BOT1501
EXAM
PACK 2023
,BOT1501 Plant Structure: Cytology, Morphology and Anatomy
UNIT 1: PLANTS
Plants are neither fungi nor bacteria, though fungi and bacteria have some
plant-like features.
However, plants are defined as organisms composed of many cells, have
cellulose-rich cell walls, have chlorophyll and are photosynthetic (or, if non-
photosynthetic, originated from photosynthetic ancestors), and are adapted in
many ways to life on land.
One example of a plant adapted to conditions on land is a multicellular
embryo, which refers to a young stage that develops from a fertilised egg
within a mother plant’s tissues.
Plants are known as embryophytes, solely because all groups of land-adapted
plants have such embryos.
Modern groups of embryophytes include mosses and other simple plants
known as bryophytes, club mosses – lycophytes, ferns and fern relatives –
pteridophytes, seed-bearing gymnosperms such as trees, and flowering
plants – angiosperms.
Plants have a relationship to fungi and bacteria that is either positive or
negative.
In nature, about 80% to 90% of plants live in close association with fungi that
help them to obtain essential nutrients from soil.
Notably, the first plants to become stabilised on land did so with great help
from fungi.
Other fungi, like bacteria, are known as pathogens because they infect plants
and cause disease.
Plants are one of the organisms that is playing a huge role in maintaining the
chemistry of the earth's atmosphere. Plants provide food for humans and
oxygen in the earth's atmosphere.
Some of the oxygen produced by plants like algae and bacteria is convected
into ozone by soler radiation in the atmosphere.
There would be no life without ozone layer because it protects the earth's
surface against harmful ultraviolet radiation
Briefly explain why it is so difficult to define plant(s):
Plants share some of the most basic features, for example with fungi, which are
immobile and their cells are enclosed by organic walls. Also, many bacteria are
photosynthetic, but those microscopic organisms have a much simpler structure than
plants do.
,BOT1501 Plant Structure: Cytology, Morphology and Anatomy
Three elements that disqualify dodders from being
regarded as plants:
Dodders have almost no chlorophyll; mature dodders are not rooted in the ground;
dodders consist of leafless stems and lastly, dodders have no roots.
The four criteria used to define plants:
1. Plants have cellulose-rich walls,
2. Plants are multicellular,
3. Plants usually have chlorophyll and are photosynthetic,
4. and plants are adapted to life on land, or if aquatic, they descended from
plants that were adapted to life on land.
The advantages of using scientific names over common names:
➢ Ensure accuracy and specificity
➢ Enable people from different parts of the world to engage about plant species with
ease
➢ Prevent any ambiguity or confusion.
Plants and their scientific names:
Plants scientific names were established so that it would be easy to converse with
people from other regions to ensure accuracy and specifity needed for the
communication in different fields.
The simple rules that need to be followed when writing a scientific
name:
Genus (plural, genera) of which the first letter always is a capital letter.
Both parts of a scientific name either are underlined or italicised.
Common Name Scientific Name
Sweet thorn Acacia karroo
Cacao plant Theobroma cacao
Coconut Cocos nucifera
Apple Malus Domestica
Cucumber Cucumis Koenigii
Orange Citrus Aurantium
Tomato Lycopersican Esculentum
, BOT1501 Plant Structure: Cytology, Morphology and Anatomy
Scientific names of South African plants:
Lantana camara; Cotyledon orbiculata; Gnidia burchellii; Strelitzia
reginae; Acacia karroo; Acacia sieberiana DC. var. woodii (Burtt Davy);
Adansonia digitata L.; Aloe africana; Dichrostachys cinerea (L.);
Peltophorum africanum Sond.; Ziziphus mucronata
Plants and associated organisms:
Some of the oxygen produced by plants, algae and bacteria is converted into
ozone by solar radiation in the upper atmosphere. Once again, without the
ozone layer life on Earth could not exist as it shields the Earth’s surface
against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Plants do not provide oxygen only. They also perform another rarely
recognised ecological service as they help by lowering the level of carbon
dioxide (CO2) gas in the atmosphere.
Ancient plants that never decayed were compressed into coal deposits.
Likewise, over hundreds of millions of years, ocean-dwelling algae have
generated huge deposits of oil and natural gas, which are called fossil fuels.
Many bacteria and fungi are decomposers. Without such decomposers,
Earth’s plants, algae and cyanobacteria would not be able to produce the
organic food on which humans and other organisms depend.
Like any other living organisms, plants do not live in isolation in nature. They
are linked to bacteria, fungi and animals in a variety of ecological associations
such as the food web, symbioses and in evolutionary relationships. In most
instances, plants gain real benefits from these alliances.
One of the best ways to stabilise global warming is to reduce fossil fuel
combustion and also conserve forests. Forests play an integral part in keeping
atmospheric carbon-dioxide levels low.
Can plants can survive without animals?
o Plants cannot live alone.
o Plants source the majority of their CO2 from the atmosphere after it has been
exhaled by animals.
o Without CO2, the process of photosynthesis will not take place.
The main reason for preserving genetic material:
To identify the wild relatives is crucial since wild plants harbour genetic material that
is useful for developing crops that are more resistant to disease, insect attacks or
drought.
