The Birds and the Bees
What part of a plant is responsible for reproduction?
Flowers
Why do seeds go through a period of dormancy?
Seeds go through dormancy so they can wait to grow until they have the perfect conditions for a good chance of survival.
Some plants use animals to spread their seeds without ever being eaten. How do they do it?
"hitch hiking" with seed pods covered in little hooks like velcro
What ATOMS do plants need for photosynthesis?
Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen
How have some plants adapted to live in environments like bogs where there are not enough nutrients available in the soil?
Carnivorous plants catch and digest insects to get extra nitrogen and other nutrients.
What part of a flower makes the pollen?
Anthers
What do you call it when plants respond to stimuli in their environment by changing the way that they grow?
Tropism (phototropism, gravitropism, thigmotropism)
What are 2 different examples of types of seeds that spread by wind?
dandelion seeds, "helicopter" seeds, "glider" seeds
How do carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight each get into a leaf?
Carbon dioxide comes through the stomata, water comes in through the veins, and sunlight gets absorbed by the chloroplasts.
What are the main challenges that plants face in a desert environment?
1. Too much sunlight 2. Not enough rain
Why are filaments important?
They hold up the anther so that the pollinator will run into it while drinking the flower's nectar.
What is the name of the process where water evaporates from the stomata in leaves, allowing more water (and nutrients) to come up the plants like a straw?
Transpiration
When plants rely on animals to spread their seeds, how do they make sure that the animals don't eat the seeds before they are fully developed?
These plants attract animals with bright colored, sweet tasting fruits. The fruits become ripe when the seeds are fully developed. Before then, the fruits are usually green and they taste sour to make animals leave them alone.
What important nutrient do plants need from the soil? (Carnivorous plants live in poor soil, so they have to eat bugs to get enough of it.)
Nitrogen (and Phosphorous)
What are the main challenges that plants face in a tropical rainforest environment?
1. Too much rain 2. Not enough sunlight
Describe the path that pollen takes to get from the anther of one flower to the ovule of another.
Anther - bee - stigma - style - ovary/ovule
Why are birds, bats, and insects important in the life cycle of plants?
They pollinate flowers, allowing them to make seeds so the plants can reproduce.
How do some plants make their seeds "explode"?
Some plants fill their seed pods very full of water, which creates high pressure. When something touches the high pressure pods, they explode and fling their seeds several feet away.
What are the 4 strategies that carnivorous plants use to capture and eat insects?
"snap traps," sticky "fly paper" traps, slippery pitcher shaped leaves full of water and digestive juices, and "vacuum chambers" under water that suck in water and prey
(Venus fly traps, sundews, pitcher plants, & bladderwort)
What are 4 examples of ways that plants adapt to live in a desert environment?
Storing water in their leaves and stems; really tiny leaves or none at all/spikes instead (fewer/no stomata) or really thick cuticles to keep water in; Creating shade for themselves with ridges or the arrangement of their leaves; reflecting light with white powder, fuzz, or hair; very deep or very wide roots to collect as much water as possible; camouflaging themselves so animal predators don't steal the water stored inside;
What are 4 different ways that a flower might attract pollinators?
bright colors, special patterns (like the bulls-eye at the center of a tulip or the spots on the inside of lily petals), "bee buffets" with lots of flowers in one convenient location, sweet smells, shapes that provide shelter to rest while they eat
What are 2 examples of times in a plant's life when it is dormant?
1. Seeds are dormant until they have the right conditions to grow. 2. Deciduous trees are dormant in the winter when they lose their leaves. (possible third option: Perennial plants are dormant in the winter when their flowers and leaves above ground die and they store energy in their roots underground until they regrow in the spring)
Why is it good for baby seeds to spread far away from their parent plants?
A) If there are too many plants in one spot they will fight over resources like nutrients and sunlight. B) If parent plants and baby plants all live in the same spot and something happens to them, then the whole population will die. If they spread out, it is less likely that the parent and baby plants will all die at the same time.
Why do leaves change color in the Fall? (Why do they change colors, and why do they need to?)
In Fall & Winter, days are shorter and weather is dryer, so there's not enough light or water for plants to do photosynthesis efficiently. They stop making chlorophyll before dropping their leaves, and you can see the "hidden" pigments that were there all along.
What are 4 examples of adaptations that help plants live in a rain forest environment?
Really tall trees competing for available sunlight; Prop roots supporting trees in shallow soil due to erosion; Drip tips and downward-facing waxy leaves to help leaves dry; Bright colored (often red) leaves to absorb "leftover" light; Growing on or climbing up tall trees to get more light