Plant ProcessesPlant Processes

PHOTOSYNTHESIS•Process which allows plants to produce their own food

Plant ProcessesPlant Processes

RESPIRATION•Process where cells break down nutrients with the help of oxygen into useable energy•Takes place in the mitochondria of the cell•Opposite of photosynthesis

Plant ProcessesPlant Processes

TRANSPIRTAION•The process of loosing water through open stomata

Plant ProcessesPlant Processes

POLLINATION•The transfer of pollen from the male part of a seed plant to the female part•Only occurs with closely related species

Pollination and Pollination and FertilizationFertilization

Plant Growth Plant Growth RegulatorsRegulators

• Hormones: Chemical messengers created by a living organisms that control growth

– Auxins: Target the stems and are produced in the apical meristems

– Gibberellins: Stimulate cells to elongate, enhance fruit production, and induces the opening of flower buds

– Cytokinins: Stimulate the production of protein leading to cell division

Plant Growth Plant Growth RegulatorsRegulators

• Ethylene: The gaseous compound produced which causes cell walls to weaken and become soft

• Abscisic Acid: Slows down metabolic process to help the plant conserve water– Prohibits growth

Plant ResponsesPlant Responses

• Tropism is the growth response of a plant to and external stimulus– Sun, artificial light, gravity

• Phototropism is a plant’s response to light– Plant will grow towards light

• Gravitropism is a plant’s response to gravity– Also known as geotropism

• Autotropism is how a plant grows or elongates in a straight line

Plant ResponsesPlant Responses

Cultural and Cultural and Environmental FactorsEnvironmental Factors

• When plant systems do not function properly, a number of problems can occur– If a plant suffers too much, it will

not be able to produce and process food, or reproduce

• Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air– 30% to 60% is desirable