The three effects that psychoactive plant compounds have on
humans
EXAM
PACK 2023
,BOT1501 Plant Structure: Cytology, Morphology and Anatomy
UNIT 1: PLANTS
Plants are neither fungi nor bacteria, though fungi and bacteria have some
plant-like features.
However, plants are defined as organisms composed of many cells, have
cellulose-rich cell walls, have chlorophyll and are photosynthetic (or, if non-
photosynthetic, originated from photosynthetic ancestors), and are adapted in
many ways to life on land.
One example of a plant adapted to conditions on land is a multicellular
embryo, which refers to a young stage that develops from a fertilised egg
within a mother plant’s tissues.
Plants are known as embryophytes, solely because all groups of land-adapted
plants have such embryos.
Modern groups of embryophytes include mosses and other simple plants
known as bryophytes, club mosses – lycophytes, ferns and fern relatives –
pteridophytes, seed-bearing gymnosperms such as trees, and flowering
plants – angiosperms.
Plants have a relationship to fungi and bacteria that is either positive or
negative.
In nature, about 80% to 90% of plants live in close association with fungi that
help them to obtain essential nutrients from soil.
Notably, the first plants to become stabilised on land did so with great help
from fungi.
Other fungi, like bacteria, are known as pathogens because they infect plants
and cause disease.
Plants are one of the organisms that is playing a huge role in maintaining the
chemistry of the earth's atmosphere. Plants provide food for humans and
oxygen in the earth's atmosphere.
Some of the oxygen produced by plants like algae and bacteria is convected
into ozone by soler radiation in the atmosphere.
There would be no life without ozone layer because it protects the earth's
surface against harmful ultraviolet radiation
Briefly explain why it is so difficult to define plant(s):
Plants share some of the most basic features, for example with fungi, which are
immobile and their cells are enclosed by organic walls. Also, many bacteria are
photosynthetic, but those microscopic organisms have a much simpler structure than
plants do.
,BOT1501 Plant Structure: Cytology, Morphology and Anatomy
Three elements that disqualify dodders from being
regarded as plants:
Dodders have almost no chlorophyll; mature dodders are not rooted in the ground;
dodders consist of leafless stems and lastly, dodders have no roots.
The four criteria used to define plants:
1. Plants have cellulose-rich walls,
2. Plants are multicellular,
3. Plants usually have chlorophyll and are photosynthetic,
4. and plants are adapted to life on land, or if aquatic, they descended from
plants that were adapted to life on land.
The advantages of using scientific names over common names:
➢ Ensure accuracy and specificity
➢ Enable people from different parts of the world to engage about plant species with
ease
➢ Prevent any ambiguity or confusion.
Plants and their scientific names:
Plants scientific names were established so that it would be easy to converse with
people from other regions to ensure accuracy and specifity needed for the
communication in different fields.
The simple rules that need to be followed when writing a scientific
name:
Genus (plural, genera) of which the first letter always is a capital letter.
Both parts of a scientific name either are underlined or italicised.
Common Name Scientific Name
Sweet thorn Acacia karroo
Cacao plant Theobroma cacao
Coconut Cocos nucifera
Apple Malus Domestica
Cucumber Cucumis Koenigii
Orange Citrus Aurantium
Tomato Lycopersican Esculentum
, BOT1501 Plant Structure: Cytology, Morphology and Anatomy
Scientific names of South African plants:
Lantana camara; Cotyledon orbiculata; Gnidia burchellii; Strelitzia
reginae; Acacia karroo; Acacia sieberiana DC. var. woodii (Burtt Davy);
Adansonia digitata L.; Aloe africana; Dichrostachys cinerea (L.);
Peltophorum africanum Sond.; Ziziphus mucronata
Plants and associated organisms:
Some of the oxygen produced by plants, algae and bacteria is converted into
ozone by solar radiation in the upper atmosphere. Once again, without the
ozone layer life on Earth could not exist as it shields the Earth’s surface
against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Plants do not provide oxygen only. They also perform another rarely
recognised ecological service as they help by lowering the level of carbon
dioxide (CO2) gas in the atmosphere.
Ancient plants that never decayed were compressed into coal deposits.
Likewise, over hundreds of millions of years, ocean-dwelling algae have
generated huge deposits of oil and natural gas, which are called fossil fuels.
Many bacteria and fungi are decomposers. Without such decomposers,
Earth’s plants, algae and cyanobacteria would not be able to produce the
organic food on which humans and other organisms depend.
Like any other living organisms, plants do not live in isolation in nature. They
are linked to bacteria, fungi and animals in a variety of ecological associations
such as the food web, symbioses and in evolutionary relationships. In most
instances, plants gain real benefits from these alliances.
One of the best ways to stabilise global warming is to reduce fossil fuel
combustion and also conserve forests. Forests play an integral part in keeping
atmospheric carbon-dioxide levels low.
Can plants can survive without animals?
o Plants cannot live alone.
o Plants source the majority of their CO2 from the atmosphere after it has been
exhaled by animals.
o Without CO2, the process of photosynthesis will not take place.
The main reason for preserving genetic material:
To identify the wild relatives is crucial since wild plants harbour genetic material that
is useful for developing crops that are more resistant to disease, insect attacks or
drought.
The three effects that psychoactive plant compounds have on
humans
