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BASIC BOTANY
Sylvester ProScape Landscape & Garden
Technologies
Seed
Germination
“To get an idea of what a typical plant cell
is like and what it can do, think of a large
factory, capable of manufacturing
thousands of different and elaborate
products from simple raw materials: water,
air and soil.
Now, mentally squeeze the factory into a
box, ..approximately 1/2,000 of an inch.
That is a cell.
The factory uses sunlight rather than
electricity or oil as an energy source.
It is designed to exert considerable
autonomous control over what goes on
within its boundaries and, whenever
increased productivity is called for, it simply
builds an exact copy of its entire physical
structure within a day or two.
Mitosis
Dance of the Chromosomes
The seed is the survival mechanism of
the plant.
Within the seed is all the stored energy
necessary for the new plant life and
growth.
The seed contains a seed coat, which
is often very hard, to protect itself. The
first part of the plant to emerge from
under the seed coat is the radical.
MERISTEMS: (Greek meristos, divided)
These are the growing points on a plant.
There are four regions of meristems within a
plant’s system.
The terminal bud (prominent bud and top of
plant) is also called the apical meristem.
Within the meristem new cells are being
produced, making the plant grow taller.
The hormone auxin is produced in this
apical meristem that inhibits the growth
of other meristems such as those in
lateral buds.
If the apical meristem is removed, the
lateral buds will grow at a faster rate.
This is often called “pinching” and is
commonly used in chrysanthemum
production. The lateral buds also contain
meristems that allow the lateral branches
to grow.
Similar to the branches, the root tips have
meristems also. These meristems allow the
root to “push” through the soil and create a
greater root system.
Similar to the branches, the root tips have
meristems also. These meristems allow the
root to “push” through the soil and create a
greater root system
The last meristematical region is the
vascular cambium.
Around the vascular system that contains
the xylem and phloem there is a region of
cell production.
This allows the stem of the plant to grow in
width.
The only place in a plant where new cells
are being produced is in the meristematic
regions.
Growth
Zones in
Roots
Root Zone
Terminology
Photosynthesis
Meristem
Mitosis
Osmosis
Auxin
Apical Dominance