Questions for Lecture 1: Essential Concepts: Cell Structure and Function; Vascular Plant Structure

By the end of your preparation of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Describe the basic biochemical components of plant membranes, their arrangement in the membrane, and their functions.
2. Describe the basic qualities of a plant, its parts and their functions at the organ, the tissue, the cell, and the organelle levels.
3. Describe the components of a leaf and relate the structure of the following to its function: guard cell; mesophyll cell; chloroplast; thylakoid membrane; grana; stroma matrix; mitochondria.
4. Distinguish between "light" and "dark" reactions of photosynthesis, between C-3, C-4 and CAM plants.
5. Describe an equation that describes the flux of water vapor and carbon dioxide into and out of leaves.
6. Define and describe the following concepts and terms: (Dictionary is not provided for these words.) Cuticle; Conductance; Dark reactions of photosynthesis; Diffusion; Fluid mosaic model of membrane; Light reactions of photosynthesis; Lipids; Ohm's law analogy; Osmosis; Proteins (integral and peripheral); Resistance; Water-use efficiency.

Outline of presentation :

For outline of presentation and for the legends of figures, see the Handbook for the course "Biology 121 Notes, Spring, 1998, University of Illinois, Plant Biology: Ecology and Organismic Plant Biology" by Govindjee, Stipes Publishing, Champaign, IL.

For this lecture's slides, click here.