Category: Learn Botany Flashcards
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Define a species in biological terms.
A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring under natural conditions.
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What is binomial nomenclature?
Binomial nomenclature assigns each species a two-part Latin name: genus + specific epithet (e.g. Rosa indica).
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Compare C₄ and CAM photosynthesis.
C₄ plants fix CO₂ into a four-carbon acid in mesophyll then release it in bundle sheath cells; CAM plants temporally separate fixation (night) and Calvin cycle (day) in the same cells.
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What is C₃ photosynthesis?
In C₃ plants, the first stable product of carbon fixation is 3-phosphoglycerate (a three-carbon compound); most plants are C₃.
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Name three major plant hormones.
Auxin, gibberellins, and cytokinins (also abscisic acid and ethylene are major regulators).
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What is phototropism?
Phototropism is directional growth of a plant toward (positive) or away from (negative) a light source, mediated largely by auxin.
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Define turgor pressure.
Turgor pressure is the pressure of the cell contents against the cell wall, maintained by water in the vacuole and important for rigidity.
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What is transpiration?
Transpiration is the loss of water vapor from plant surfaces, mainly through stomata, creating a pull that draws water up the xylem.
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What is a stoma?
A stoma is a pore, usually flanked by guard cells, that regulates gas exchange and transpiration on leaf surfaces.
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What is the function of root hairs?
Root hairs increase surface area for absorption of water and minerals from soil.