Major Plant Divisions

Bryophytes

                        These plants are composed of liverworts, hornworts, and mosses.  Bryophyte plants have dominant gametophyte generations are larger and longer living than their sporophyte generations.  In fact, their sporophyte generations are dependent on the gametophytes for nutrition and shelter.  Bryophytes are nonvascular plants so they are unable to grow fairly tall and typically  will be shorter flat plants.  

 

Seedless Vascular Plants

                                    These plants have developed tubes inside them that allow them to transport minerals, nutrients, and water to different areas of the plant.  Made out of xylem and phloem, these plants are more able to stand upright and grow taller to be more competitive in gathering sunlight and nutrients in their environment.  These plants demonstrate a steady shift from dominant gametophyte generations to longer sporophyte generations that rely less on the gametophytes.

 

Gymnosperms

                        Gymnosperms include plants like conifers, pines, etc.. Their seeds are considered naked seeds and lack an enclosed ovary.  As such they are typically called naked seed plants.  In conifers, the seeds are grown on cones.  Gymnosperms have very small and very short gametophyte generations.  The sporophyte is now the largest and more noticeable part of the plant.

 

 

Angiosperms

                        The angiosperms are considered the flowering and fruiting plants.  These plants have enclosed ovaries that allow them to protect their embryos.  Angiosperms are divided into monocots and dicots.  Angiosperms utilize flowers to attract insects and animals to aid in the process of pollination and fertilization.  Angiosperms also grow fruits to protect their seeds.  Fruits have also evolved to aid the spread of species by means of both animal and environmental aids.

Cell Diversity Wordle

Cell diversity refers to the almost innumerable variation of different cell types and functions.  In the unicellular world, cells use all sorts of adaptations and organelles to aid their survival in life.  Multicellular organisms are even more complex in that cells work together and form groups of cells that all perform specific tasks.  These specialized cells groups are called tissues.  Collectively, these tissues join together ONCE AGAIN to form organs.  Organs drive all the necessary functions needed to keep a multicellular organism alive.

Cell Metabolism Wordle

   Cell metabolism follows the many chemical pathways that cells use to direct, create, and manage the energy they need to maintain homeostasis.  Various properties and reactions accumulate to provide the necessary reactions and molecules needed to make changes both inside and outside the cell. Enzymes are proteins that aid in reactions by physically altering molecules and catalyzing the reactions.  Energy is the main focus of cell metabolism.

Protozoa Phylas

Virus/Prion/Protist/Bacteria Comparison

Virus/Prion/Protist/Bacteria Comparison

Virus

·       The smallest viruses can be only 20nm in diameter.

·       Even the largest viruses are barely visible on a LMS.

·       Viruses are not cells

·       Virus genomes may consist of double-stranded, single-stranded, DNA or RNA.

·       The smallest viruses have only 4 genes while the largest have several hundred.

Prions

• Infectious proteins.
• Cause degenerative brain diseases in animals.
• Transmission through food.
• Slow-Acting
• Virtually Indestructible

Protista

• Eukaryotic
• Unicellular
• Loose grouping of 30-40 disparate phyla
• Simple organization
• Molds
• Algae
• Some are photosynthetic
• Some cause Malaria and sleeping sickness

Bacteria

• Prokaryotic
• Single celled
• Wide variety of shapes
• No Nucleus
• Most biomass on Earth
• Integral to many ecosystem processes
• May be infected by bacteriophages
• Used to make food

The Process of Bacterial Transformation

• First discovered by Oswald Avery’s now classic experiments
• Bacteria take in plasmid DNA from their surroundings
• Transformed bacteria can survive presence of antibiotics
• Boyer and Cohen found that could insert eukaryotic and prokaryotic genes in other organisms

Process Steps:

1. Bacteria has many pores during rapid growth
2. Positively charged ions create neutral situation around bacteria membrane
3. Heat shock stabilizes membrane charge
4. Heat shock sets up current that pulls DNA plasmid into bacteria
5. Plasmid integrates/Directs bacteria function