Kingdom Plantae

KINGDOM PLANTAE: Body type: multicellular with cell walls made of cellulose Prokaryotic / eukaryotic: eukaryotic Food consumption: photosynthesis (absorbs light) Reproduction: both sexual and asexual Environments: land and water Hetero / Chemo / Autotrophic: Autotrophic Characteristics: Plants have organs and organ systems. The leaves collect and absorb sunlight to convert to glucose. The leaves have a waxy coat on them to shield against water. The root system, which branches out, provides support and absorbs water. The stem provides support and the petal / flower / bud is the reproductive organ of the plant. Names of phyla: -Filicophyta -Sphenophyta -Bryophyta -Ginkophyta -Coniferophyta -Anthophyta Division Bryophyta: Composed of mosses, liverworts, and hornworts-- these are thought to be the first plants. Bryophyta do not have any true organs like stems, leaves or roots. They have tiny anchor-like rhizoids that keep them attached to the ground. They grow in shaded, moist places, like the rainforests. Division Sphenophyta: Consists of horsetails, which are basically stems. There aren't any noticeable leaves, and barely any roots. Division Anthophyta: Division anthophyta is the largest grouping of flowering plants. Division Coniferophyta: These are plants that bear their seeds in the form of a cone. They are both diploid and haploid. Division Ginkgophyta: Plants that are domestic to China and when reproducing, the females egg produces a very bad smell. Division Filicophyta: Ferns are just about the only type of plant that is in division filicophyta. Most ferns live near water, like in the rain forest or in ponds. What distinguishes kingdom plantae from all the other kingdoms, is that the cells of kingdom plantae have cell walls made of cellulose that are used to support the plant. This cell wall is not a semi-permeable membrane and the cell cannot transport material and nutrients in and out of the cell walls. For this function there is the large central vacuole that stores water and chemicals for use inside of the cell. Another characteristic belonging only to kingdom plantae is their chloroplasts, the organelle that converts light energy into chemical energy inside the plant where the energy is stored as sugar. Their ability to convert inorganic matter (atmospheric CO2) to organic matter using photosynthesis keeps us humans in kingdom animalia alive.