long, thin and weak-climbers
• Stout(strong) and thick as in shrubs(low woody
perennial plant ) and trees
  branches
 leaves
Buds
 Apical buds
 Lateral /axillary buds
flowers and
fruits.
• The last two organs (flowers and fruits) may be
missing depending on the reproductive stage of
the plant.
The root system: is the part of the plant that
usually grows downward into the ground.
• It includes :-
the primary or tap root
lateral or branch roots
root hairs and
root cap.
• Roots are distinguished from an underground
stem in that;
it does not bear either leaves or buds.
 Node – is an area on a stem where leaf and buds
are developed located
It is a site of great cellular activity and growth

 Internode –the length of stem b/n two nodes

 buds- the growing point that develop into leaves ,

stems or flowers.
 Apical bud- is the primary growing bud located at
the tip of the stem in a plant
apical buds make auxin that distributed
throughout the plant.
 Auxin- prevents the growth of lateral buds
(branching)
 This phenomenon is called apical dominance
 Removal of this apical dominance is called
pruning
 Lateral /axillary buds-develops into side branches

Q. What does Pruning mean?

Q. What is the impact of pruning on plant?
The external structure of a typical leaf consists
of :-
• the petiole (leaf stalk)-attach leaf to stem
• lamina (blade) – broadest & flat part of
leaf
• midrib -the main vein of the leaf
• Margin-border/ boundary of the leaf
• base and
• Apex – the tips of the leaf
External structure of a typical leaf
The lamina - is the broadest part, which is flat,
wide and commonly thin.
• It provides large surface area, which enables leaf
to collect light.
• Its thinness creates short distance for gas
exchange through the stomata (tiny pores).
The midrib- the main vein of the leaf
• is harder and contains the vein (transporting
vessels) of the leaf as well as supportive tissues
with hard cell wall.
type of leaves
Simple leaf – leaf that is not divided into parts
 Consists of one continuous blade that is not divided
Compound leaf - leaf blade divided into leaflets
Leaf composed of a number of leaflets on a common
stalk
• Pinnate leaf – leaf resembling a feather having
the leaflets on each side of a common axis
Palmate leaf- leaf resembling an open hand
having lobes radiating from common point
 Leaves of different plants show difference in:-
presence or absence of leafstalk
 blades attach directly to the stem are called sessile
leaves and
 presence of petiole/ leafstalk (petiolate)
 leaf shape
 Linear(bamboo)
 Ovate(coffee)
 elliptic (mango)
arrangement of veins(venation)
Parallel venation
Net venation

variation in leaf margin, base and tips

leaf margin
The leaf margin – is the boundary area extending along the
edge of the leaf.
Type of leaf margin
Entire –having a smooth edge of the leaf (margins
are not toothed or divided in any way )
Wavy- the leaf margins are not divide but curve up
and down
 undulate-having a wavy margin

Crenulate- the leaf margins are cut into small

rounded teeth
Toothed – having a saw like margin (the leaf margins
are divided into sharply pointed segments (serrate)

Lacerate- irregulary slashed and

jagged as if torn
Leaf arrangement on stems called Phyllotaxy
1. Alternate phyllotaxy-is leaves attached at
different nodes

2. Opposite phyllotaxy- two leaves attached at the

same node in opposite direction

3. Whorled phyllotaxy –has more than two leaves

attached at a node
 The root system
-there are basically two types of roots namely
– tap-roots and
– fibrous roots
A tap-root- consists of one large, primary vertical root.
• It has very few lateral roots that develop and grow from
this main root.
• By penetrating deep into the soil, tap roots
provide:-
stability (anchorage) and
 absorb water located deep in the ground.
• Tap root system is a feature of dicot plants.
A fibrous root-
• is thin, moderately branching roots growing from
stems.
• They are more or less similar size and length.
• In grasses they develop as consists of fine hair –
like root that Spread out from the base of the
stem.
• Fibrous root is very efficient for absorbing water
and minerals close to soil surface.
• It creates a thick network of roots that are good at
holding soil together and protect soil from erosion.
• Fibrous roots are features of monocot plants .
A root hair-
 is elongated single cell providing large surface
area.
 It is best suited for absorption of water and
minerals.
The cell contains cell sap (cell solution) of higher
concentration than
the surrounding soil water.
 This allows water to enter to the root passively
(without additional expenditure of energy from
the cell).