ALE #1 for BOT 101
Name_______________________________
1. Make a list of the plants and plant products you use in a typical day. How do you use
these various plant products? Do you think the number of plants and plant products used
in everyday life has increased or decreased in the last century? Do you think the number
is likely to increase or decrease in the future? Why? How would your list compare with
someone from a third-world country?
Answers will vary. Be creative and answer the questions thoroughly
2. Read Plants and People page 32. What are phytochemicals? What is a free radical?
What is an antioxidant? List several examples of plant foods high in antioxidants.
Phytochemicals are compounds found in plants that play a role in human health.
Phytochemicals are antioxidants, which fight cellular damage and DNA damage caused by
compounds known as free radicals. Blueberries, strawberries, dark chocolate, green tea, and
spinach are all high in antioxidants
3. What are the principal functions of roots? Describe several modified roots and their
functions
Roots anchor the plant to the earth, and they absorb water and nutrients. Prop roots provide structural
support to the lower part of the shoots of some “top-heavy” plants like maize. Storage roots (ex. sweet
potato) store carbohydrates and essential nutrients below ground until the plant is ready to use those
resources for flowering/fruiting. Strangler roots strangle and eventually kill nearby plants – competitive
advantage! Buttress roots provide structural support to some very tall trees. Pneumatophores grow up
out of swampy areas to obtain oxygen for cellular respiration.
4. Describe several modified leaves, and how their shape reflects environmental adaptations
Tendrils – rope-like leaves that can wrap around anything nearby. Allows the plant to grow
vertically and laterally without much energy devoted to the girth and support of the plant stem.
Especially useful for plants growing along fences or areas with a dense understory of shrubs.
Cactus spines – sharp, pointed projections perpendicular to the vertical stem. The sharp point prevents
herbivores from eating the stem to obtain water. Spines can also reflect UV light away from the stem.
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The spines generally are non-photosynthetic – this is better left to the stem, since it is indirectly exposed
to the intense desert sun.
Some succulents do have very thick, fleshy leaves that are modified to hold large amounts of water.
This helps the plant maintain photosynthesis during periods of drought.
5. What features distinguish plants (and all other organisms) from non-living things?
All living things, including plants, are distinguished from non-living things by the
following six characteristics: Order—the smallest unit of life is the cell
Metabolism—synthesis and break down of molecules, producing energy to power life
processes. Responsiveness— perceive and react to their environment Development—
from simple to more complex organism Heredity—genes are passed from parent to
offspring. Evolution— populations change over time as they adapt
6. Diagram and define the hierarchical levels of biological organization, from atoms to the
biospehere.
With each step, we add something to make the group more inclusive:Atoms (smallest unit
of an element)  molecules (atoms bonded)  organelles (membrane-bound structures
within a cell, containing several molecules)  cells (several organelles within a
membrane)  tissues (several cells of similar type)  organ (several tissues)  organ
systems (several organs)  organism (many coordinated organ systems)  population
(many organisms of the same species)  community (many different species) 
ecosystem (many different species plus the non-living environment)  biosphere (many
interconnected ecosystems).
7. Give a brief description of the 4 kingdoms within Domain Eukarya
Plantae: Photosynthesizing organisms with cellulose in their cell walls. Mostly anchored
to the soil (non-mobile)
Protista: Typically single-celled eukaryotic organisms.
Fungi: Typically spore-forming, multi-cellular organisms with chitin in their cell walls
Animalia – Typically mutli-cellular eukaryotic organisms that do not photosynthesize,
but instead must obtain their food. Mostly mobile organisms
8. Distinguish between and explain how scientists use each of the following: i.) scientific
hypothesis ii.) Scientific Theory and iii.) Scientific Law. Now explain how the common
person uses the word ‘theory” in every day usage.
i)A scientific guess about the answer to a question
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ii)A hypothesis that has never been proven wrong, after extensive experimentation. They
are broadly accepted in the scientific community
iii)An observable phenomena that is invariably true. We do not arrive at laws through
scientific method.
Scientists use theories as the basic framework within which they derive their hypotheses. For
example, evolution is a scientific theory. It has been tested and retested and has always been
proven true. Within this theory, scientists derive hypotheses. For example, one hypothesis
might be: the pygmie humanoid remains recently found in Indonesia are not of the species Homo
sapiens, but instead descended from the more primitive Homo erectus. This hypothesis assumes
that the theory of evolution is true. DNA evidence can be used to provide the experimental data
to support or reject this hypothesis.
The word “theory” is used in everyday language to mean “a guess.” For example, I have a
theory about why students’ grades are poorer in spring: the weather gets better and they spend
less time studying.” Within the method of science, this is actually a hypothesis, not a theory.
9. Atoms consist primarily of three kinds of subatomic particles. Identify and describe
particles by completing the chart below.
Name of subatomic particle
Electric charge
electron
negative
proton
positive
neutron
neutral/none
10. Distinguish between the following kinds of chemical bonds: covalent bond, hydrogen
bonds, and ionic bonds, giving an example of each.
An ionic bond forms when a positive ion is attracted to a negative ion. Example: Na+ plus Cl- makes NaCl.
A covalent bond forms when two atoms share electrons in their outermost shell in order to fill that shell.
Example: hydrogen gas, H2. Each H atom has one electron in its outermost shell, which can hold a total
of 2 electrons. By sharing their atoms, both atoms can complete their shell.
Hydrogen bonds are electrical attractions between the slightly negative end of a molecule with a
hydrogen ion (H+), as in water. The oxygen end of a water molecule is slightly negative and is attracted
to the slightly positive hydrogen end of another water molecule.
11. From your reading: What is taxol, what is it used for, and where does it come from?
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Taxol is a chemotherapy drug derived from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree (native to Washington
State!). It is one of the most common treatments for ovarian cancer, although it can be used for other
cancer treatments as well.
12. During the past 50 or so years that insecticides have been widely used, more than 520
species of insects and mites have evolved resistance to certain insecticides. Explain this
using your knowledge of evolution and natural selection.
Constant application of insecticide to our crops provides a selective pressure for
insecticide resistance. In other words: When insecticide is sprayed, the insects that have
the genetic ability to survive the spraying are the ones that will reproduce. While their
numbers may be small at first, they will increase in number with every generation, as
they pass the insecticide-resistant genes on to their offspring. This eventually means that
the insecticide will no longer be useful. A new insecticide is then used, and the process
begins all over again. Thus we have more than 520 insecticide-resistance species!
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