Emily Hartman Professor Debbie Seale Biology 101 TR, 6-9pm 10/29/13 Plant Study: Brassica rapa Plants

are all around us. We walk outside and see tall trees, bushes, grass, flowers, maybe even cacti depending on where we are. Plants are a vital part of our world: without them we wouldnt be here. But how do plants survive? It might seem strange that there are so many plants, but they dont have mouths to eat, noses to breathe, and they dont reproduce like animals and insects do. Plants reproduce by the spreading of their pollen from plant to plant. Pollen is the fine powdery substance that contains the male gamete that can fertilize the female gamete. When plants that are the same species pollinate each other new types of that plant can form. Pollen is spread when birds or bees get the pollen on their bodies while feeding from the plant and spreading the pollen when they move from plant to plant; this is known as pollination. Insects are sometimes involved in pollination because they get food from the nectar of flowering plants. Insects are attracted to fragrant plants with colorful flowers, which is why most flowers that we see are brightly colored and may give off a pleasant scent. Another way plants can reproduce is by making spores. Spores are minute, single celled, reproductive units capable of giving rise to a new individual without sexual fusion. Some plants that reproduce through spores include ferns, lycopods and horsetails. Fungi also reproduce through spores. Other plants can self-pollinate. However, Brassica rapa cannot, this is because it contains recognition compounds called

glycoproteins which are unique to each plant. If this glycoprotein is activated because of selfpollination, the pollen will be aborted and no offspring will be produced. The reproductive parts of the plant include both male and female parts. The male reproductive organ is the stamen which consists of an anther, which produces pollen, and a filament. The female reproductive organs include a pistil, which contains an ovary; a style, which is the tube on top of the ovary; and a stigma, which is the part that is pollinated by the pollen. When pollen lands on the stigma during pollination, pollen tubes begin to develop in the style, the pollen then makes its way down into these tubes and into the ovary where the sperm can fertilize the ovum. Once the ovum is fertilized, a seed will form. Some plants go to the trouble of producing a protective case around the seed or seeds called fruit. Humans have made use of these fruits as sources of glucose and have bred plants to produce larger, sweeter tasting fruits. If the fruit isnt harvested by humans, it usually falls off of the plant and rots, leaving the seeds on the ground. Once these seeds make it into the ground, they begin to germinate. Germination is the growth of the seed. In order for a seed to germinate, it needs plenty of water, oxygen, and the proper temperature. Some seeds need light; the amount of light needed varies from full light to complete darkness. Following germination, a plant will sprout from the ground. In order for the plant to grow to maturity, it needs sunlight, water, soil with nutrients and air. Plants dont use oxygen to grow and survive, though; they use carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Plants create their own food through a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy into chemical energy and storing the bonds of sugar. This process takes place in the chloroplasts using chlorophyll. Plants have many other parts along with their reproductive parts. These include the flowers petals, stem, roots, and leaves. The petals of the flower are colorful to attract birds and

insects to them in order for pollination to take place. The roots main purposes are to bring water and nutrients into the plant from the soil and keep the plant in place. Leaves help with photosynthesis, photosynthesis and storing nutrients. The stem of the plant has many purposes. It provides support to the plant. It helps make the plant taller, as well. One benefit to being taller when it comes to plants is there is less competition for sunlight. The stem also plays and important role in bringing water to the rest of the plant. In taller plants like Brassica rapa, water could not get to the flowers or leaves without the use of the stem. Cells in the stem called xylem cells move the water. Phloem cells move food. Flowering plants go through a process called photoperiodism. Photoperiodism is the response of an organism to seasonal changes in day length. Flowering plants have photoreceptors such as phytochrome or cryptochrome to sense changes in day length throughout the seasons. There are different kinds of flowering plants. Long day plants flower when the days are longer than the nights, like in spring and summer. Short day plants do the opposite, flowering when days are shorter such as in fall and winter. In order to survive, humans have used plants as a source of nutrients for a long time. As we evolved and adapted, we learned how to breed plants to create the perfect food. Humans have bred plants for aesthetic purposes. Breeding plants and farming are difficult processes that require practice and trial and error. One process of growing plants is thinning them. Thinning plants is important for germination and to reduce crowding. Like humans, if there is no room to grow, the plant will simply not grow or seeds will not germinate. Even though plants do not have what we would call conventional body parts, they are pretty efficient with what they have. Clearly there are advantages to having both male and female reproductive parts and being able to make your own food out of the sunlight. Plants and animals

have evolved together and through this co-evolution we have the many diverse species of plants and animals we have today.

Works Cited "Flower Anatomy Printout - EnchantedLearning.com." Flower Anatomy Printout EnchantedLearning.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/printouts/floweranatomy.shtml Flowering and Pollination: Pollination Biology. Wisconsin Fast Plants. "Great Plant Escape - Germination." Great Plant Escape - Germination. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case3/c3facts3.html "What Does a Plant Need to Grow?" What Does a Plant Need to Grow? N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. http://home.sjfc.edu/cals/units/akerley/whatdoesaplantneedtogrow.htm "Photosynthesis." Photosynthesis. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm "Great Plant Escape - Plant Parts." Great Plant Escape - Plant Parts. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013 http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts2b.html