Chapter 34
Plant Structure, Growth, and Nutrition
![Introduction to Plant Diversity](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11086.jpg)
From Water to Land
Kingdom Plantae first appeared about 410 million years ago as green algae transitioned from water to land. This land was a…
![Non-vascular Seedless Plants](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11087.jpg)
The diverse plant life on Earth—consisting of nearly 400,000 species—can be divided into three broad categories based on biological…
![Introduction to Seed Plants](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11089.jpg)
Most plants are seed plants—characterized by seeds, pollen, and reduced gametophytes. Seed plants include gymnosperms and…
![Basic Plant Anatomy: Roots, Stems, and Leaves](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11090.jpg)
The primary organs of vascular plants are roots, stems, and leaves, but these structures can be highly variable, adapted for the specific needs and…
![Meristems and Plant Growth](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11092.jpg)
Plants grow throughout their lives; this is called indeterminate growth, and it distinguishes plants from most animals. Although certain parts of…
![Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11093.jpg)
Vascular plants, which account for over 90% of the Earth’s vegetation, all undergo primary growth—which lengthens roots and shoots. Many…
![Light Acquisition](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11095.jpg)
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light…
![Water and Mineral Acquisition](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11096.jpg)
Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching…
![Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11098.jpg)
The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that…
![Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11099.jpg)
During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the…
![Phloem and Sugar Transport](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11101.jpg)
Like many living organisms, plants have tissues that specialize in specific plant functions. For example, shoots are well adapted to rapid growth,…
![The Soil Ecosystem](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11102.jpg)
Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend…
![The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11104.jpg)
Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the…
![Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/media/science-education/science-education-thumbs/11105.jpg)
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability.…
![Identification of Novel Regulators of Plant Transpiration by Large-Scale Thermal Imaging Screening in <em>Helianthus Annuus</em>](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/thumbs/60535_t.png)
Plant adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses is governed by a variety of factors, among which the regulation of stomatal aperture in response to…
![Lateral Root Inducible System in <em>Arabidopsis</em> and Maize](https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/thumbs/53481_t.png)
Lateral root development contributes significantly to the root system, and hence is crucial for plant growth. The study of lateral root initiation is…