Test Bank for BIO203- Questions with Verified Solutions Latest Version 2024-2025 (100% Correct)
Asexual Reproduction - Answers Process by which a single parent reproduces by itself.
For example, tubers (potatoes), runners (strawberries).
Sexual reproduction - Answers A reproductive process that involves two parents that combine their
genetic material to produce a new organism, which differs from both parents.
alternation of generations - Answers the alternation between the haploid gametophyte and the diploid
sporophyte in a plant's life cycle
flower structure - Answers sepals, petals, stamens, carpels.
female organs include: stigma, style and ovaries.
Perfect flowers - Answers flowers that contain both male and female structures.
imperfect flower - Answers either male or female, may oucur on the same (monoecious) or separate
plants of the same species (dioecious).
pollination - Answers The transfer of pollen from male reproductive structures to female reproductive
structures in plants.
self-pollination - Answers the pollination of a flower by pollen from the same flower or from another
flower on the same plant.
cross-pollination - Answers pollination of a flower or plant with pollen from another flower or plant.
pollination mechanisms - Answers wind, water, animals
pollination adaptations - Answers bright colours, sweet scents, and nectar attract pollinators.
Specialized structures (e.g., tubular flowers for hummingbirds, or sticky pollen for bees).
Anthocyanins - Answers water-soluble flavonoids: pelargonidin (red), cyanidin (violet), and delphinidin
(blue).
fertilization - Answers after pollen lands on the stigma, the pollen grain germinates, forming a pollen
tube that carrier sperm cell to ovule. Sperm cell fuses with egg cell in the ovule, forming a zygote.
Fertilized ovule becomes a seed, and the ovary develops into a fruit.
double fertilization - Answers unique to angiosperms.
,One sperm fertilizes the egg to form the zygote, and the other fuses with the polar nuclei to form the
endosperm. Formation of the embryo, endosperm and seed coat.
fruits - Answers the mature ovary of a flower that contains seeds.
simple fruit - Answers developed from a single ovary (berries, drupe, nuts)
aggregate fruit - Answers developed from multiple ovaries of one flower (raspberry).
multiple fruit - Answers developed from the ovaries of multiple flowers (pineapple).
accessory fruit - Answers other floral parts contribute to the fruit (apple).
wind-dispersal - Answers A method of dispersal where lightweight seeds catch the wind (with wings or
hairs).
water dispersal - Answers Seeds fall into the water and float away. They are dispersed long distances.
(coconut, buoyant structures).
animal dispersal - Answers A method of dispersal where seeds are moved by animal (edible or
attachment).
importance of sexual reproduction - Answers genetic variation: which leads to adaptation to changing
environments, evolutionary advantages.
co-evolution and armed race - Answers The co-evolutionary "arms race" between plants and their
pollinators in an ecological/evolutionary context refers to a continuous cycle of adaptations and
counter-adaptations between interacting species, often driven by selective pressures. Each species
evolves new traits or strategies to gain an advantage over the other, and the other species
simultaneously evolves countermeasures in response.
Abiotic factor: temperature - Answers Temperature influences metabolic activity in plants, with extreme
temperatures threatening survival. It also serves as a signal for changing seasons and triggers diurnal
changes in plant processes.
Abiotic factor: light - Answers Light affects plant photosynthesis, with diurnal and seasonal changes
influencing growth. It can also cause damage with certain wavelengths. Day length and timing trigger
seasonal responses, while directional light cues help plants orient for optimal light. Circadian rhythms
regulate gene expression, adjusting for daily light changes. The light spectrum signals competition,
prompting some plants to change growth forms to access more light.
Abiotic factor: gravity - Answers Gravity provides directional cues that help plants orient their growth,
ensuring proper root and shoot development.
, Biotic factors: chemicals - Answers Biotic factors affecting plants include chemicals such as essential
nutrients (e.g., nitrate and phosphate), toxins, and environmental acidity (e.g., ion concentration), all of
which influence plant growth and health.
Biotic factor: touch - Answers Touch as a biotic factor influences plant growth in response to
obstructions (e.g., stones in the soil), support structures (e.g., tendrils), and herbivory (e.g., the
development of thorns for defence).
low temperature - Answers Freezing tolerance can be increased through acclimation at around 4°C,
allowing plants to withstand colder conditions. Vernalization, the process where exposure to cold
temperatures induces flowering, is seen in plants like winter wheat. Additionally, cold-wet treatments
can promote seed germination. Temperature changes also affect gene expression, including genes
related to cold tolerance, which often overlap with drought-responsive genes.
high temperature - Answers High temperatures trigger the production of heat-shock proteins that
protect proteins from misfolding. Some plants also adjust gene expression and undergo physiological
and biochemical adaptations, such as modifications to their cuticle, trichomes, leaf shape, and
hormones, to cope with extreme heat.
Forest fires serve as a cue for some plants (e.g., eucalyptus), triggering flowering, germination, or bud
break in response to the heat.
Tropism - Answers directional growth response to stimuli (positive and negative).
Phototropism - Answers growth toward light (mediated by auxins).
(shoot = positive; root = negative).
- Shoots and roots with their tips removed won't respond to light because the auxin-producing region is
cut off.
- Shoots with their tips covered grow straight upwards under one-sided light because the light does not
affect auxin distribution.
