{"id":2048,"date":"2017-01-31T20:28:26","date_gmt":"2017-01-31T20:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-biology2\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=2048"},"modified":"2017-04-11T17:38:41","modified_gmt":"2017-04-11T17:38:41","slug":"putting-it-together-plant-structure-and-function","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-wmopen-biology2\/chapter\/putting-it-together-plant-structure-and-function\/","title":{"raw":"Putting It Together: Plant Structure and Function","rendered":"Putting It Together: Plant Structure and Function"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>think about It<\/h3>\r\nLet's think back to the beginning of the module: we mentioned that many plants have evolved to thrive in conditions that limit their access to light, nutrients, and oxygen. Can you think of any adaptations that would help plants in these situations?\r\n\r\nBefore you move on to the examples of adaptations, take some time to record your thoughts here:\r\n\r\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn tropical rainforests, light is often scarce, since many trees and plants grow close together and block much of the sunlight from reaching the forest floor. Many tropical plant species have exceptionally broad leaves to maximize the capture of sunlight. Other species are epiphytes: plants that grow on other plants that serve as a physical support. Such plants are able to grow high up in the canopy atop the branches of other trees, where sunlight is more plentiful. Epiphytes live on rain and minerals collected in the branches and leaves of the supporting plant. Bromeliads (members of the pineapple family), ferns, and orchids are examples of tropical epiphytes (Figure 1). Many epiphytes have specialized tissues that enable them to efficiently capture and store water.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4651\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1203\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-4651\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1223\/2017\/04\/03223914\/The_spanish_moss_drips_off_of_a_large_tree_in_the_maritime_forest-e1491259190620.jpg\" alt=\"Photo shows long, thin brown leaves of Spanish moss hanging down from the branches of a large oak tree.\" width=\"1203\" height=\"617\" \/> Figure\u00a01. One of the most well known bromeliads is Spanish moss (<em>Tillandsia usneoides<\/em>), seen here in an oak tree. (credit: Kristine Paulus)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nSome plants have special adaptations that help them to survive in nutrient-poor environments. Carnivorous plants, such as the Venus flytrap and the pitcher plant (Figure 2), grow in bogs where the soil is low in nitrogen. In these plants, leaves are modified to capture insects. The insect-capturing leaves may have evolved to provide these plants with a supplementary source of much-needed nitrogen.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1988\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"845\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1988\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1223\/2017\/01\/31183210\/Figure_30_04_09.jpg\" alt=\" Left photo shows modified leaves of a Venus flytrap. The two leaves resemble the upper and lower part of the mouth, and are red on the interior. Hair-like appendages, like teeth, frame each modified leaf, so that when the leaves close, the insect will be trapped. Right photo shows three modified leaves of the pitcher plant, which are green tubes with red specks and have a red rim forming the top opening.\" width=\"845\" height=\"401\" \/> Figure 2. The (a) Venus flytrap has modified leaves that can capture insects. When an unlucky insect touches the trigger hairs inside the leaf, the trap suddenly closes. The opening of the (b) pitcher plant is lined with a slippery wax. Insects crawling on the lip slip and fall into a pool of water in the bottom of the pitcher, where they are digested by bacteria. The plant then absorbs the smaller molecules. (credit a: modification of work by Peter Shanks; credit b: modification of work by Tim Mansfield)[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\nWatch <em>Venus Flytraps: Jaws of Death<\/em>, an extraordinary BBC close-up of the Venus flytrap in action.\r\n\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/static.3playmedia.com\/p\/projects\/20361\/files\/1593744\/plugins\/11085.js\"><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/iframe_api\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>\r\n <iframe id=\"myytplayer\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/O7eQKSf0LmY?enablejsapi=1\" width=\"440\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nMany swamp plants have adaptations that enable them to thrive in wet areas, where their roots grow submerged underwater. In these aquatic areas, the soil is unstable and little oxygen is available to reach the roots. Trees such as mangroves (<em>Rhizophora <\/em>sp.) growing in coastal waters produce aboveground roots that help support the tree (Figure 3). Some species of mangroves, as well as cypress trees, have pneumatophores: upward-growing roots containing pores and pockets of tissue specialized for gas exchange. Wild rice is an aquatic plant with large air spaces in the root cortex. The air-filled tissue\u2014called aerenchyma\u2014provides a path for oxygen to diffuse down to the root tips, which are embedded in oxygen-poor bottom sediments.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1989\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1024\"]<img class=\"size-large wp-image-1989\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1223\/2017\/01\/31183328\/Figure_30_04_10abc-1024x273.jpg\" alt=\" Photo A shows mangrove trees with roots extending into the water. Part B shows cypress trees growing in the water, with upward-growing roots between the trees. Part C is a scanning electron micrograph showing a cross section of wild rice. The cells radiate from the center like spokes on a bicycle wheel, and are interspersed by large spaces that hold air.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"273\" \/> Figure 3. The branches of (a) mangrove trees develop aerial roots, which descend to the ground and help to anchor the trees. (b) Cypress trees and some mangrove species have upward-growing roots called pneumatophores that are involved in gas exchange. Aquatic plants such as (c) wild rice have large spaces in the root cortex called aerenchyma, visualized here using scanning electron microscopy. (credit a: modification of work by Roberto Verzo; credit b: modification of work by Duane Burdick; credit c: modification of work by Robert R. Wise)[\/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>think about It<\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s think back to the beginning of the module: we mentioned that many plants have evolved to thrive in conditions that limit their access to light, nutrients, and oxygen. Can you think of any adaptations that would help plants in these situations?<\/p>\n<p>Before you move on to the examples of adaptations, take some time to record your thoughts here:<\/p>\n<p><textarea aria-label=\"Your Answer\" rows=\"4\"><\/textarea><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In tropical rainforests, light is often scarce, since many trees and plants grow close together and block much of the sunlight from reaching the forest floor. Many tropical plant species have exceptionally broad leaves to maximize the capture of sunlight. Other species are epiphytes: plants that grow on other plants that serve as a physical support. Such plants are able to grow high up in the canopy atop the branches of other trees, where sunlight is more plentiful. Epiphytes live on rain and minerals collected in the branches and leaves of the supporting plant. Bromeliads (members of the pineapple family), ferns, and orchids are examples of tropical epiphytes (Figure 1). Many epiphytes have specialized tissues that enable them to efficiently capture and store water.