Cuticle
Waxy, waterproof layer that covers
the leaves and stems of most plants
Vascular
Tissue
Internal transporting tissue in some
plants that is made up of tube-like
structures
Zygote
A fertilized egg, produced by the
joining of a sperm and an egg
Nonvascular
Plant
Vascular
Plant
A low growing plant that lacks true
vascular tissue
A plant with true vascular tissue
Sporophyte
The stage in the life cycle of a plant in
which the plant produces spores
Gametophyte
The stage in the life cycle of a plant in
which the plant produces gametes or
sex cells
Rhizoid
A thin, root like structure that anchors
a moss and absorbs water and
nutrients
Frond
The leaf of a fern plant
Phloem
The vascular tissue through which
food moves in some plants
Xylem
The vascular tissue through which
water and nutrients move in some
plants
Pollen
Tiny particles (male gametophytes)
produced by seed plants that contain
the cells that will become sperm cells
Seed
The plant structure that contains a
young plant within a protective
covering
Embryo
A young organism that develops from
a zygote
Cotyledon
A seed leaf
Germination
The sprouting of an embryo from a
seed that occurs where the embryo
resumes growth
Root Cap
A structure that covers the tip of the
root, protecting the root from injury
Cambium
A layer of cells in a plant that
produces new phloem and xylem cells
Transpiration
The process by which water is lost
through a plant’s leaves
Gymnosperm
A plant that produces seeds that are
not enclosed by a protective fruit
Cone
The reproductive structure of a
gymnosperm
Ovule
A structure that contains an egg cell
Pollination
The transfer of pollen from the male
reproductive structures to the female
reproductive structures in a plant
Angiosperm
A flowering plant that produces seeds
enclosed in a protective structure
Flower
The reproductive structure of an
angiosperm
Sepal
A leaf like structure that encloses the
bud of a flower
Petal
The colorful, leaf like structure of some
flowers
Stamen
A male reproductive part of a flower
Pistil
The female reproductive part of a
flower
Ovary
A flower structure that encloses and
protects ovules and seeds as they
develop
Fruit
The ripened ovary and other
structures that enclose one or more
seeds
Monocot
An angiosperm with one seed leaf
Dicot
An angiosperm that has two seed
leaves
Tropism
The growth response of a plant
towards or away from a stimulus
Hormone
A chemical in an organism that
produces a specific effect such as
growth and development
Auxin
A plant hormone that speeds up the
rate of growth in plant cells
Photoperiodism
A plant’s response to the seasonal
changes in length of day and night
Short Day
Plant
Long Day
Plant
Critical Night
Length
A plant that flowers when the nights
are longer than the plant’s critical
night length
A plant that flowers when the nights
are shorter than the plant’s critical
night length
The number of hours of darkness that
determines whether or not a plant
will flower
Day Neutral
Plant
A plant with flowering cycle that is
not sensitive to periods of light and
dark
Dormancy
A period when an organism’s growth
or activity stops
Annual
A flowering plant that completes its
life cycle in one growing season
Biennial
A flowering plant that completes its
life cycle in two years
Perennial
A flowering plant that lives for more
than two years