Final Plant Update

My final baby plant update (sadly). All of my babies grew big strong and healthy, even if there where some complications. This has been fun! 

Reproduction

The male reproductive structures are called the stamens. Each stamen consists of an anther, which produces pollen, and a filament, which supports the anther. The filament is the stalk that bears the anther in a stamen. The anther is the terminal part of a stamen consisting usually of two lobes each containing two sacs in which the pollen matures. The female reproductive structures are called carpels. The stigma at the top is often sticky and is where the pollen attaches. The style is the long tube that attaches the stigma to the ovary. Sperm from the pollen will travel down this tube to the ovules. The ovary is the ovule-bearing lower part of a pistil that ripens into a fruit. Sexual reproduction in plants occurs when the pollen from an anther is transferred to the stigma. Plants can fertilize themselves: called self-fertilization. Self-fertilization occurs when the pollen from an anther fertilizes the eggs on the same flower. Cross-fertilization occurs when the pollen is transferred to the stigma of an entirely different plant. When the ovules are fertilized, they will develop into seeds. The petals of the flower fall off leaving only the ovary behind, which will develop into a fruit. There are many different kinds of fruits, including apples and oranges and peaches. A fruit is any structure that encloses and protects a seed, so fruits are also "helicopters" and acorns, and bean pods. When you eat a fruit, you are actually eating the ovary of the flower. Petals are the colorful part of the flower that attracts insects and even other small animals. Sepals are leaf like structures that surround and protect the flower before it blooms. Pollen is the fine powder-like material consisting of pollen grains that is produced by the anthers of seed plants. The ovules, or eggs, are stored in the ovary until they are fertilized. Double fertilization is the process in which the two sperm nuclei of a pollen grain unite with nuclei of the embryo sac of an angiosperm plant.

Family Relationships

My baby corn seeds are monocots and my baby tomato seeds are dicots. Here are the many differences between monocots and dicots. 

Monocots: Embryo with single cotyledon, pollen with single furrow or pore, flower parts in multiples of three, major leaf veins parallel, stem vascular bundles scattered, adventitious roots, and secondary growth absent. Other example of monocots are rice,wheat, ginger and tulips. 

Dicots: Embryo with two cotyledons, pollen with three furrows or pores, flower parts in multiples of four or fives, major leaf veins reticulated, stem vascular bundles in a ring, roots developed form radicle and secondary growth is often present. Other examples of dicots are beans, pepper, cinnamon, and avocado.  

Plant update #2

A more current update of my plant babies. Both the corn and tomato are growing strong and healthy.

Baby corn had its first internode today, and baby tomato is doing very well.  

Plant update

  My plants spouted a couple of days ago! My tomato is even sporting little leaves, and the corn just peaked through. You are able to see the root though out the soil as well. 

Life Cycle

The life cycle of a plant involves the alternation of two generation: gametophyte and sporophyte generations. The sporophytes generation is asexual and has diploid cells, meaning during this phase each cell had two sets of chromosomes. A zygote form the sporophyte when it is fertilized. Meiosis is the division stage, cutting the number of chromosomes in each cell in half, which make the sporophyte produce haploid spores which will form the next gametophyte generation. During the gametophyte generation, gametes are formed and have only one set of chromosomes in them. This phase is sexual. Spores are the first cell in this generation and undergo mitosis which creates identical cells with the same number of chromosomes. Male and female gametes with the same number of chromosomes are formed. When they meet they fuse together and fertilize, forming the zygote which is now a diploid. Then the cycle repeats when this diploid forms the next alternating sporophyte generation. 

Food Delivery

Plants get food through translocation. Translocation is the movement of materials from leaves to other parts of the plant. When photosynthesis occurs, plants produce sugars in their leaves which becomes a sources for other parts other plant such as the roots, flowers, fruits, stems, and other developing leaves. The phloem moves nutrients throughout the plant. It is made of long, continuous strands called vascular bindles while extend through the roots and stem and reach into the leaves as veins.

