L100 study guide - Exam three - part two - Plants

1. What are the four major periods of plant evolution? 
2. List and explain adaptations which plants evolved which made life on land possible (not a short answer)
3. What is meant by the alternation of generations?  Be comfortable with the general scheme of alternation of generations -- I have a simplified version posted under Handouts (see also figure 29.2). You will be expect to be able to generate such a life-cycle or part of the life-cycle.
4. Are sporophytes haploid or diploid?  Sporophytes produce what?   Are gametophytes haploid or diploid? Gametophytes produce what? Are spores produced by meiosis or mitosis? Who produces the spores? Who produces the gametes and how by meiosis or mitosis.
5. What characterizes mosses, as compared to ferns, angiosperms or gymnosperms?
6. Know the life cycle of mosses -- be very comfortable with figure 29.5
7. What characterizes ferns, again, as compared to other types of plants?  For example, what did ferns evolve that was not present in early plants (the mosses)?  What was the benefit of this/these characteristic?
8. Know the life cycle of ferns (fig 29.9). How does it differ from mosses?
9. What is a seed?  What is the benefit(s) of a seed?
10. What other adaptation evolved with seed plants?
11. How do gymnosperms and angiosperms differ?
12. Explain how pollen is dispersed in gymnosperms? Is this comparable to what happens in angiosperms? Explain.
13. What is the benefit of pollen? Do all plants have pollen? Explain.
14. Understand how the alternation of generation works in conifers and angiosperms – where does the gametophytes develop?  Where does the new sporophyte develop? Relate this to ferns and mosses. Know the life-cycles of the pine (fig 29.12)
15. Angiosperms evolved flowers and fruit.  Explain the benefit of flowers and fruit. 
16. Where does the fruit come from?