Section 1- 1

Plants are vital to our survival and provide oxygen for us to breathe and many of the foods that we eat. They make our lives comfortable by providing products for clothing, furniture, and building materials. 2

Modern day plants and algae share the following characteristics:  Cell walls made of cellulose  Formation of a cell plate during cell division  Use of chlorophyll during photosynthesis  Similar ribosomal RNA  Food stored as starch  Same types of enzymes in vesicles. 3

These shared characteristics between plants and algae suggest a common ancestor. 4

Cuticle – Fatty coating on the outside of plant leaves that helps to protect the leaf from invading organisms and prevents unwanted water loss. STOMATA – Openings in the outer layer of leaves that allows for the exchange of gases in plants with a cuticle. Vascular Tissues – Specialized transport tissues that also provide support and structure. 5

Reproductive Strategies  Some land plants reproduce through spores that have a waterproof protective covering  Some land plants reproduce through the production of seeds.  Some plants produce both (alternation of generations) 6

There are 12 plant divisions (same as phyla in other organisms). These 12 divisions can be placed into two groups:  Vascular ◦ Seed Producers ◦ Non-seed producers  Club mosses, ferns, and horsetails  Non-vasucular ◦ Mosses, hornworts, and liverworts 7

Vascular plants contain specialized transport tissues that also provide support and structure. Non-vascular plants do not contain these specialized tissues, therefore, they seldom grow very tall. 8