Plants and Ecology

Stoma

• Tiny pores (holes) found on the bottom surface of leaves surrounded by guard cells.

• Large openings in the bark of trees that allow for gas exchange.

• Small structures in the roots that absorb water and nutrients.

• Cells that regulate the opening and closing of plant pores.

Tags

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Pollination

• The process of transferring pollen from the anthers of a flower to the stigma of the same flower or of another flower.

• The process by which plants absorb water through their roots.

• The method by which flowers produce seeds without fertilization.

• The way in which flowers attract pollinators using scent and color.

Tags

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Food Web

• A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

• A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

• A diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.

• A type of food chain that only includes herbivores.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Anther

• The part of the stamen that contains the pollen.

• A type of flower that attracts bees.

• The structure that supports the petals of a flower.

• The part of the plant responsible for photosynthesis.

Limiting Factor

• Any factor that enhances the growth of organisms.

• Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, number, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.

• A factor that has no impact on the ecosystem.

• Only abiotic factors that affect the environment.

Abiotic

• The living parts of an ecosystem (ex: plants, animals)

• The nonliving parts of an ecosystem (ex: air, water, soil, temperature)

• The interactions between living organisms

• The processes that occur within a living organism

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Autotroph

• An organism that can produce its own food using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.

• An organism that consumes other organisms for energy.

• An organism that decomposes organic material for nutrients.

• An organism that relies on external sources for food.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Transpiration

• Evaporation of water from plants through openings in the leaves called stomas.

• The process of photosynthesis in plants.

• Absorption of water by plant roots from the soil.

• Release of oxygen by plants during the day.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Ecosystem

• A community of interacting organisms and their environment (ex: pond).

• A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

• The physical environment where organisms live, including soil, water, and air.

• A collection of different species living in isolation from each other.

Filament

• The slender, threadlike part of the stamen.

• A type of flower petal.

• The main stem of a plant.

• A part of the root system.