Download Introduction to Fast Plants

Introduction to Fast Plants
Development
Dr. Paul H. Williams at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison developed fast plants.
Originally developed for research in
disease resistance.
Extended the material for classroom use.
Williams PH and C Hill. 1986. Rapid-cycling populations of Brassicas.
Science 232: 1385-1389.
More than 150 traits identified in the
material.
Original population was Brassica rapa.
Also developed populations for six related
species.
Seeds can be stored up to 10 years.
Fast Plants
Rapid-cycling Brassicas
Crucifers
Cabbage
Turnips
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Mustards
Canola
Characteristics of Seed Plants
Seed plants outnumber seedless plants
by more than one to ten!
 All seed plants share two characteristics:
♦ They have vascular tissue
♦ They use seeds to reproduce
Vascular Tissue
Most seed plants live on land.
This causes challenges for the plants.
♦ How can they stand up right?
• The thick walls of the vascular tissue help to
support the plant
♦ Supply their cells with water, food, &
nutrients?
• Phloem is what the food moves through
• Xylem is how water moves from roots to plant
 Seeds are structures that contain a
young plant inside a protective covering.
♦ Three important parts:
• Embryo – zygote or fertilized egg
• Stored food – cotyledons or leaves that store food
• Seed coat – skin or protective covering
Types of Fast Plants
 Standard
 Purple Stem, Hairy
 Non-Purple Stem
 Yellow-Green Leaf
 Non-Purple Stem,
Yellow-Green Leaf
 Rosette dwarf
(Gibberellin deficient)
 Tall Plant (Gibberellin
Overexpression)
 Petite Plant
(Gibberellin deficient)
 Variegated
Life Cycle of
Brassica rapa
budding
germination
mature
harvesting
1. Requirements for Growing
 There must be 24-hour lighting from cool fluorescent bulbs
 The light must be 5 – 10 centimeters above the tallest plant
2. Requirements for Growing
 There must be
a constant
water source
 Your plants will
rest on top of a
self-watering
system like
this one.
3. Requirements for Growing
 Room temperature
 Between 65° and 78° F
4. Requirements for Growing
 Consistent source of nutrition
• 2 – 3 Fertilizer
pellets per planting
cell
Planting Materials
Formulated soil
Pelletized fertilizer
Quad
Wicks
Anti-algal squares
Labels
Watering mat &
watering system
Directions for Growing
 Your group will plant one quad, which consists of four
smaller cells
 Push the wicks into each cell, so that they extend
through the bottom of the quad by about one centimeter
Directions for Growing
 Fill each cell half full with
moist potting soil
 Add 1-3 fertilizer pellets to
each cell.
 Add more soil to fill each cell.
Do not pack the soil! Use your
finger to make a 4 mm
depression in the soil.
 Drop 1-2 seeds into the soil of
each cell.
 Cover seeds with enough soil
so the seeds are not visible.
Directions for Growing
 Label your quad with one
pot label.
 Water gently with pipette
until water drips from each
wick. Place the quad on the
water mat.
 Water with the pipette for
the first three days to ensure
adequate moisture for
germination.
Radicle
Monday (Day 0):
Your seeds
Tuesday and Wednesday
(Days 1 & 2):
Seed Germination
Cotyledon
Root
Root hairs
Hypocotyl
Thursday and Friday
(Days 3 & 4):
Your seedling
Thursday and Friday
(Days 3 & 4):
Your seedling
Over the weekend (Days 4 through 6)
The hypocotyls will extend as
the plant seeks light
True leaves
Monday (Day 7):
The developing plant
Shoot Meristem
Nodes (where the leaves are attached)
Internode
Stamens
Petals
Week 3 (Days 14-20):
The flower is ready to
pollinate
Pistil
Sepals
Petal
 Come in all shapes, sizes, and colors
 The colorful structures that you see when a
flower opens
 Not all plants have these
 Their colors and shapes attract insects and
other animals to the plant
This ensures that pollination will occur
Sepal
 Leaf-like structures
 They protect the developing flower
Pistil: Ovary, Ovules, & Stigma
 A protective “vessel” where seeds
develop
 These are located within the flower
 When plants reproduce through seeds
they are called angiosperms
 Some flowers have more than one
pistil
 The sticky tip of the pistil
 The purpose is collect pollen
Stamen
 The filament is the stem of the male
reproductive part
 The anther is where the pollen is
produced
First, we need to know the parts of
the plants and their functions
Click on each part label to learn more about it …
Back
Pollinating with Bees
Thorax
of bee
Where is the pollen on the plant? The stamens
Where does it need to be deposited? The pistil
Fertilization has
occurred
Developing seeds
Developing Fruit
Harvesting your seeds
Moist Paper Towel
Evenly scatter seeds on
paper towel
Where should these seeds be kept? A cool, dark place
Gallery of Fast Plant Images
http://www.fastplants.org/ac
tivities.gallery.php#menu
Fast Plants Website
www.fastplants.org
Page 3
O2
CO2
Leaves contain many pores
(called stomata)
Page 3
Chloroplasts
contain a green
pigment called
chlorophyll
Page 3
Glucose!
Homework – Drawing Dicots
Use the information in the left and
center columns to help you draw a
picture in the right column that
represents characteristics of dicots.
Monocot
Seeds
Roots
Stems
Leaves
Flowers
Examples
Dicot
Monocot
Dicot
Seeds
One cotyledon
Stays below ground
Two cotyledons
Come out of ground w/ young plant
Roots
Fibrous roots that spread wide
Single, long, taproot system
Stems
Vein bundles are scattered randomly
Vein bundles arranged in circular
pattern
Leaves
Parallel veins
Branched veins
Flowers
Multiples of 3
Multiples of 2, 4, or 5
Examples
Grasses; corn, rye
Grains; wheat, rice
Lilies
Beans, peanuts, peas, broccoli, apples
Roses
Page 1
Growth Requirements
Continuous fluorescent light
Continous Water (Tray with water that
each pot sets in)
Continous Fertilizer (Pellets)
Peat/Vermiculite Potting Mix
Monitoring the Growth of your
Fast Plants