Question 1

New plants can be formed from cuttings because nearly all plant cells are

Accepted Answer

Totipotent cells have the ability to develop into any type of cell or tissue, which allows them to generate new individuals via asexual reproduction. When a cutting is taken from a plant, the totipotent cells present in the stem or leaf tissue can differentiate and give rise to new roots, shoots, and leaves, eventually resulting in a fully-formed plant.

Question 2

The taproot of plants such as carrots is used primarily for storage.This storage occurs in which region of the root?

Accepted Answer

The cortex of a taproot is the region where most of the storage of nutrients occurs, including the carbohydrates and sugars found in carrots.

Question 3

In a eudicot,which structure arises from the root's procambium and forms a star-shaped pattern at the center of the root?

Accepted Answer

The structure that arises from the root's procambium and forms a star-shaped pattern at the center of the root is xylem. Xylem is responsible for transporting water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. The pith is a central tissue that is surrounded by the cortex and is not formed from the procambium. The endodermis is a layer of cells that surrounds the vascular tissue in roots and controls the movement of substances in and out of the vascular tissue. The root cap is a protective structure at the tip of the root that helps the root to grow through the soil.

Question 4

A plant develops many lateral roots and the main root thickens.This type of growth results from activity in the

Accepted Answer

The pericycle is responsible for forming lateral roots and the thickening of the main root through cell division and differentiation. The cortex is responsible for storage and transport of nutrients, the endodermis is responsible for regulating the movement of water and nutrients into the vascular system, the zone of elongation is responsible for cell growth and expansion, and the zone of maturation is responsible for the differentiation of cells into specialized tissues.

Question 5

In which sequence does an individual plant root cell develop?

Accepted Answer

The development of a plant root cell starts with cell division, followed by elongation, and then maturation. This sequence allows for the growth and differentiation of specialized tissues within the root.

Question 6

The most rapid rate of cell division occurs in what part of the growing root?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most rapid rate of cell division...

Question 7

Flowering plants have evolved many adaptations of their basic organs to adapt to specific environmental conditions.Which type of specialized root adaptation would be most advantageous for a woody plant living in a water-saturated environment?

Accepted Answer

Woody plants in a water-saturated environment may struggle to obtain sufficient oxygen through their roots due to waterlogged soil. Aerial roots with pneumatophores help the plant to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, which could be a crucial adaptation for the plant's survival. The other types of specialized roots listed do not address the specific challenge of obtaining oxygen in a water-saturated environment.

Question 8

What happens to the growing root when the cells of the root cap are eroded away?

Accepted Answer

The root cap contains the meristem cells which are responsible for the growth of the root. When the cells of the root cap are eroded away, the meristem cells are exposed and may also be damaged. However, the root cap can be replaced through cell division and the root can continue to grow. Therefore, choice C is the best choice.

Question 9

Some plants have a root system that may be as much as 130 times larger than the shoot system.What is a major function of this vast root structure?

Accepted Answer

The vast root structure is primarily for absorbing water and soil nutrients. This larger surface area allows for more efficient uptake of these vital resources to support the plant's growth and survival.

Question 10

Which region in a growing root is most directly responsible for pushing the root deeper into the soil?

Accepted Answer

The zone of elongation is responsible for pushing the root deeper into the soil. This is where cells are actively elongating and pushing the root tip downwards. The other regions (root cap, root apical meristem, zone of cell division, and zone of maturation) all play important roles in root growth and function, but they are not directly responsible for pushing the root deeper into the soil.

Question 11

Botanists often propagate plants by making a cutting: that is,by planting a section of the plant stem and waiting for it to form roots.The roots formed in this way are called

Accepted Answer

The roots formed by planting a section of a stem are called adventitious roots. These roots originate from a location on the plant other than the radicle or primary root.

Question 12

A mutant mustard plant cannot respond correctly to gravity,and its roots grow in an undirected fashion.The plant most likely has a defective

Accepted Answer

The root cap is responsible for sensing gravity and directing root growth. If a plant cannot respond to gravity, it likely has a defective root cap.

Question 13

In the growing root,cells divide to form new cells in which region or regions?

Accepted Answer

Cells divide to form new cells primarily in the apical meristem, which is located at the tip of the root, but also in the zone of division just behind the meristem. The cells in the zone of elongation and maturation undergo elongation and differentiation, respectively, but do not actively divide. Therefore, choice B is the best answer as it includes both regions where new cells are actively dividing.

Question 14

A student observing a root cross section under the microscope sees a large central area of pith surrounded by rings of xylem and phloem.This plant is most likely a(n)

Accepted Answer

Monocots typically have a large central pith surrounded by vascular bundles arranged in a ring, which is consistent with the description given.

Question 15

Cell division in a primary root originates in which region of the root?

Accepted Answer

Cell division in a primary root originates in the root apical meristem, which is located at the tip of the root. This region is responsible for producing new cells that differentiate into the various tissues of the root as it grows.

Question 16

Plant growth is generally indeterminate.This plant characteristic would be most useful to grasses in a meadow when they are exposed to

Accepted Answer

Grasses in a meadow benefit from indeterminate growth when exposed to constant grazing by cattle, as it allows them to continuously grow and replace lost tissues, ensuring survival and reproduction despite being regularly eaten.

Question 17

The root endodermis is able to control the flow of water and minerals entering the root's vascular tissue system because it contains

Accepted Answer

The root endodermis contains suberin in the form of a band called the Casparian strip. This band prevents water and minerals from passing through the spaces between the endodermal cells, and instead forces them to pass through the selectively permeable membranes of the endodermal cells. This allows the endodermis to selectively control which substances pass into the vascular tissue system of the root.

Question 18

In the development of a root,the protoderm gives rise to the epidermis,which in turn may give rise to

Accepted Answer

The epidermis of a root is responsible for the formation of root hairs, which increase the surface area of the root and aid in the absorption of water and nutrients. Therefore, option C is the best choice. The other options are not derived from the epidermis but rather from other tissues.

Question 19

An apical meristem differentiates into three primary meristems: protoderm,ground meristem,and procambium.These,in turn,become the tissue systems of the mature root,which,in order from outside to inside,are the _______,_______,and _______.

Accepted Answer

The three tissue systems of the mature root, in order from outside to inside, are dermal tissue (which includes the epidermis and root hairs), ground tissue (which includes the cortex and endodermis), and vascular tissue (which includes the xylem and phloem). The protoderm differentiates into the dermal tissue, the ground meristem differentiates into the ground tissue, and the procambium differentiates into the vascular tissue. Therefore, the correct order of tissue systems is dermal, ground, and vascular, which is only found in option A.

Question 20

Plants can repair damaged tissues because they have

Accepted Answer

Meristems are undifferentiated cells that can divide and differentiate into various types of cells to repair damaged tissues in plants. Stem cells are also found in meristems. Vascular tissue, stored tissues, and determinate growth are not directly related to the repair of damaged tissues in plants.

Quiz 24: The Plant Body