Nutrient & Water Delivery

*Turgor Pressure is used to maintain rigid stems by absorbing water and expanding the vacuoles in the cells and pushing against the cell walls to make it rigid. 

* Transpiration is when water vapor is lost from the leaves by opening of the stomata. 

* Vascular Tissue in plants are what allow them to move water and food throughout the plant. 

* Xylem is a tissue that is made of dead cells and transport water up the roots to the leaves by using adhesions. 

* Phloem is another type of vascular tissue that only transports food is made of living cells because it needs to be able to ship food up or down the plant. 

* Stomata are pores with guard cells that can close or open allowing carbon dioxide, water, and oxygen out of the plant. 

* The soil contributes to the growth of the plant because all the nutrients are found there and water as well. 

* Casparian Strip is used to block passive transport of materials to other parts of the plants.    

Growth Explained

Meristem is a tissue of undifferentiated cells found in areas of plant growth.

Primary growth is the elongation of stem and root cells. 

Secondary growth is increasing the girth of the plant. 

Vascular Cambium is specialized cells that help carry water in vascular plants. 

Cork Cambium is a tough protective layer in the periderm. 

Auxin is a hormone and its distribution is a key factor of plant growth and development. 

Cytokinin is used in cell differentiation and specialization. 

 Phototropism is directional growth of a plant that is determined by the light sources. 

Young Plant Structure and Function

*Nodes hold the buds.

*Terminal Buds are at the top of the stem. 

Leafs absorb sunlight.

*Cuticle is the waxy layer that retains water.

*Cotyledon the first seed leaves.

*Roots hairs are the lateral extension of main roots. 

*Primary roots are the main root that the hairs grow off of. Function of roots are to absorb water and nutrients. 

*Bud a knob like growth that develops into leaf, flower, or shoot 

*Adventitious/tap root main root of the plant usually stouter than the lateral roots and grows downward from the stem. 

Germination

Germination is the process by which plants emerge from seeds and begin their growth. There are four main factors that can influence germination: light temperature, water, and oxygen. Many seeds are unaffected by light (well duh! they are underground) but some seeds, like those in the rainforest, wont begin to germinate until light shines through. Temperature affects cellular metabolic and growth rates. There is often a prime temperature for seed to germinate. Water is a requirement for germination, however too much water can drown the seeds. Imbibition is the uptake of water by the seed which lad to the swelling and breaking of the seed coat to allow the seedling to emerge and start growing roots and leaves. Lastly oxygen is required in germination for metabolism. It is used in the aerobic respiration which is the main source of energy for the seedling until it grows leaves. 

Seed Structure and Function

My baby corn seeds are monocots and my baby tomato seeds are dicots. Here are the many differences between monocots and dicots. 

Monocots: Embryo with single cotyledon, pollen with single furrow or pore, flower parts in multiples of three, major leaf veins parallel, stem vascular bundles scattered, adventitious roots, and secondary growth absent. Other example of monocots are rice,wheat, ginger and tulips. 

Dicots: Embryo with two cotyledons, pollen with three furrows or pores, flower parts in multiples of four or fives, major leaf veins reticulated, stem vascular bundles in a ring, roots developed form radicle and secondary growth is often present. Other examples of dicots are beans, pepper, cinnamon, and avocado.  

Monocot and dicot seeds contain an embryo which had a cotyledon, epicotyl, and hypocotyl. They also have an endosperm and seed coat. The seed coat forms the wall of the embryo sack and protects the seed. The endosperm is a food supply for the baby seed and contains three sets of chromosomes.The embryo is the immature plant, the cotyledon is the seed lead that fist emerges and the radicle is the root.

Planting Day!

I planted 3 baby corn seed and 3 baby tomato seeds into two separate cups of dirt. I then gave them a nice drink of water and I am hoping that they grow up to strong healthy plants.