Download Possible Essay Questions

Exam 2 Questions
206, Winter 2008
Possible Essay Questions
1. What are the multistep processes for the rhizobium infection and how are the
nodules formed? How does this affect plant growth?
2. Explain the importance of auxin in plants. How it is signaled, what are some of its
function, where is it made, how is it transported? Give an example how it interacts with
other hormones.
3. Why would a plant want to prevent self pollination? Discuss two mechanisms used by
angiosperms to avoid self fertilization.
4. Give examples of heterospory and homospory and explain the differences between the
two, mentioning the evolutionary significance.
5. Describe how plants use light and hormones to influence the germination of the seed.
6. What is the big deal about phytochrome?
Good Study Questions
1. Several hormones act to counterbalance each other in plant physiology. Select two
such hormones, describe the effects they have individually on an organism, and explain
how they balance each other's effects on a plant.
2. Explain how Rhibozium infection occurs. What are the pros and cons to the
plant and the bacteria.
2. Dealing with plant hormones, describe the way GA and ABA work pertaining
to amylase production, dormancy, and tying into root/shoot growth.
3. Why do cations-ions with positive charges, tend to bind to soil particles
and anions-ions with negative charges, stay in solution?
4. Since plants and mycorrihizae have a mutualistic relationship, how do the
fungi acquire the nutrients required by plants?
5. Describe how phase changes are used by developmental biologists to uncover
biological processes.
6. How does the product of the S gene help plants avoid inbreeding?
7. Several structures and processes are common to most or all plant life
cycles, what are they?
8. What are the steps involved in the production of the female and male
gametophyte?
9. Describe the various mechanisms plants use to prevent self-fertilization.
10. Starting with a mature flower, describe in detail the processes angiosperms go
through to develop a seed.
11. A generic cartoon plant is showing signs of nitrogen deficiency. Though
it is surrounded by more than a sufficient amount of nitrogen in the air,
explain why it can not exploit use this mineral and how it might try to
fix its nitrogen deficiency.
12. Explain how angiosperms regulate self fertilization.
13. Why is the symbiosis between plants and rhizobia or mycorrhizae so important?
Include in your answer the products gained by each member of the relationship, and how
these products influence the growth and development of the plant. What would you
expect to see if a plant was reliant on these organisms but they were not present?
14. You are a travelling plant expert. In your travels, you come across a plant
experiencing symptoms of _________________________. Describe the criteria you
would use to determine the causality of these symptoms in the plant. Discuss soil quality
factors, H2O factors, and nutrient deficiencies among others.
15. Plants are well adapted to dealing with external stresses from the environment. How?
16. Compare and contrast the life cycles of gametophyte and and sporophyte dominant
plant types, with a focus on the unique stages of angiosperm development.
17. Beginning with a pollen grain coming into contact with a stigma, explain
the process of fertilization and what the end result is.
18.How does the life cycle of a moss differ from that of an angiosperm? Use
the concepts of homospory and heterospory in your explanation and use
diagrams if necessary.