BPigments that capture light energy that chlorophyll cannot capture; these pigments then transfer this energy to the chlorophyll in a form that it can use. Accessory pigments include phycobiliproteins and carotenoids.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBactinomorphy
BRadial symmetry; flowers that are symmetric around the center exhibit actinomorphy.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBalga
BThe singular form of algae.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBalgae
BSingle-celled or multicelled plants that live primarily in aquatic environments. Algae are very primitive forms of plants.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBanther
BThe tip of a flower's male reproductive structure where pollen is produced.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBantheridia
BThe "male" sex organs of mosses, ferns, and other plants that do not produce seeds. They are haploid structures that produce haploid sperm, which will fertilize eggs in the archegonia to produce a diploid zygote. The singular form of this word is antheridium.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBarchegonia
BThe "female" sex organs of mosses, ferns, and other plants that do not produce seeds. They are haploid structures that produce haploid eggs, which are fertilized in the archegonia to produce a diploid zygote. The singular form of this word is archegonium.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBarid
BDry; without moisture.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBasci
BThe saclike structures of ascomycetes fungi where spores are produced.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBascus
BThe singular form of asci.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBbenthos
BThe collection of organisms that live at the bottom of an ocean, river, or lake, as opposed to plankton that are suspended in the water or nekton that swim through the water.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBbioluminescent
BThe capacity in living organisms to produce light, such as the light produced by fireflies and the bacteria that live in the eyelids of photoblepherons.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBblade
BThe thin, flat part of the leaf, which is the site of photosynthesis and transpiration.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBbryophytes
BThe division of primitive plants that includes mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcalyptra
BThe tight cap that covers the spore-containing capsules of most bryophytes.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcalyx
BThe ring of sepals on a flower.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcambium
BA layer of cells in vascular plants that generates new vascular tissue and the outer protective layer during plant thickening, or secondary growth; two types include vascular cambium and cork cambium.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcapsule
BThe structure in bryophytes where spores are produced.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcarotenoids
BAccessory pigments, ranging in color from yellow to deep red, that give plants their characteristic colors, such as the orange color characteristic of carrots.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcarpel
BThe female reproductive structure in a flower.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBchlorophyll BBIaBIB
BThe one form of chlorophyll common to all plants.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBchlorophyll BBIbBIB
BA form of chlorophyll; other forms of chlorophyll include IaI, IcI, IdI, and IeI.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBchytrid
BA very small, single-celled fungi that is a parasite on algae such as diatoms.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcolonial
BOf a colony or group.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcompound palmate
BA leaf with a palmate formation of veins and with a blade divided into leaflets.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcompound pinnate
BA leaf with a pinnate formation of veins and with a blade divided into leaflets.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcork cambium
BThe cambium that gives rise to cork, which is the outer protective coat of a plant's secondary growth.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcork
BThe protective outer layer of a plant's secondary growth.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcorolla
BThe ring of petals on a flower.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcotyledon
BAn embryonic leaf in the seed, bulb, or corm. Monocotyledons such as tulips have a single cotyledon. Dicotyledons, such as apples and oranges, have two cotyledons in their seeds.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcuticle
BA layer of cutin that covers the outside of the epidermis of land plants; "cuticle" means "little skin."
Ec[000000]f[16]LBcutin
BA fatty, water-repellent substance, which forms the cuticle of land plants.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBdiatoms
BSingle-celled algae with silica in their cell walls.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBdicaryotic
BA fungal cell with two haploid nuclei.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBdinoflagellates
BPredominantly single-celled algae with two flagella and a cell wall composed of plates fused together in a pattern.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBdiploid
BHaving the full complement of a species' chromosomes in the nucleus; a cell with homologous pairs of chromosomes; not haploid.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBepidermis
BThe outer layer of cells, usually a single cell thick, that protects the primary plant body.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBepigynous
BA flower with a receptacle that surrounds the ovary; see perigynousI Iand hypogynous.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBeucaryotic
BHaving a true nucleus surrounded by a nuclear membrane; also spelled eukaryotic.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBeuglena
BSingle-celled algae with a single flagellum.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBfilament
BIn flowers, the stalk of the stamen on which the anther sits.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBflagella
BTail-like extensions from single-celled organisms that help with locomotion.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBflagellum
BThe singular form of flagella.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBgamete
BA haploid cell that may fuse with another to form a zygote, which is a diploid cell.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBgametophyte
BA plant made of haploid cells. Not all plants have gametophytes--only those with an alternation of generations.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBground tissue
BThe tissue of plants that is not epidermis or vascular tissue.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBhaploid
BHaving one-half of the full complement of a species' chromosomes in the nucleus; not diploid.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBhaustoria
BThe plural form of haustorium.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBhaustorium
BA fungal structure that penetrates plant and animal cells and absorbs nutrients from the cells.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBhypha
BA filamentous cell of a fungus; a mass of hyphae forms a fungus's mycelium.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBhypogynous
BA flower with an ovary that is not surrounded by its receptacle; the ovary sits above the receptacle and is said to be superior. See perigynous andI Iepigynous.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBindusium
BThe outgrowth of a fern leaf that protects its sori, or clusters of sporangia.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBinflorescence
BA group of flowers growing on a single stalk.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBintegument
BA skin or coating, such as a seed coat or a cell membrane.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBintertidal zone
BThe strip of beach or shore between high tide and low tide markers. At high tide the strip is covered with water; at low tide it is exposed to the air.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmegasporangia
BStructures of the female cones of gymnosperms that produce haploid megaspores.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmegaspores
BThe haploid female spores of gymnosperms. These cells produce the egg that will fuse with the male pollen grain to form a zygote, which will become a seed.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmegasporocytes
BCells in the megasporangia of female cones of gymnosperms. These cells differentiate and divide meiotically to form four haploid megaspores. One will survive and divide and differentiate to form several gametophyte archegonia that contain a large egg cell. This will be pollinated by a pollen grain from a male cone.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmeristem
BThe growing portion of a plant; from a Greek word that means "to divide."
