Weber State University

                Department of Botany

Botany 2104, Plant Form and Function

A PDF version of the final exam from Fall 2001 is available.  You can use the relevant questions from that final as a practice exam.  Please be aware that the course material was in a different order in 2001-2002. 

Botany 2104 - Fall 2009.  Exam 1 Topics 

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list.  My intention is to hit the highlights and provide a reminder of key material covered.  Due to the nature of the course, you don’t have a distinction between “lab” and “lecture” material.  ALL  ACTIVITIES  THAT  LEAD  YOU  TO  LEARN  SOMETHING  ABOUT  BOTANY  ARE  FAIR  GAME  FOR  YOUR  EXAMS!!!  These activities include (but are not limited to)  making observations of plant materials, doing experiments, and getting information via lectures, videos, and reading your textbook.

Flowering plants
    Organs and functions:  stem, root, leaf, flower.  Vegetative vs. reproductive.
    Three primary tissues, functions:  epidermis, ground tissue, vascular tissue (xylem and phloem)

Seeds
    seed = food supply (in cotyledons or endosperm) + embryo
    plumule, radicle
    micropyle, hilum

seed germination
    coleoptile vs stem hook.  What is the functional significance of these structures?  What do roots use in place of these? 

Roots
    fibrous vs. tap root systems, monocot vs. eudicot
    root hairs
    root zones

Metric system
    units of measurement
    decimal system

Lab safety
    prudent lab practices
    What are the minimum precautions you should take when working in the lab?
    Do you remember the locations of various pieces of safety equipment?

Atoms
    protons, neutrons, electrons;  nucleus and electron energy levels
    ions, isotopes, atomic number, atomic mass

Types of bonds
    Covalent bonds:  polar and nonpolar.  What causes a covalent bond to be polar?
    Hydrogen bonds:  an important consequence of the polar covalent bonds in organic molecules and water
    Ionic bonds

Properties of water

Dehydration (condensation) vs. Hydrolysis
    Relate to the synthesis and breakdown of polymers in living organisms

Carbohydrates
    examples of simple sugars and polymers
    What distinguishes carbohydrates structurally from other groups of molecules?
    What functions do carbohydrates and soluble sugars have in plants?

Lipids
    triglycerides, phospholipids, cutin, suberin, and waxes
    What distinguishes lipids structurally from other groups of molecules?
    What functions do lipids have in plants?

Proteins
    monomers; peptide bond
    What distinguishes proteins and amino acids structurally from other groups of molecules?
    What functions do proteins have in plants?

Nucleic Acids 
    DNA, RNA
    nucleotides, dinucleotides, nucleic acids  
    outcomes of gene expression

lignin 
organic acids  
intermediates:  why are they important?  
porphyrins 
primary vs. secondary metabolites  
hydrophilic, hydrophobic

Oxidation vs. Reduction
    Relate to carbon atoms in organic molecules and CO₂
    With regard to calories, what is the consequence of reduction of C?  Of oxidation?

Fluid Mosaic Model of membrane structure
    phospholipid bilayer
    proteins
    asymmetric membrane surfaces
    transport proteins:  channel proteins, carrier proteins, pumps

Functions of cell membranes
Importance of membranes as boundaries that define an external and an internal environment

Water potential:  solutes, matric materials, pressure
          turgor pressure, wall pressure, plasmolysis

Passive transport
    diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion
Active transport 
    primary active transport, secondary active transport

Microscopy
    resolution vs magnification
    types of microscopes and the information they can give you:  dissecting microscopes, compound light microscopes, transmission electron microscopes, scanning electron microscopes
    sample preparation for microscopy:  fresh mounts, fixed and sectioned material, staining
    parts and operation of a compound light microscope; calibration of an ocular micrometer; use of an ocular micrometer to measure specimens
    be able to identify the type of microscope used to view a photographed specimen
If you wanted to see the interior of a chloroplast, which type of microscope would you use?  Why?    
Why are stains used with many samples examined by light microscopy?  How are the stains for light microscopy different from those used for electron microscopy?  Why are different kinds of stains needed for these two techniques?

STUDY THE PICTURES IN YOUR BOOK!!

For more review material, refer to the questions in your lab exercises and your textbook, as well as the objectives and terms for the lab exercises.  Don’t be surprised if some, if not all, of the essay questions on your exams come from these sources and this review sheet.

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18 September 2009