The fungus provides the plant with a great deal more water than it could get fro

Question

The fungus provides the plant with a great deal more water than it could get from its roots alone. And why do they need so much water? Angiosperms need a lot of water each day because water is constantly moving through and out of the plant Water is lost through evaporation from holes in the plant's leaves (stomata). Nature can't plug the stomata because they're necessary for the plants to get car- bon dioxide from the air-and plants can't live without carbon dioxide because carbon dioxide is a reactant in photosynthesis. As a result, about 90% of the water that enters a plant is lost through evaporation from stomata. Please remember the name of this process-it's called transpiration. Leaves are thin and flat. Why? Because they're used primarily for photosyn- thesis, and that requires sunlight. The leafs shape maximizes the number of plant cells exposed to sunlight. That's also why stems are needed to raise the leaves above nearby competitors (competition for sunlight)-the goal being to have lots of photosynthetic cells exposed to sunlight! Leaves also contain stomata. Stomata provide for the entry of carbon dioxide from the air and for the exit of oxygen. Unfortunately, as previously noted, stomata also cause water loss. Stems provide structure, transport, and food storage. Transport is accom- plished with phloem and xylem. Phloem allows food from photosynthesis (sugar water) to move downwards from the leaves, whereas xylem allows water from the and oil to move upward in the plant. Some stems contain photosynthetic tissues can therefore supplement the photosynthetic process found in leaves. Ground tis- sues in the stem provide for food storage as well as structural support Flowers are for reproduction. Although most flowers contain both male and female elements, most plants do not self-fertilize-which is good, since the main advantage of sexual reproduction is the mixing of genes from different individuals Flowers attach to the plant by a stem called a pedicel, which enlarges to become the receptacle-so think plant, pedicel, receptacle, flower. The flower itself con- tains just four parts: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. The sepals cover the flower before it opens (if you touched a "bud," you've touched a sepal or two). All sepals combined are called a calyx. The petals are the colorful, showy part of the flower. All petals combined are called a corolla. The male part of the flower is the stamen. There are usually several stamen on a single flower. Each stamen consists of a long filament with an anther on its top. The anther contains cells that will become pollen grains, and the pollen grains contain the plant's sperm cells. The female part of the flower is the carpel. The carpel consists of three parts: the stigma on top which catches pollen; the slender tube called the style, which supports the stigma; and the ovary on the bottom, which contains the egg. The following labeled diagrams (Figures 9-1,9-2, and 9-3) may help clarify this information.

Explanation / Answer

Ans1: The small plants near the waterfall are mosses. The category of mosses is bryophytes it is different from other land plants known as tracheophytes because mosses do not contain xylem (water conducting tissue) and phloem (food conducting tisse) i.e. vascular tissues. They are cryptogams. Mosses are bryophytes which are non-vascular plants with small size, these are plants first invaded the land. They require water to complete their life cycle specially reproduction. In mosses stem is green colored because stem contain chloroplast i.e. photosynthetic tissue and supplement the photosynthesis process in leaves. Stomata are present on leaves for transpiration. All bryophytes including Mosses do not produce flowers for reproduction.

Ans2: Pinus trees are included in gymnosperms. These are phanerogams (Flowering and seed producing). Pinus or gymnosperms are vascular plants contain xylem and phloem. Pinus or gymnosperms are different from angiosperms because in gymnosperms though flowers are produced they differ from flowers produced in angiosperms. In gymnosperms ovules, seeds are naked while in angiosperms seeds are enclosed within fruits.

Ans3: There is height difference between pine tree and moss. Pine tree are very much heighted upto 55 m while mosses are very short height 0.2 to 10 cm. As mosses do not have vascular tissues such as xylem and phloem for transportation of water and food material it cannot grow at more height. Stem of Mosses does not have mechanical strength to grow more. In Pines vascular tissues are well developed, stem has mechanical strength to grow. To gain maximum exposure of leaves to sunlight for photosynthesis, Pines attend more height than neighboring plant. In mosses at low height even stem can perform function of photosynthesis.

Ans4: Scientific name of Australian tree fern is Cyathea cooperi. Australian tree fern is not bryophyte it is pteridophyte. It is 15 feet tall, mosses are very short and dosenot have vascular tissues so they cannot attend more height while pteridophytes are more evolved and have vascular tissues for transportation so have more height. Pteridophytes also do not produce flowers and seeds but they reproduce and disperse via spores. The dominant phase in bryophyte is gametophyte (haploid) whereas dominant phase in pteridophyte is sporophyte (diploid). Bryophytes have no true roots however pteridophytes have true roots.

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