Question 1

In dicots, the shoot tip is protected by:

Accepted Answer

In dicots, the shoot tip is protected by the hook of the hypocotyl, which emerges from the soil during germination and provides protection to the shoot meristem as it grows upwards. The coleoptile is a structure found in monocots, not dicots. A slime layer and a woody sheath are not typically involved in protecting the shoot tip in dicots.

Question 2

Some very showy desert flowers avoid desiccation of delicate floral tissues by blooming at night. They are pollinated by:

Accepted Answer

Desert flowers that bloom at night are often pollinated by bats, as they are attracted to the flowers' strong fragrance and bold colors in the dark. Bats are also able to navigate in the low light conditions of the desert at night to find and feed on nectar, making them an efficient pollinator for these plants. Wind, bees, and hummingbirds are not likely to be effective pollinators for nocturnal desert flowers.

Question 3

Plants that grow in a(n)________ area most likely do not require drying or exposure to cold to break dormancy.

Accepted Answer

Plants that grow in wet tropical areas have consistent warm and wet conditions throughout the year, which means they do not require drying or exposure to cold to break dormancy. The other options have harsher and more variable climates, which can trigger dormancy mechanisms in plants.

Question 4

Cotyledons and endosperm both provide nutrition. What is the difference between them?

Accepted Answer

Cotyledons are part of the seed embryo and provide nutrition to the young seedling after germination. Endosperm is a tissue that is formed during seed development and provides nutrition to the developing embryo before germination. Therefore, endosperm provides nutrition for the developing embryo, and cotyledons provide nutrition for the young seedling.

Question 5

When wheat is processed to make white, all-purpose flour, the wheat is passed through rollers that pop off the embryo and the ovary wall. Some people add "wheat germ" to the white flour used to make baked goods, in order to increase the protein content of these products. What is wheat germ?

Accepted Answer

Wheat germ is the small, nutrient-rich part of the wheat kernel that contains the embryo, or the part that would develop into a new wheat plant if fertilized.

Question 6

A fruit is a mature:

Accepted Answer

A fruit is the mature ovary of a flower, containing seeds.

Question 7

Desert plants often have ________ in their seed coats that keep them dormant until there is sufficient water to complete their life cycle.

Accepted Answer

Desert plants often have inhibitory compounds in their seed coats that keep them dormant until there is sufficient water to complete their life cycle. These compounds prevent germination under dry conditions, which helps ensure that the seed does not grow until the environment provides the necessary resources for growth and reproduction.

Question 8

Yucca flowers are pollinated only by yucca moths, which lay their eggs in the flower's ovary. This interaction ensures that the plant has seed for the next generation and that the moth larvae have a food source. What is a potential disadvantage or vulnerability of this very specialized plananimal interaction?

Accepted Answer

The yucca plant species is dependent on its relationship with the yucca moth for pollination, and without the moth, the plant cannot reproduce. Therefore, any threat to the moth population, such as pesticide use or habitat destruction, could have serious consequences for the plant species.

Question 9

In many dicots, the first pair of leaves that emerge from the soil after seed germination are completely unlike all the rest of the leaves that form on that plant. In such plants, these leaves are:

Accepted Answer

The first pair of leaves that emerge from the soil after seed germination in dicots are known as cotyledons and are completely unlike all the rest of the leaves that form on the plant. They are derived from the embryonic seed and are usually somewhat round and fleshy, with a different shape and size than the leaves that will grow later. Over time, the cotyledons elongate and turn green as they start to photosynthesize.

Question 10

Which of the following pollinators would likely visit a flower that is relatively simple in design and smells like rotting carrion?

Accepted Answer

Beetles are attracted to flowers that are simple in design and smell like rotting carrion. They are known as the primary pollinators of such flowers. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees are attracted to brightly colored and fragrant flowers. Moths and butterflies are attracted to flowers that are fragrant, but not necessarily those that smell like rotting carrion.

Question 11

The first leaves produced by an embryo while still inside the seed are:

Accepted Answer

The first leaves produced by an embryo while still inside the seed are called cotyledons, which serve as a source of nutrition and energy for the developing plant until it can produce its own leaves and start photosynthesis.

Question 12

While walking along a riverbank after a swim, you step on a sharp fruit. When you pick it up, you notice that it rattles, which indicates there is an air pocket around the seeds. How is this fruit most likely dispersed?

Accepted Answer

The presence of an air pocket suggests buoyancy, which is a characteristic of fruits dispersed by water.

Question 13

What are the results of double fertilization?

Accepted Answer

Double fertilization results in the fusion of one sperm cell with the egg cell to form a diploid zygote and the fusion of the other sperm cell with two polar nuclei in the embryo sac to form a triploid endosperm. Therefore, the best choice is D, which describes the formation of a triploid endosperm and a diploid zygote.

Question 14

How many sperm are produced by an angiosperm pollen grain when it grows its pollen tube?

Accepted Answer

When an angiosperm pollen grain grows its pollen tube and reaches the female reproductive structure, it releases two sperm cells. Therefore, the correct choice is B, two.

Question 15

The reserve food in angiosperm seeds is stored either in the cotyledons or in the:

Accepted Answer

The endosperm is a nutrient-rich tissue that forms as a result of double fertilization in angiosperms. It acts as a food reserve for the developing embryo in the seed. In some species, the cotyledons also store reserve food, but in others, they may have other functions such as photosynthesis. The gametophyte, megaspore, and ovary wall are not involved in storing reserve food in angiosperm seeds. The sporophyte is the entire plant body, so it cannot be a specific location for seed storage.

Question 16

All of the following are true of the relationship between the yucca and the yucca moth EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

All of the other options are true statements about the relationship between the yucca and the yucca moth. However, C is not entirely accurate. While the yucca plant is dependent on the yucca moth for pollination and reproduction, the yucca moth is actually highly specialized and can only lay its eggs in yucca flowers.

Question 17

In monocots, the shoot tip is protected by:

Accepted Answer

Monocots have a protective sheath called the coleoptile that covers the shoot tip during emergence.

Question 18

You have some freshly produced seeds that refuse to germinate when placed in moist soil. What can you do to encourage the seeds to germinate?

Accepted Answer

Freezing and then thawing seeds can break dormancy in some seeds by mimicking natural winter conditions, encouraging germination.

Question 19

Endosperm has allowed the angiosperms to become the most numerous and diverse plant group. What is the role of the endosperm?

Accepted Answer

The endosperm is a tissue within the seed that provides nutrition for the developing embryo. This increases the survival rates of the offspring and allows for the angiosperms to become the most numerous and diverse plant group.

Question 20

The seed coat develops from the:

Accepted Answer

The integuments of the ovule, which are derived from the sporophyte parent tissue, give rise to the seed coat.

Quiz 44: Plant Reproduction and Development