Introduction to the Plant Kingdom

The Plant Kingdom

Please, have a piece of paper and a pencil handy.

Open Ended

Look at the tree trunk covered with moss.

In what ways are the two organisms (moss and tree) similar? Different? Are the two organisms related?

Multiple Choice

Mosses and Trees are members of the Plant Kingdom.

Plants......

• always have roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.

• never grow in harsh ecosystems.

• are multicellular organisms that use photosynthesis to make their own food.

• are made of prokaryotic cells.

The Plant Game

1. Get your paper and pencil ready.

2. List as many different plants as you can in two minutes.

On Your Mark

Get Set

Go!

Score: To get max. 7 pts, have at least one plant in each of the seven categories below.

• moss

• fern, horsetail,

• conifer (tree with pine cones, evergreens)

• flowering plant (cacti, anything with flowers)

• grass (including corn, wheat, etc.)

• gingko tree

• cycad

Poll

As you can see, today there are many different species of plants. What do you think that the first plants on earth looked like?

• bright green mosses

• flowering trees (magnolias)

• ferns

• algae-like, live in the water

• Something different

The first plants

appeared some 550 million years ago (MYA). All plants evolved from a common ancestor, an aquatic, algae like organism. Today, we will learn more about evolution and about the evolution of plants.

What's evolution?

Evolution is Darwin's idea that:

Organisms that best fit into an environment survive and reproduce.

Organisms that don't fit in, die off (and don't reproduce).

Poll

Over generations, characteristics of a species change based on natural selection. Do you think that this comic is funny?

• YES!!!!!!!!!

• A little bit funny.

• Meh. Wake me up when it's over.

• NOT funny at all.

Multiple Choice

Which organism is more likely to fit into a desert ecosystem?

• A bryophyte (moss) that needs lots of shade and water to live?

• A cycad with a long tap root that helps it find water in dry environments?

• Both will survive just fine!

• Both will quickly die!

Open Ended

In a desert ecosystem, which plant ---the moss or the cycad--is more likely to have offspring and survive? Which is more likely to die off? Explain your answer.

Cladograms

A cladogram is a branching diagram that shows the relationships between organisms.

Across the bottom line you can see evolutionary changes--Jaws, lungs, etc.

At the top, you can see examples of organisms that evolved with each characteristic.

Multiple Choice

Use the cladogram to find one characteristic that tigers have, but lizards do not.

• amniotic membrane

• lungs

• bipedal

• hair

This cladogram shows relationships within the Plant Kingdom

Independent Work...

• Use the cladogram in Google Classroom to answer questions about plant evolution.

• This is the last slide for this week's presentation.

• Just for fun, In between this week and next week's lesson, I added a plant music video.

Plant Divisions

The Plant Kingdom is divided into Divisions.

Multiple Choice

Quick Review:

Evolution is not

• Organisms that best fit into an environment are most likely to survive.

• Organisms that survive are more likely to reproduce.

• Everything staying the same.

• Survival of the fittest.

Multiple Choice

Check all that apply. Mosses have evolved which characteristics?

• Apical growth and embryo protection.

• embryo protection and flowers

• seeds and bipedalism

• hair and warm-bloodedness

Plant Ancestor

The first plants appeared around 550 MYA

They lived in the water.

They were algae-like.

All plants evolved from this ancestor.

These early plants had not evolved embryo protection (seeds or spores).

Three Basic Plant Divisions

• Bryophyta--seedless/ no vascular system

• Pterodophyta--seedless/ vascular system

• Spermatphyta--seeds/vascular system.

• WITHIN EACH OF THESE THREE DIVISIONS are many different CLASSES of PLANT

Bryophytes--

• adapted to living on land around 500-450 MYA.

• NO vascular system or seeds.

• They die if far from the water.

• Possibly, evolved when ancestral algae washed up onto the shore.

• Classes included Mosses and LIverworts,

Multiple Choice

Bryophytes have which of the following?

• roots

• stems

• seeds

• all of the above

• none of the above

Division Pteridophyta

Seedless/ Vascular system.

Includes several Classes--Pterophyta (ferns), Lycophyta (club moss); Spenophyta (horsetails, and Psilophyta (vascular system, but no leaves).

In 400-300 MYA

• Ferns were a dominant plant in the Paleozoic Era.

• Pteridophyta reproduce with spores, not seeds

• Spore reproduction uses the DNA of only one organism.

• Spores generally fall and grow close to the parent plant.

Open Ended

How might a vascular system be an advantage for plants?

Division Spermatophyta

There are two subdivisions in this division: Gymnosperm and Angiosperm.

Appeared around 300 MYA.

Have vascular systems and seeds

Etymology--3 Greek Root Words

• SPERM-- seed

• GYMNOS-naked. Greek men used to workout naked, Today, we go to the gym to workout, but usually wear clothes!

• ANGIO-- vessel

Multiple Choice

If a gymnosperm is a naked seed, what would an angiosperm be?

• Seed named Angie.

• Seed in a vessel .

• Also a naked seed

• None of the above.

Sub-Division Gymnosperm

• Around 300 MYA---Plants in the Gymnosperm Division reached their greatest diversity in the Mesozoic Era.

• Vascular systems and seeds

• Seeds are visible and not protected by an ovary.

• Classes include cycads, gingkos, and conifers.

Poll

Spores tend to land and grow very close to the parent plant. Seeds can travel for thousands of miles. How do seeds travel?

• Animals' digestive systems.

• Wind

• People plant them.

• Water

• Video games

Sub-Division: Angiosperm

• Not just seeds and a vascular system, but al;so FLOWERS

• seeds protected by vessels or ovaries.

• Currently, there are more types of angiosperms than any other type of plant.

• Angiosperm classes are Monocots and Dicots.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following do angiosperms and gymnosperms have in common?

• vascular systems and seeds

• flowers and seeds

• seeds protected by ovaries

• all except for the first answer.