Plants

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Plants are eukaryotes with cell walls composed of cellulose. Plants carry out photosynthesis using the green pigments chlorophyll a and b, and they store the products of photosynthesis as starch.

Tree of Life' chart shows the 5 groups of Plant kingdom.

Plant life cycle

A typical plant life cycle

A banana plant in bloom.

A banana plant in bloom

• A Closer Look

Prokaryotes Within

The Origins of Chloroplasts

Chloroplasts, which contain their own DNA, are found in all green plants, but where did they come from? In 1905, the Russian botanist Konstantin Mereschkowsky, noticing the similarities between chloroplasts and cyanobacteria, proposed that these organelles originated from a symbiotic relationship formed with the ancestors of today's plants.

This hypothesis still holds up very well today. New DNA studies suggest that all chloroplasts are descended from a single photosynthetic prokaryote, closely related to today's cyanobacteria.

A microscopic view of thin section of a cyanobacterium.

The photosynthetic membranes (shown in green) visible in this thin section of a cyanobacterium resemble the thylakoid membranes of plant cell chloroplasts. (TEM 14,000X)

End ofPage DOL 20

Table of Contents

Miller & Levine Biology
About the Authors
Changing the World of Biology Education
Contents
Diversity of Life: A Visual Guide DOL•1–DOL•64
Labs and Activities
Features
UNIT 1 The Nature of Life
1 The Science of Biology
2 The Chemistry of Life
Unit Project
UNIT 2 Ecology
3 The Biosphere
4 Ecosystems and Communities
5 Populations
6 Humans in the Biosphere
Unit Project
UNIT 3 Cells
7 Cell Structure and Function
8 Photosynthesis
9 Cellular Respiration and Fermentation
10 Cell Growth and Division
Unit Project
UNIT 4 Genetics
11 Introduction to Genetics
12 DNA
13 RNA and Protein Synthesis
14 Human Heredity
15 Genetic Engineering
Unit Project
UNIT 5 Evolution
16 Darwin's Theory of Evolution
17 Evolution of Populations
18 Classification
19 History of Life
Unit Project
UNIT 6 From Microorganisms to Plants
20 Viruses and Prokaryotes
21 Protists and Fungi
22 Introduction to Plants
23 Plant Structure and Function
24 Plant Reproduction and Response
Unit Project
UNIT 7 Animals
25 Introduction to Animals
26 Animal Evolution and Diversity
27 Animal Systems I
28 Animal Systems II
29 Animal Behavior
Unit Project
UNIT 8 The Human Body
30 Digestive and Excretory Systems
31 Nervous System
32 Skeletal, Muscular, and Integumentary Systems
33 Circulatory and Respiratory Systems
34 Endocrine and Reproductive Systems
35 Immune System and Disease
Unit Project
A Visual Guide to The Diversity of Life
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
THE TREE OF LIFE
Bacteria
Protists
Fungi
Plants
Animals
Appendices
Appendix A Science Skills
Appendix B Lab Skills
Appendix C Technology & Design
Appendix D Math Skills
Appendix E Periodic Table
Glossary
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q, R
S
T
U
V
W
X, Y, Z
Index
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Credits
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