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Biology: Concepts and Investigations

Mariëlle Hoefnagels

Chapter 18

Plants - all with Video Answers

Educators

Chapter Questions

01:33

Problem 1

What characteristics do all land plants have in common?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
01:16

Problem 2

As described in chapter $17,$ the term algae encompasses many separate lineages of organisms. What evidence did biologists use to determine which types of algae are most closely related to land plants?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
04:00

Problem 3

How are terrestrial habitats different from aquatic habitats? List the adaptations that enable plants to obtain resources, transport materials, and reproduce; explain how each adaptation contributes to a plant's reproductive success on land.

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
00:17

Problem 4

A few plant species, such as duckweed and water lilies, either float on or are submerged in water. These aquatic plants apparently evolved from terrestrial plants. Which adaptations do you expect to be minimized in these aquatic plants?

Emily Marty
Emily Marty
Numerade Educator
01:32

Problem 5

What are the four major groups of plants and the characteristics that distinguish them?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
01:29

Problem 6

Give at least two explanations for the observation that bryophytes are much smaller than most vascular plants. How can increased height be adaptive? In what circumstances is small size adaptive?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
01:35

Problem 7

Which adaptations enabled seedless vascular plants to invade new habitats?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
00:45

Problem 8

A fern plant can produce as many as 50 million spores a year. How are these spores similar to and different from seeds? In a fern population that is neither shrinking nor growing, approximately what proportion of these spores is likely to survive long enough to reproduce? What factors might determine whether an individual spore successfully produces a new fern plant?

Josee Pacheco
Josee Pacheco
Numerade Educator
01:40

Problem 9

Some websites for gardeners warn against the "foul-smelling fruits" that female ginkgo trees produce. In what way is this statement incorrect?

John Barone
John Barone
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01:35

Problem 10

How do the adaptations of gymnosperms and angiosperms enable them to live in drier habitats than bryophytes and seedless vascular plants?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
01:00

Problem 11

How do angiosperms differ from gymnosperms? How are the two groups of plants similar?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
02:05

Problem 12

Some viroids (infectious RNA molecules that cause diseases in plants) move to new plant hosts in pollen. Which of the four main groups of plants could "catch" viroids in this way? How could you test the hypothesis that a particular viroid spreads in pollen and not via an insect vector or direct plant-to-plant contact?

Dr. Bridgette Drummond
Dr. Bridgette Drummond
Numerade Educator
01:25

Problem 13

The immature fruit of the opium poppy produces many chemicals that affect animal nervous systems. In what way might these chemicals benefit the plant?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
01:20

Problem 14

Scientists hypothesize that a geological catastrophe, such as an asteroid impact, killed the dinosaurs. If this is true, how might angiosperms have survived such a catastrophe?

Trizia Isaac
Trizia Isaac
Numerade Educator
00:47

Problem 15

Some angiosperm species have exclusive relationships with just one species of pollinator. How would this relationship benefit the plant? What are the risks to the plant?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
01:23

Problem 16

Compare and contrast the life cycles of the four groups of plants. How does each group represent a variation on the common theme of alternation of generations?

Josee Pacheco
Josee Pacheco
Numerade Educator
01:47

Problem 17

Use the Internet to learn more about a well-studied plant species other than Arabidopsis thaliana and corn. How has the plant you chose contributed to knowledge of general biology and plant biology?

VS
Vivek Singh
Numerade Educator
01:03

Problem 18

Make a list of everything you own or use that comes from plants or plant parts. Which of the four main groups of plants are represented in your list?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
02:22

Problem 19

Suppose you and a friend are hiking and you see an unfamiliar plant. What observations would you make in trying to determine which type of plant it is?

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator
08:14

Problem 20

People often move plants from one part of the world to another Sometimes, an introduced plant species can become invasive, taking over native plant populations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture manages the National Invasive Species Information Center, whose website maintains a list of invasive plants. Which plant species are considered invasive in your home state? Why are those species harmful? Should invasive plants be eradicated? How?

Sana Riaz
Sana Riaz
Numerade Educator
01:21

Problem 21

Human activities and natural phenomena can drive plant species to extinction. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service maintains lists of threatened and endangered plant species. What are some examples of threatened or endangered species in your area? What are the most important threats to those species? What are the potential consequences of a plant species extinction? What steps should we take to save threatened and endangered plants?

Josee Pacheco
Josee Pacheco
Numerade Educator
02:22

Problem 22

What are the pros and cons of pursuing biofuels as alternatives to fossil fuels? In your opinion, do the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa? Justify your answer.

Gurlin Chudha
Gurlin Chudha
Numerade Educator