Mission 2 Glossary

air / substance needed by many living things including plants, animals, and humans
anther / the male part of the flower that produces the pollen
bulb / a miniature packaged plant that contains everything needed to grow a new plant, made up of special scale leaves and food for the plant
carbohydrate / an organic compound such as sugar or starch which provides energy for living organisms
carbon dioxide / a gas from the air that is used by plants for photosynthesis, also known as CO2
cells / the basic structural and functioning units of all living things
chlorophyll / green material in plants that is created in the presence of light and is important for photosynthesis
cuticle / waxy coating that protects the leaf
cutting / a part of a plant's leaves, roots, or stem which is planted and grows into a new plant
dormant / being in a resting state (not currently growing)
exhale / to breathe out
filament / fine stalk that holds up the anther
flower / reproductive part of a plant
fruit / ripe, mature ovary that contains seeds
germination / activation of a seed that causes it to start to grow
glucose / a simple sugar that plants make and use as food
gravitropism / the response of plants to gravity; roots move towards the pull of gravity and shoots move away from the pull of gravity
herbaceous / describes plants that have stems that are soft. These plants die back to the ground in the winter.
leaf / green part of a plant that collects light and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
nutrients / sources of nourishment for living things that are important for growth and survival
orient / to become adjusted and position oneself; to align with respect to a point of reference
ovary / part of the female flower that contains the ovules
ovule / part of the ovary that becomes a seed
oxygen / substance released into the air by plants as a result of photosynthesis. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen while humans take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide.
petal / specialized structure that protect the parts of a flower and also attract birds and insects to help with pollination
photosynthesis / process by which a plant produces food using water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight
pistil / female part of the flower that includes the stigma, style, and ovary
pollen / yellow powder-like material on the anthers which is necessary for a plant to reproduce
pollination / movement of pollen from the anther to the stigma
root / underground part of a plant that collects water and nutrients from the soil; also anchors the plant
root tips / cells at the very tip of a plant root containing particles that respond to gravity and help direct the root to grow down
scale leaves / the small leaves inside a bulb that hold stored food for the bulb
seed / part of a plant that will grow into a new plant if the environmental conditions are right; formed by the maturation of the ovule after fertilization
seed coat / protective outer covering of a seed
sepal / green leaf-like structures that cover a bud and later open up to reveal the petals of a flower
shoot / emerges from a seed that has germinated and becomes the part of the plant that grows upward
spore / seed-like structure that plants like ferns, mosses, and mushrooms use to reproduce instead of a seed
stamen / male part of the flower that includes the anther and filament
statoliths / special starch grains in the bottom of root tips which tell the plant which way is down
stigma / sticky surface on the end of the pistil that traps and holds pollen
stem / part of the plant which holds up the leaves and flowers and serves as a highway to move water and nutrients through the plant
stomata / pores in leaves that allow plant to bring in carbon dioxide and release oxygen
style / part of the female flower that holds up the stigma
tuber / a fat stem that grows underground and is used for storage for plants
tunic / the outside portion of a bulb that protects it from drying out
water / substance formed of hydrogen and oxygen needed by many living things including plants, animals and humans
woody / describes plants that have stems that are hard and stiff, such as trees