Gravitropism - Answers growth in response to gravity, roots growing downward (positive) and shoots
upward (negative).
Asexual Reproduction - Answers Process by which a single parent reproduces by itself.
For example, tubers (potatoes), runners (strawberries).
Sexual reproduction - Answers A reproductive process that involves two parents that combine their
genetic material to produce a new organism, which differs from both parents.
alternation of generations - Answers the alternation between the haploid gametophyte and the diploid
sporophyte in a plant's life cycle
flower structure - Answers sepals, petals, stamens, carpels.
female organs include: stigma, style and ovaries.
Perfect flowers - Answers flowers that contain both male and female structures.
imperfect flower - Answers either male or female, may oucur on the same (monoecious) or separate
plants of the same species (dioecious).
pollination - Answers The transfer of pollen from male reproductive structures to female reproductive
structures in plants.
self-pollination - Answers the pollination of a flower by pollen from the same flower or from another
flower on the same plant.
cross-pollination - Answers pollination of a flower or plant with pollen from another flower or plant.
pollination mechanisms - Answers wind, water, animals
pollination adaptations - Answers bright colours, sweet scents, and nectar attract pollinators.
Specialized structures (e.g., tubular flowers for hummingbirds, or sticky pollen for bees).
Anthocyanins - Answers water-soluble flavonoids: pelargonidin (red), cyanidin (violet), and delphinidin
(blue).
fertilization - Answers after pollen lands on the stigma, the pollen grain germinates, forming a pollen
tube that carrier sperm cell to ovule. Sperm cell fuses with egg cell in the ovule, forming a zygote.
Fertilized ovule becomes a seed, and the ovary develops into a fruit.
double fertilization - Answers unique to angiosperms.
,One sperm fertilizes the egg to form the zygote, and the other fuses with the polar nuclei to form the
endosperm. Formation of the embryo, endosperm and seed coat.
fruits - Answers the mature ovary of a flower that contains seeds.
simple fruit - Answers developed from a single ovary (berries, drupe, nuts)
aggregate fruit - Answers developed from multiple ovaries of one flower (raspberry).
multiple fruit - Answers developed from the ovaries of multiple flowers (pineapple).
accessory fruit - Answers other floral parts contribute to the fruit (apple).
wind-dispersal - Answers A method of dispersal where lightweight seeds catch the wind (with wings or
hairs).
water dispersal - Answers Seeds fall into the water and float away. They are dispersed long distances.
(coconut, buoyant structures).
animal dispersal - Answers A method of dispersal where seeds are moved by animal (edible or
attachment).
importance of sexual reproduction - Answers genetic variation: which leads to adaptation to changing
environments, evolutionary advantages.
co-evolution and armed race - Answers The co-evolutionary "arms race" between plants and their
pollinators in an ecological/evolutionary context refers to a continuous cycle of adaptations and
counter-adaptations between interacting species, often driven by selective pressures. Each species
evolves new traits or strategies to gain an advantage over the other, and the other species
simultaneously evolves countermeasures in response.
Abiotic factor: temperature - Answers Temperature influences metabolic activity in plants, with extreme
temperatures threatening survival. It also serves as a signal for changing seasons and triggers diurnal
changes in plant processes.
Abiotic factor: light - Answers Light affects plant photosynthesis, with diurnal and seasonal changes
influencing growth. It can also cause damage with certain wavelengths. Day length and timing trigger
seasonal responses, while directional light cues help plants orient for optimal light. Circadian rhythms
regulate gene expression, adjusting for daily light changes. The light spectrum signals competition,
prompting some plants to change growth forms to access more light.
Abiotic factor: gravity - Answers Gravity provides directional cues that help plants orient their growth,
ensuring proper root and shoot development.
, Biotic factors: chemicals - Answers Biotic factors affecting plants include chemicals such as essential
nutrients (e.g., nitrate and phosphate), toxins, and environmental acidity (e.g., ion concentration), all of
which influence plant growth and health.
Biotic factor: touch - Answers Touch as a biotic factor influences plant growth in response to
obstructions (e.g., stones in the soil), support structures (e.g., tendrils), and herbivory (e.g., the
development of thorns for defence).
low temperature - Answers Freezing tolerance can be increased through acclimation at around 4°C,
allowing plants to withstand colder conditions. Vernalization, the process where exposure to cold
temperatures induces flowering, is seen in plants like winter wheat. Additionally, cold-wet treatments
can promote seed germination. Temperature changes also affect gene expression, including genes
related to cold tolerance, which often overlap with drought-responsive genes.
high temperature - Answers High temperatures trigger the production of heat-shock proteins that
protect proteins from misfolding. Some plants also adjust gene expression and undergo physiological
and biochemical adaptations, such as modifications to their cuticle, trichomes, leaf shape, and
hormones, to cope with extreme heat.
Forest fires serve as a cue for some plants (e.g., eucalyptus), triggering flowering, germination, or bud
break in response to the heat.
Tropism - Answers directional growth response to stimuli (positive and negative).
Phototropism - Answers growth toward light (mediated by auxins).
(shoot = positive; root = negative).
- Shoots and roots with their tips removed won't respond to light because the auxin-producing region is
cut off.
- Shoots with their tips covered grow straight upwards under one-sided light because the light does not
affect auxin distribution.
Gravitropism - Answers growth in response to gravity, roots growing downward (positive) and shoots
upward (negative).
