Question 1

In plants, the vascular tissue made of dead cells that transport water and minerals from the roots is called

Accepted Answer

The description fits that of xylem, which consists of dead cells called tracheids and vessel elements that transport water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. Phloem, on the other hand, transports sugars and other organic molecules from the leaves to other parts of the plant, and is composed of living cells called sieve tube elements and companion cells. Conducting tissue is a general term that could refer to either xylem or phloem, while meristem is the tissue responsible for growth and cell division in plants.

Question 2

Which of the following organisms has a dominant sporophyte generation and a free-living gametophyte generation?

Accepted Answer

Ferns have a dominant sporophyte generation that produces spores and a free-living gametophyte generation that produces gametes. Mosses and mushrooms have a dominant gametophyte generation and a sporophyte generation that relies on the gametophyte for nutrition. Conifers have a dominant sporophyte generation, but their gametophyte generation is not free-living and is dependent on the sporophyte.

Question 3

The type of life cycle seen in plants is called

Accepted Answer

Plants exhibit an alternation of generations life cycle, where they alternate between a multicellular haploid gametophyte generation and a multicellular diploid sporophyte generation. The gametophyte produces gametes, which fuse to form a diploid zygote that develops into the sporophyte, which produces spores that germinate into the gametophyte generation. This cycle repeats.

Question 4

During the Carboniferous period, photosynthesis in immense swamp forests removed ________ from the atmosphere, which produced a drier, cooler global climate and promoted the success of ________.

Accepted Answer

During the Carboniferous period, photosynthesis in immense swamp forests removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which produced a drier, cooler global climate and promoted the success of seed plants.

Question 5

In all plants, the zygote and earliest stages of the developing embryo are

Accepted Answer

In all plants, the zygote and earliest stages of the developing embryo are attached to and nourished by the parent plant. This is a fundamental aspect of plant reproduction and development, ensuring the young plant receives the necessary nutrients to grow before it can photosynthesize on its own.

Question 6

About 95% of all modern plant species

Accepted Answer

The dominant stage in the life cycle of modern plants is the sporophyte stage, which produces spores through meiosis. The gametophyte stage is relatively small and is usually dependent on the sporophyte stage for nutrition. Hence, option A is the best choice that correctly describes the dominant stage in the life cycle of modern plants.

Question 7

Mosses belong to the group of plants known as the

Accepted Answer

Mosses belong to the bryophyte group, which includes non-vascular plants that lack true roots, stems, and leaves. Angiosperms and gymnosperms are vascular plants that have true roots, stems, and leaves, while bryophytes do not have true roots, stems, and leaves.

Question 8

Which of the following statements correctly describes the alternation of generations in a plant life cycle?

Accepted Answer

The alternation of generations in a plant life cycle involves a multicellular diploid sporophyte that produces haploid spores by meiosis. These spores develop into a multicellular haploid gametophyte that produces gametes by mitosis. Fertilization of gametes results in a diploid zygote that develops into a new sporophyte. This process alternates between generations.

Question 9

The dominant stage of the moss life cycle is the

Accepted Answer

In mosses, the dominant stage of the life cycle is the gametophyte, which is the haploid stage that produces gametes. The sporophyte stage is short-lived and dependent on the gametophyte for nutrients, making it a smaller and less dominant part of the overall life cycle. Gametangia are structures within the gametophyte that produce and protect the gametes, while pollen is a structure produced in seed plants for the purpose of fertilization.

Question 10

Gas exchange in most land plants occurs through structures called

Accepted Answer

Stomata are small pores found on the leaves and stems of most land plants that allow for gas exchange, specifically the intake of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and the release of oxygen and water vapor. Apical meristems are structures responsible for growth and development in plants, vascular tissue refers to the transport system in plants, and cuticles are waxy layers that help prevent water loss in plants.

Question 11

Ferns and mosses are similar because both

Accepted Answer

Both ferns and mosses have flagellated sperm.

Question 12

A growth-producing region of cell division, known as a/an ________, is found near the tips of stems and roots.

Accepted Answer

The apical meristem is a region of rapidly dividing cells located at the tips of stems and roots. This area is responsible for producing new cells, allowing the plant to grow taller and develop an extensive root system. The other options (sporangium, cuticle, lignin) are not directly involved in cell division and growth.

Question 13

Which of the following characteristics tends to limit bryophytes and seedless vascular plants to habitats that are relatively moist?

Accepted Answer

Bryophytes and seedless vascular plants have flagellated sperm that require water to swim to the egg for fertilization, thus limiting them to moist environments.

Question 14

Which of the following options correctly represents the most likely sequence of the evolution of plants, from earliest to most recent?

Accepted Answer

This sequence represents the most widely accepted evolutionary history of plants, with bryophytes being the most primitive and angiosperms being the most recent. Seedless vascular plants and gymnosperms fall in between.

Question 15

The ancestors of land plants were probably ________ that lived in ________.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that land plants evolved from green algae similar to modern-day charophytes, which live in shallow water close to the shorelines of freshwater environments.

Question 16

Which of the following statements regarding ferns is true?

Accepted Answer

Ferns have well-developed vascular tissue, roots, and stems. They do have lignified cell walls but not as well developed as in gymnosperms and angiosperms. Ferns do not produce seeds or pollen, but instead reproduce using spores.

Question 17

In a moss, most of the plants that we see are ________, and in a fern, the most dominant stage is the ________.

Accepted Answer

In mosses, the dominant and visible stage is the gametophyte, while in ferns, the dominant stage is the sporophyte.

Question 18

The majority of plant species today are

Accepted Answer

Angiosperms, or flowering plants, make up the majority of plant species today, with over 300,000 known species. Bryophytes, gymnosperms, and seedless vascular plants are all much less diverse in terms of number of species.

Question 19

The incomplete decay of dead plants during the Carboniferous period led to

Accepted Answer

The incomplete decay of dead plants during the Carboniferous period led to the formation of coal, as these partially decomposed plants eventually became compressed and turned into this important fossil fuel.

Question 20

In plants, the vascular tissue that consists of living cells that distribute sugars throughout the plant is called

Accepted Answer

Phloem is the vascular tissue in plants that consists of living cells and is responsible for distributing sugars throughout the plant. Xylem, conducting tissue, and meristem are other types of plant tissues, but they do not have the same function as phloem.

Quiz 17: The Evolution of Plant and Fungal Diversity