Key Vocab - 10. Classification of Plants

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Bryophyte

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A group of nonvascular plants that includes mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. They lack xylem and phloem, rely on diffusion for water and nutrient transport, and reproduce through spores instead of seeds.

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Pteridophyte

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A group of vascular, spore-producing plants that includes ferns, horsetails, and club mosses. They have xylem and phloem, allowing them to grow larger than bryophytes, but they still reproduce using spores instead of seeds.

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Gymnosperm

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A group of seed-producing vascular plants whose seeds are not enclosed in a fruit. Instead, they develop on the surfaces of cones. Examples include pine trees, firs, and spruces.

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Angiosperm

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A group of flowering vascular plants that produce seeds enclosed in a fruit. They are the most diverse and widespread plant group, including trees, shrubs, and grasses.

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Seed Coat (Testa)

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The protective outer layer of a seed that shields the embryo from damage, dehydration, and pathogens until germination occurs.

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Cotyledon

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Cotyledons provide stored nutrients to the growing seedling. OR The first leaf or pair of leaves that develop in a plant embryo inside the seed. In dicots, there are two cotyledons, while in monocots, there is only one.

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Producer

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An organism that can make its own food, usually through photosynthesis. Producers form the base of the food chain and include plants, algae, and some bacteria.