GRE Subject Test: Biology : Plant Structures

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Biology

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Example Questions

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Example Question #1 :Plant Biology

Which of the following is a key component of a plant's vascular system?

Possible Answers:

Cuticle

Xylem

Parenchyma

Pericycle

Correct answer:

Xylem

Explanation:

植物设计反式的血管系统port materials (water, nutrients, food) between the roots and shoots. There are two primary types of tissue dedicated to these processes. Xylem transports water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots; phloem transports sugars—the products of photosynthesis—from where they are synthesized to where they are needed, such as roots and new growth areas of leaves and fruits.

Both xylem and phloem are comprised of a variety of cell types that are specialized for transport and support.

Example Question #1 :Plant Structures

What structure in plants allows for CO2and O2exchange and transpiration?

Possible Answers:

Apical bud

Chlorophyll

Stoma

Plastid

Xylem

Correct answer:

Stoma

Explanation:

The stoma allows for gas exchange and transpiration. The stoma usually opens following stimulation by sunlight and closes in low water environments. Other answers are parts of a typical plant, however do not play a role in gas exchange or transpiration.

Example Question #1 :Plant Structures

Which of the following is false?

Possible Answers:

All of these statements are true

Phloem can transport material bidirectionally, while xylem can only transport material unidirectionally

Phloem is dead at maturity, while xylem is living

Phloem is responsible for food transfer, while xylem is responsible for water transfer

Phloem consists of sieve tubes and companion cells, while xylem consists of tracheids and vessel elements

Correct answer:

Phloem is dead at maturity, while xylem is living

Explanation:

Xylem is dead at maturity, while phloem is living. All other answer choices are true. Xylem is also thicker and more rigid, which allows for greater pressure during water transport. It provides a strong support structure for the plant, enabling taller growth.

Example Question #1 :Plant Structures

Of the following answer choices, which most accurately describes the mechanism that the stems of plants use to grow toward light?

Possible Answers:

Contractile cells on the light side of the stems dictate the growth toward light

Cells on the darker side of the stem elongate more than cells on the lighter side

The plant will grow away from other plants so as to minimize competition

的增长the stem is determined by metabolic processes, which are stimulated by light striking the stems

Photosynthetic processes dictate the growth

Correct answer:

Cells on the darker side of the stem elongate more than cells on the lighter side

Explanation:

Plants grow so as to maximize the elongation of their stems as much as possible. Cells on the lighter side of the stem are already being provided with photosynthetic energy, while cells on the darker side are receiving less of this energy input. This causes the cells on the darker side to elongate toward the energy source. When one side of the stem is longer than the other, it causes a curve in the growth, resulting in a directionality of the growth of the stem.

Example Question #1 :Plant Structures

Plant root systems can be generally categorized as either taproot systems or fibrous root systems. Which of the following is a characteristic of a fibrous root system?

Possible Answers:

Fibrous root systems usually penetrate deeply into the soil

Fibrous root systems consist of a series of roots that spread out from a major single root

Fibrous root systems are well adapted to soil where ground water is not close to the surface

Fibrous root systems do not penetrate deeply into the soil

Correct answer:

Fibrous root systems do not penetrate deeply into the soil

Explanation:

Fibrous root systems are common in seedless vascular plants and in most monocots, such as grasses. Many small roots grow from the stem of the plant and are considered adventitious (a term describing a plant organ that grows in an unusual location).

Fibrous roots have no main root and do not penetrate deeply into the soil, usually penetrating only a few centimeters. As such, fibrous root systems are best adapted to shallow soil. This also helps prevent erosion, as the shallow, highly-branched roots hold the topsoil in place.

Example Question #1 :Understanding Plant Macrostructures

Which of the following is a type of stem?

Possible Answers:

Lateral roots

Stele

Rhizomes

Pith

Correct answer:

Rhizomes

Explanation:

Stems are one of the three basic plant organs, and consist of an alternating system of nodes (where leaves attach) and internodes (regions of the stem that span between nodes).

Some plants have evolved to have stems with additional functions, such as the ability to store food or to participate in asexual reproduction. These modified stems include rhizomes, bulbs, tubers and stolons.

A rhizome is a horizontal shoot of the plant that grows just below the surface. Vertical shoots (and resulting leaves) grow from axillary buds on the rhizome. Examples of plants with rhizomes include irises, hops, and asparagus.

Example Question #1 :Understanding Water And Nutrient Transport

Which plant tissue system is similar to the human circulatory system?

Possible Answers:

Ground tissue

Vascular cambium

Sclerenchyma

Vascular tissue

Dermal tissue

Correct answer:

Vascular tissue

Explanation:

A plant's vascular tissues transport nutrients throughout the plant, just as the circulatory system transports nutrients throughout human bodies. While blood is the primary solvent for nutrients in humans, water is the primary solvent for nutrients in plants. Animals, however, use blood pressure to propel nutrients throughout the body while plants use gravity and the cohesive properties of water to transport nutrients.

The two primary types of plant vascular tissue are xylem, which transports water, and phloem, which transports organic molecules like glucose.

Example Question #2 :Understanding Plant Macrostructures

What is the function of lateral meristems?

Possible Answers:

Provide nutrients to apical meristems

Stimulate root hair growth

Provide secondary growth in woody plants

Maintain water homeostasis

Correct answer:

Provide secondary growth in woody plants

Explanation:

In addition to growing in height, woody plants also grow in thickness. This is the function of lateral meristems. Lateral meristems are comprised of the vascular cambrium, and by cork cambrium that form vascular cylinders. The vascular cambrium adds layers of secondary xylem and phloem (wood), whereas the cork cambrium replaces the outer epidermis with a thicker and tougher layer called periderm.

Example Question #3 :Understanding Plant Macrostructures

What is the tissue found in many vascular plants which forms as part of the periderm and generates secondary growth in roots and stems?

Possible Answers:

Cortex

Phloem

Vascular cambium

Phelloderm

Cork cambium

Correct answer:

Cork cambium

Explanation:

The periderm forms a protective layer around the outside of many stems and roots and consists of cork cambium, cork, and phelloderm. Cork cambium is the site of active secondary growth within the periderm of vascular plants. Phloem is a type of vascular tissue that directs the flow of nutrients and metabolic products from the leaves down to the roots.

Example Question #1 :Understanding Plant Microstructures

植物细胞分化来执行不同的乐趣ctions and enable the plant to grow. One cell type is present in young stems and petioles and functions to provide flexible support. This cell type is less resistant to bending forces because it lacks a secondary cell wall and the protein lignin, which causes rigidity in other plant cells.

What differentiated plant cell is being described?

Possible Answers:

Sieve plate cells

Collenchyma cells

Sclerenchyma cells

Parenchyma cells

Correct answer:

Collenchyma cells

Explanation:

As described in the beginning of this question, collenchyma cells are found in young stems and petioles (leaves) and function to provide flexible support to the plant. This is because chollenchyma cells lack secondary cell walls and do not produce lignin to harden them—this protein is characteristic of sclerenchyma cells, which are also used to provide support/strength to the plant.

Due to their lack of rigidity, collenchyma cells a also capable of elongating with the stems and leaves they support, allowing them to remain alive at maturity. Sclerenchymal cells lack this ability.

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