Plant Physiology
Interactions 1- Organism Organization
Essential Knowledge 4.B.2: Cooperative interactions within organisms promote
efficiency in the use of energy and matter.
Go to the Introduction to Physiology link, scroll down and play the Plant section of the
Prezi. Answer the following questions.
1) Name the three types of plant cells and note their specific function.
2) Fill in the chart below on the types of plant tissues
Tissue Types
Cells
Function
Dermal
Ground
Vascular
3) The xylem and the phloem are two different types of vascular tissue. Complete
the Venn Diagram below demonstrating the similarities and differences between
the xylem and phloem.
Xylem
Phloem
4) List the main function of each of the three plant organs below.
A. Leaf 
B. Stem 
C. Root 
5) All plants are made up of two main systems: the roots and the shoots. Sketch a
picture of a basic plant below. Label the root and shoots. Beside each label, give
the function of each plant system. In the shoots label the stem and leaf (two of the
three main organs) and beside each label, give the function of each.
Regulation 4 – Nutrition - Scroll down and play the Plant section of the Prezi. Answer
the following questions.
1) What nutrient, necessary for photosynthesis, do plants take in through their
stomata?
2) What waste product of photosynthesis do plants release through their stomata?
3) The root is the major absorptive surface of plants. What is the name of the
structure on a plant root that acts to increase the surface area for absorbing water
and minerals?
4) What type of transport process moves nutrients into plant roots?
5) Describe a symbiotic relationship between plants and bacteria. Explain the
importance of this relationship.
6) Describe a symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi. Explain the
importance of this relationship.
Essential Knowledge 2.D.2: Homeostatic mechanisms reflect both common ancestry
and divergence due to adaptation in different environments.
Regulation 3- Osmoregulation - Scroll down and play the Plant section of the Prezi.
Answer the following questions.
1) Plants are osmoconformers, what does this mean?
Essential Knowledge 4.A.4: Organisms exhibit complex properties due to
interactions between their constituent parts.
Regulation 5 – Transport - scroll down and play the Plant section of the Prezi. Answer
the following questions.
1) Some plants (the bryophytes) do not have vascular tissue. How does the lack of
vascular tissue constrain bryophyte anatomy?
2) Water must move into a plant at the roots and out of a plant at the leaf. Keeping
this in mind, explain the relationship/difference between the water potential in a
plant root and the water potential in a plant leaf.
3) What type of transport are roots using to move water and minerals into them?
Why is this so important?
4) What is the function of the casparian strip in plant roots?
5) Water Transport: Explain how the root, stem and the leaf play a role in moving
water from the root to the atmosphere. Be sure to use, define, and explain the
following processes in your explanation: transpiration, cohesion, and adhesion.
6) What is guttation?
7) What structure in a plant leaf functions as the main control mechanism for
moving water out of a leaf and controlling gas exchange in a leaf?
8) Sketch two stomata – one with flaccid guard cells and the other with turgid guard
cells. Label each stomate with the following terms: open/closed and
flaccid/turgid. Under each picture, draw an arrow showing the net movement of
water and explain why water is moving in that direction (be sure to explain how
potassium ions play a role in this process).
9) What are the physiological consequences of a plant keeping its stomata closed
during the day time?
10) Describe an example of a physiological adaptation that minimizes water loss in a
particular plant.
11) Sugar is made in the leaf of a plant, but it may need to be transported to another
area of a plant where the sugar is needed to provide energy to the plant. Name the
specialized plant tissue that transports food/sugar throughout the plant body.
12) The area where sugar is made is called the ____________ and the area that is
deficient in sugar or where sugar will be taken is called the ____________.
13) Explain how sugar is moved throughout the phloem of a plant (from the source to
the sink).
Helpful Video Links:
Bozeman Biology: Plant Nutrition & Transport:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsY8j8f54I0&feature=plcp
Kingdom Plantae
Aquatic
Plants
Environmental
Constraints and
how the plant
overcomes them
Transport: How
are gases are
transported
throughout the
organism?
Respiration:
Structures used
for gas exchange
Circulation:
describe the
path that water
and sugar takes
in a terrestrial
plant
Osmoregulation: N/A
How is water
balance
maintained
within a plant?
Thermoregulation N/A
Vascular
Terrestrial
Plants