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4651\" style=\"width: 1213px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4651\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4651\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1223\/2017\/04\/03223914\/The_spanish_moss_drips_off_of_a_large_tree_in_the_maritime_forest-e1491259190620.jpg\" alt=\"Photo shows long, thin brown leaves of Spanish moss hanging down from the branches of a large oak tree.\" width=\"1203\" height=\"617\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-4651\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure\u00a01. One of the most well known bromeliads is Spanish moss (<em>Tillandsia usneoides<\/em>), seen here in an oak tree. (credit: Kristine Paulus)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Some plants have special adaptations that help them to survive in nutrient-poor environments. Carnivorous plants, such as the Venus flytrap and the pitcher plant (Figure 2), grow in bogs where the soil is low in nitrogen. In these plants, leaves are modified to capture insects. The insect-capturing leaves may have evolved to provide these plants with a supplementary source of much-needed nitrogen.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1988\" style=\"width: 855px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1988\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1988\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1223\/2017\/01\/31183210\/Figure_30_04_09.jpg\" alt=\"Left photo shows modified leaves of a Venus flytrap. The two leaves resemble the upper and lower part of the mouth, and are red on the interior. Hair-like appendages, like teeth, frame each modified leaf, so that when the leaves close, the insect will be trapped. Right photo shows three modified leaves of the pitcher plant, which are green tubes with red specks and have a red rim forming the top opening.\" width=\"845\" height=\"401\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1988\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2. The (a) Venus flytrap has modified leaves that can capture insects. When an unlucky insect touches the trigger hairs inside the leaf, the trap suddenly closes. The opening of the (b) pitcher plant is lined with a slippery wax. Insects crawling on the lip slip and fall into a pool of water in the bottom of the pitcher, where they are digested by bacteria. The plant then absorbs the smaller molecules. (credit a: modification of work by Peter Shanks; credit b: modification of work by Tim Mansfield)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p>Watch <em>Venus Flytraps: Jaws of Death<\/em>, an extraordinary BBC close-up of the Venus flytrap in action.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/static.3playmedia.com\/p\/projects\/20361\/files\/1593744\/plugins\/11085.js\"><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/iframe_api\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><br \/>\n <iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"myytplayer\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/O7eQKSf0LmY?enablejsapi=1\" width=\"440\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Many swamp plants have adaptations that enable them to thrive in wet areas, where their roots grow submerged underwater. In these aquatic areas, the soil is unstable and little oxygen is available to reach the roots. Trees such as mangroves (<em>Rhizophora <\/em>sp.) growing in coastal waters produce aboveground roots that help support the tree (Figure 3). Some species of mangroves, as well as cypress trees, have pneumatophores: upward-growing roots containing pores and pockets of tissue specialized for gas exchange. Wild rice is an aquatic plant with large air spaces in the root cortex. The air-filled tissue\u2014called aerenchyma\u2014provides a path for oxygen to diffuse down to the root tips, which are embedded in oxygen-poor bottom sediments.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1989\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1989\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1989\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1223\/2017\/01\/31183328\/Figure_30_04_10abc-1024x273.jpg\" alt=\"Photo A shows mangrove trees with roots extending into the water. Part B shows cypress trees growing in the water, with upward-growing roots between the trees. Part C is a scanning electron micrograph showing a cross section of wild rice. The cells radiate from the center like spokes on a bicycle wheel, and are interspersed by large spaces that hold air.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"273\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1989\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 3. The branches of (a) mangrove trees develop aerial roots, which descend to the ground and help to anchor the trees. (b) Cypress trees and some mangrove species have upward-growing roots called pneumatophores that are involved in gas exchange. Aquatic plants such as (c) wild rice have large spaces in the root cortex called aerenchyma, visualized here using scanning electron microscopy. (credit a: modification of work by Roberto Verzo; credit b: modification of work by Duane Burdick; credit c: modification of work by Robert R. Wise)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-2048\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Putting It Together: Plant Structure and Function. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Shelli Carter and Lumen Learning. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Biology. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: OpenStax CNX. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/185cbf87-c72e-48f5-b51e-f14f21b5eabd@10.8\">http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/185cbf87-c72e-48f5-b51e-f14f21b5eabd@10.8<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">Public domain content<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Spanish moss drips off of a large tree. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Hillebrand Steve. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:The_spanish_moss_drips_off_of_a_large_tree_in_the_maritime_forest.jpg\">https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:The_spanish_moss_drips_off_of_a_large_tree_in_the_maritime_forest.jpg<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/pdm\">Public Domain: No Known Copyright<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":17,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Biology\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"OpenStax CNX\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/cnx.org\/contents\/185cbf87-c72e-48f5-b51e-f14f21b5eabd@10.8\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Putting It Together: Plant Structure and Function\",\"author\":\"Shelli Carter and Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"pd\",\"description\":\"Spanish moss drips off of a large tree\",\"author\":\"Hillebrand Steve\",\"organization\":\"U.S. Fish and Wildlife 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