1.How is the growth of marginal meristems in leaves different than that of the apical meristems of stems and roots?
2.Is there any advantage to one type of leaf arrangement as compared to another? Can you think of any situations in which one type of arrangement is more beneficial to plant survival?
3. Describe how branching differs in roots and shoots and speculate why this is so.
4. How does water move in through root hairs?
5. Why would very high temperatures cause stomata to close?
6.Why would ethylene production increase rapidly when a plant is exposed to ozone, toxic chemicals, temperature extremes, attacks by predators, or other stresses?
7. In what directions do roots and stems grow when there is no gravity, such as in a spaceship outside the pull of earth?
8. In Chapter 13 of this text, genetic engineering in agriculture was discussed. Might it be feasible to genetically engineer a plant to respond to touch (become thigmotropic) as a means to deter certain flying insect predators?
9. Research endangered plants here and abroad and discuss the plant's role in its local ecosystem and what other organisms are affected by its loss. In addition to your local DNR site, consider exploring information from IUCN, Nature, and Earths Endangered websites.
10.Describe Photoperiodism and Dormancy, how do the two differ from each other or how similar are they?
11.What are auxins and how do they function in life systems?