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmicropyle
BThe opening in the integument surrounding the megasporangia of female gymnosperm cones. The pollen grain travels through the micropyle to reach the egg.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmicrosporangia
BStructures on the male cones of gymnosperms that produce haploid pollen grains.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmicrospores
BThe haploid male spores of gymnosperms. These cells produce the pollen grain that will fertilize the female egg.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmicrosporocytes
BCells in the microsporangia of the male cones of gymnosperms. These cells differentiate and divide meiotically to form four haploid microspores. The nucleus of the microspore divides to produce a two-celled gametophyte called the pollen grain.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmobile
BAble to move or be moved.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmorphologically
BPertaining to the form or structure of a plant or animal.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmotile
BCapable of self-powered movement.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmycelium
BA mass of fungal hyphae that forms the vegetative body of the fungus.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBmycorrhiza
BA symbiotic association between the roots of pine trees and fungi in the soil. The fungi help move minerals to the roots and the roots protect the fungi.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBnekton
BThe swimming organisms of a marine population.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBnucellus
BThe tissue that surrounds the megasporocyte of female gymnosperm cones.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBoperculum
BA lid that covers the tip of a moss sporangium until it is ready to discharge its spores.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBovary
BThe hollow base of a flower's carpel that contains ovules.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBovule
BThe structure inside of a flower's ovary that will develop into a seed when fertilized.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBpaleolimnology
BThe study of a lake's fossils and its ancient history.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBpalmate
BA leaf with a pattern of veins that resembles the hand, with similarly sized veins radiating from the base of the blade.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBparasites
BFungi or other heterotrophic organisms that attack living organisms as a source of food.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBpeduncle
BThe stalk of a flower.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBperianth
BThe corolla and calyx of a flower.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBperigynous
BA flower with a receptacle that surrounds the ovary but is not attached to the ovary; see epigynous and hypogynous.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBperistome
BThe structure that controls the dispersal of moss spores from the sporangia. In dry weather this structure opens, allowing the spores to be carried away. In wet weather it closes, keeping the spores inside.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBphloem
BThe part of the vascular system of plants that transports food molecules.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBphosphoresce
BTo emit light without an external source of radiation.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBphycobilin
BAn accessory pigment that is responsible for the blue-green color of blue-green algae and the red color of red algae.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBphytoplankton
BPlant plankton (as opposed to zooplankton, or animal plankton).
Ec[000000]f[16]LBpinnae
BThe leaflets of a compound pinnate leaf.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBpinnate
BA leaf with a pattern of veins resembling a feather, where one main vein has smaller veins branching off from it all at the same angle.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBplankton
BThe floating or suspended organisms of a marine population.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBplasmodesmata
BTiny tubules that run through the cell wall from inside of the cell wall to outside of the cell wall. A collection of plasmodesmata forms a pit, the site where materials can pass through adjacent cells of vascular tissue.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBplasmodium
BThe vegetative, slimy state of slime molds, which lacks shape or form.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBpolysaccharide
BA long chain molecule with repeating sugar units.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBprocaryotic
BLacking a true nucleus surrounded by a nuclear membrane; also spelled prokaryotic. Bacteria and blue-green algae are procaryotic organisms.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBprothallus
BThe small stemlike structure of fern gametophytes.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBprotonema
BThe branched, filamentous growth of mosses.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBprotoplasm
BThe contents of a cell inside the cell membrane, including the cell's nucleus; the living matter of a cell.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBresin ducts
BPouchlike spaces between cells, in the tissue of conifers, that contain resin, a substance that protects plants when wounded.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBrhizome
BA horizontal underground stem.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBsaprophytes
BFungi or other heterotrophic organisms that attack dead organisms as a source of food.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBsepals
BThe green leaflike structures that protect the bud of a flower.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBseta
BThe stemlike structure of fern sporangia.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBsori
BClusters of sporangia on the leaves of ferns.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBsporangia
BStructures that produce spores; the singular form of this word is sporangium.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBspore
BGenerally, a single cell that leaves a parent body to give rise to a new organism.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBsporophyte
BA plant made of diploid cells, as opposed to a gametophyte, which is a plant made of haploid cells.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBstamen
BThe male reproductive structure of flowers; the stamen consists of an anther and a filament.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBstigma
BThe end of the carpel, which is the female reproductive structure of flowers.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBstipe
BA stalk.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBstomata
BOpenings in the epidermis of plants created by gaps between guard cells. The singular form of this word is stoma or stomate.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBstyle
BThe long, slender portion of the carpel, down which the pollen grows to reach the ovules.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBsuberized
BTurned into cork through the formation of suberin, a waxy substance that helps to waterproof plants.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBsymbiotic
BA healthy relationship between two different organisms, with each contributing in some way to the well-being of the other. For example, one organism may provide food and the other, some form of protection.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBterminal bud
BThe growth shoot at the end of a plant stem.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBxylem
BThe part of the vascular system of plants that transports water.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBzooplankton
BAnimal plankton (as opposed to phytoplankton, or plant plankton).
Ec[000000]f[16]LBzoospore
BThe naked spore of many fungi and algae that are capable of swimming outside the parent body.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBzygomorphy
BSymmetry that is bilateral but not radial; flowers that are symmetrical from side to side exhibit zygomorphy.
Ec[000000]f[16]LBzygote
BThe diploid product of the fusion of two haploid gametes.
