Glossary

 Below is a list of terms identified in this module.

Angiosperms
Are vascular seed plants in which the ovule (egg) is fertilized and develops into a seed in an enclosed hollow ovary.
Cell Plate
A plate that develops at the midpoint between the two groups of chromosomes in a dividing cell and that is involved in forming the wall between the two new daughter cells.
Green Algae
A large, informal grouping of algae consisting of the Chlorophyte and Charophyte algae, which are now placed in separate divisions.
Gymnosperms
A group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetales.
Mitochondria
An organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur. It has a double membrane, the inner layer being folded inward to form layers (cristae).
Mosses
Are small flowerless plants that typically grow in dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. The individual plants are usually composed of simple, one-cell thick leaves, attached to a stem that may be branched or unbranched and has only a limited role in conducting water and nutrients.
Nonvascular Plants
Also known as bryophytes, are small, simple plants without a vascular system. They are divided into three different types, including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
Ordovician
Geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 485.4 and 443.8 million years ago. It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period.
Photosynthesis
A process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy, normally from the Sun, into chemical energy that can be later released to fuel the organisms' activities (energy transformation).
Plasma Membrane
A microscopic membrane of lipids and proteins that forms the external boundary of the cytoplasm of a cell or encloses a vacuole, and that regulates the passage of molecules in and out of the cytoplasm.
Seedless Vascular Plants
Include ferns, whisk ferns, club mosses, and horsetails. The plants do not produce seeds so, like bryophytes, they are dispersed (spread) by windblown spores. The gametophyte and sporophyte are independent. They are vascular plants and therefore have true roots, stems, and leaves.
Soil Erosion.
A naturally occurring process that affects all landforms. In agriculture, soil erosion refers to the wearing away of a field's topsoil by the natural physical forces of water or through forces associated with farming activities such as tillage.
Species
Often defined as the largest group of organisms in which two individuals are capable of reproducing fertile offspring, typically using sexual reproduction.
Sperm
The male reproductive cell.

 

 Glossary terms from OpenStax College Concepts of Biology licensed under CC-BY 3.0.

 

Grant and Other Inforamtion

Creative Commons License

Except where otherwise noted, this work by The Community College Consortium for Bioscience Credentials is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Text from BioBook licensed under CC-BY NC SA, Boundless Biology Open Textbook licensed under CCBY-SA, and OpenStaxCollege licensed under CC BY 3.0. Text on Bryophytes from CC BY-SA: http://wtnhsplantpg.wikispaces.com/
Additional text written by Michael Ayers, M.S. for c3bc.
Modified by Courtney A. Harrington, Ph.D. for c3bc.
Instructional design by Nicole P. Lipscomb, M.S., Helen Dollyhite, M.A., Caroline Smith, M.S., Irene Yee Chief, Ph.D. and Courtney A. Harrington, Ph.D. for c3bc.
Subjext Matter Expertise by Tiffany Davis for c3bc.
Media and interactive objects by Joe deCastro and Lucious Oliver, II for c3bc.

This product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.