Plant Organism
A Plant Organism is a photosynthetic eukaryote that primarily obtains energy through photosynthesis (using chlorophyll within chloroplasts derived from an ancient endosymbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria).
- Context:
- It can (typically) belong to the kingdom Plantae, which includes a wide range of species from green algae to flowering plants.
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- It can range from being simple Non-Vascular plants like mosses and liverworts to complex Vascular plants such as ferns, conifers, and angiosperms.
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- It can undergo a life cycle that includes alternation of generations, with both sexual and asexual reproduction.
- It can have evolved from early green algae, with significant diversification during the Silurian period, around 420 million years ago.
- It can have specialized adaptations such as roots, stems, and leaves that enable them to thrive in terrestrial environments.
- It can contribute to various ecological functions, including carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, and providing habitat for other organisms.
- It can have diverse forms and structures, from microscopic phytoplankton to towering trees, making them one of the planet's most varied groups of organisms.
- It can be economically significant to provide resources like food, medicine, and human-use materials.
- It can exhibit unique biochemical processes, such as producing secondary metabolites used in defense mechanisms or as attractants for pollinators.
- It can form symbiotic relationships with other organisms, such as mycorrhizal fungi, which enhance nutrient uptake from the soil.
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- Example(s):
- Seed-Producing Plants, such as:
- Pine Tree (Gymnosperm), known for producing seeds in cones.
- Flowering Plants, such as:
- Sunflower (Angiosperm), recognized for its large, seed-producing flower heads.
- Rose Plants, valued for its ornamental flowers.
- Wheat Plants, a major staple crop used for food production.
- Coconut Palm Tree, famous for its large, nutrient-rich seeds that are widely used in food and industry.
- Baobab Tree, known for its enormous trunk and ability to store water, making it a key species in arid regions.
- Non-vascular Plants, such as:
- A Moss, which thrives in moist environments and reproduces through spores.
- Liverwort, an ancient non-vascular plant that grows in damp, shaded environments, often used as a model in evolutionary studies.
- Hornwort, a non-vascular plant that forms a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria, aiding in nitrogen fixation.
- Green Algae, such as:
- A Chlorophyte, representing one of the simplest forms of plant life.
- Ulva (Sea Lettuce), a type of green algae found in marine environments, used as a food source in various cultures.
- Ferns, such as:
- Boston Fern, a popular houseplant known for its air-purifying properties and lush foliage.
- Bracken Fern, a widespread fern species that thrives in a variety of environments and has been used in traditional medicine.
- Succulent Plants, such as:
- Aloe Vera, valued for its medicinal properties, particularly in treating skin conditions.
- Cactus (Saguaro), an iconic desert plant known for its tall, columnar structure and ability to store water.
- Tropical Rainforest Plants, such as:
- Bromeliad, an epiphytic plant often found in tropical rainforests, known for its strikingly colorful flowers and leaves.
- Banana Plant, a large herbaceous plant that produces one of the most widely consumed fruits globally.
- Aquatic Plants, such as:
- Water Lily, an aquatic plant with floating leaves and beautiful flowers, often found in ponds and slow-moving water bodies.
- Duckweed, one of the smallest flowering plants, which floats on the surface of still or slow-moving water and plays a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems.
- Climbing Plants, such as:
- Ivy, a climbing or ground-creeping plant that can cover walls and trees, often used in landscaping.
- Grape Vine, a woody vine cultivated worldwide for producing grapes, used in winemaking and as a food source.
- Deciduous Trees, such as:
- Oak Tree, known for its strength and longevity, producing acorns that are vital for wildlife.
- Maple Tree, famous for its vibrant autumn colors and the production of maple syrup from its sap.
- Evergreen Trees, such as:
- Pine Tree, which retains its needles year-round and is often used in construction and as a Christmas tree.
- Cedar Tree, valued for its aromatic wood, used in furniture and as a natural insect repellent.
- Medicinal Plants, such as:
- Tree Plants from the Arecaceae Plant family, such as:
- Date Palm, cultivated for its sweet fruit, dates, which are a staple food in many Middle Eastern and North African cultures.
- Coconut Palm, which produces coconuts, a versatile fruit used for its water, milk, oil, and meat.
- Flavonoid-Rich Plants, such as:
- Blueberry Bush, known for its berries that are high in antioxidants, particularly flavonoids.
- Citrus Trees, including oranges and lemons, which produce fruits rich in flavonoids, contributing to their health benefits.
- Photosynthetic Eukaryotes, such as:
- Chlorophyte Algae, a group of green algae that play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems as primary producers.
- Cyanobacteria Symbionts, photosynthetic bacteria that form symbiotic relationships with plants, aiding in nitrogen fixation.
- Extinct Plant Species, such as:
- Nematophyte, an early land plant from the Devonian period, contributing to our understanding of plant evolution.
- Lepidodendron, a prehistoric tree-like plant from the Carboniferous period, known for its distinctive bark patterns.
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- Seed-Producing Plants, such as:
- Counter-Example(s):
- See: Multicellular Eukaryote, Archaeplastida, Extinction, Nematophytes, Chlorophyta, Palmophyllales, Prasinophyceae, Nephroselmidophyceae, Pseudoscourfieldiales, Pyramimonadophyceae, Mamiellophyceae.
References
2017
- (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/plant Retrieved:2017-8-25.
- Plants are mainly multicellular, predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae.
The term is today generally limited to the green plants, which form an unranked clade Viridiplantae (Latin for "green plants"). This includes the flowering plants, conifers and other gymnosperms, ferns, clubmosses, hornworts, liverworts, mosses and the green algae, and excludes the red and brown algae. Historically, plants formed one of two kingdoms covering all living things that were not animals, and both algae and fungi were treated as plants; however all current definitions of "plant" exclude the fungi and some algae, as well as the prokaryotes (the archaea and bacteria).
Green plants have cell walls containing cellulose and obtain most of their energy from sunlight via photosynthesis by primary chloroplasts, derived from endosymbiosis with cyanobacteria. Their chloroplasts contain chlorophylls a and b, which gives them their green color. Some plants are parasitic and have lost the ability to produce normal amounts of chlorophyll or to photosynthesize. Plants are characterized by sexual reproduction and alternation of generations, although asexual reproduction is also common.
There are about 300–315 thousand species of plants, of which the great majority, some 260–290 thousand, are seed plants (see the table below). Green plants provide most of the world's molecular oxygen and are the basis of most of Earth's ecologies, especially on land. Plants that produce grains, fruits and vegetables form humankind's basic foodstuffs, and have been domesticated for millennia. Plants play many roles in culture. They are used as ornaments and, until recently and in great variety, they have served as the source of most medicines and drugs. The scientific study of plants is known as botany, a branch of biology.
- Plants are mainly multicellular, predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae.