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6.3.5: Key Terms

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    97203
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    accessory fruit
    fruit derived from tissues other than the ovary
    aggregate fruit
    fruit that develops from multiple carpels in the same flower
    aleurone
    single layer of cells just inside the seed coat that secretes enzymes upon germination
    androecium
    sum of all the stamens in a flower
    antipodals
    the three cells away from the micropyle
    apomixis
    process by which seeds are produced without fertilization of sperm and egg
    coleoptile
    covering of the shoot tip, found in germinating monocot seeds
    coleorhiza
    covering of the root tip, found in germinating monocot seeds
    cotyledon
    fleshy part of seed that provides nutrition to the seed
    cross-pollination
    transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of a different flower
    cutting
    method of asexual reproduction where a portion of the stem contains nodes and internodes is placed in moist soil and allowed to root
    dormancy
    period of no growth and very slow metabolic processes
    double fertilization
    two fertilization events in angiosperms; one sperm fuses with the egg, forming the zygote, whereas the other sperm fuses with the polar nuclei, forming endosperm
    endocarp
    innermost part of fruit
    endosperm
    triploid structure resulting from fusion of a sperm with polar nuclei, which serves as a nutritive tissue for embryo
    endospermic dicot
    dicot that stores food reserves in the endosperm
    epicotyl
    embryonic shoot above the cotyledons
    exine
    outermost covering of pollen
    exocarp
    outermost covering of a fruit
    gametophyte
    multicellular stage of the plant that gives rise to haploid gametes or spores
    grafting
    method of asexual reproduction where the stem from one plant species is spliced to a different plant
    gravitropism
    response of a plant growth in the same direction as gravity
    gynoecium
    the sum of all the carpels in a flower
    hypocotyl
    embryonic axis above the cotyledons
    intine
    inner lining of the pollen
    layering
    method of propagating plants by bending a stem under the soil
    megagametogenesis
    second phase of female gametophyte development, during which the surviving haploid megaspore undergoes mitosis to produce an eight-nucleate, seven-cell female gametophyte, also known as the megagametophyte or embryo sac.
    megasporangium
    tissue found in the ovary that gives rise to the female gamete or egg
    megasporogenesis
    first phase of female gametophyte development, during which a single cell in the diploid megasporangium undergoes meiosis to produce four megaspores, only one of which survives
    megasporophyll
    bract (a type of modified leaf) on the central axis of a female gametophyte
    mesocarp
    middle part of a fruit
    micropropagation
    propagation of desirable plants from a plant part; carried out in a laboratory
    micropyle
    opening on the ovule sac through which the pollen tube can gain entry
    microsporangium
    tissue that gives rise to the microspores or the pollen grain
    microsporophyll
    central axis of a male cone on which bracts (a type of modified leaf) are attached
    monocarpic
    plants that flower once in their lifetime
    multiple fruit
    fruit that develops from multiple flowers on an inflorescence
    nectar guide
    pigment pattern on a flower that guides an insect to the nectaries
    non-endospermic dicot
    dicot that stores food reserves in the developing cotyledon
    perianth
    (also, petal or sepal) part of the flower consisting of the calyx and/or corolla; forms the outer envelope of the flower
    pericarp
    collective term describing the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp; the structure that encloses the seed and is a part of the fruit
    plumule
    shoot that develops from the germinating seed
    polar nuclei
    found in the ovule sac; fusion with one sperm cell forms the endosperm
    pollination
    transfer of pollen to the stigma
    polycarpic
    plants that flower several times in their lifetime
    radicle
    original root that develops from the germinating seed
    scarification
    mechanical or chemical processes to soften the seed coat
    scion
    the part of a plant that is grafted onto the root stock of another plant
    scutellum
    type of cotyledon found in monocots, as in grass seeds
    self-pollination
    transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma of the same flower
    senescence
    process that describes aging in plant tissues
    simple fruit
    fruit that develops from a single carpel or fused carpels
    sporophyte
    multicellular diploid stage in plants that is formed after the fusion of male and female gametes
    suspensor
    part of the growing embryo that makes connection with the maternal tissues
    synergid
    type of cell found in the ovule sac that secretes chemicals to guide the pollen tube towards the egg
    tegmen
    inner layer of the seed coat
    testa
    outer layer of the seed coat
    vernalization
    exposure to cold required by some seeds before they can germinate

    6.3.5: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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