Name

Section Instructor

Angiosperms

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Section 1—Leaves
OBJECTIVES

Place a check mark (✓) in the box in front of each item as you complete it.

❑❑ 1. I can distinguish monocot and dicot leaf cross sections.

❑❑ 2. I can identify the various layers and cell types in monocot and dicot leaf cross
sections.
❑❑ 3. I can describe the function of all cell types in monocot and dicot leaves.

MATERIALS

1. Model illustrating the internal anatomy of a dicot leaf

2. Microscope slide of monocot and dicot leaves
3. Digital images of internal anatomy of monocot and dicot leaves

INTRODUCTION

The broad leaves of deciduous plants function as solar panels for the plant by provid-
ing a large surface area to capture solar energy. Enzymes in the chloroplasts of the cells
then transform the energy of the sun into the chemical energy of sugars through the
process of photosynthesis. Leaf structure maximizes the absorption of sunlight and
the uptake of carbon dioxide from the environment while minimizing the amount of
water loss by transpiration.

Vascular tissue, similar to a pipeline transporting fluids, extends from the stem into the
leaf as leaf veins. These veins transport water, which was absorbed by the roots of the
plant, into the leaf. The veins also transport the sugars produced by photosynthesis out
of the leaf, to the rest of the plant.

Traditionally, flowering plants (angiosperms) have been separated into two broad cat-
egories—monocots and dicots. While there are a number of characteristics that differ
between these two groups, most of the same structures and cell types can be found inside
of the leaves of both types of plants.

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6. Label the dicot leaf diagram in Figure 1 using the list of terms below.

• Cuticle • Palisade mesophyll

• Upper epidermis • Spongy mesophyll

• Lower epidermis • Leaf vein(s)

• Guard cells • Phloem

• Stoma • Xylem

Cuticle

Upper epidermis

Leaf Veins

Palisade Mesophyll Xylem

Phloem

Spongy Mesophyll
Lower Epidermis

Guard Cells

©Hayden-McNeil, LLC Stoma

Figure 1. Dicot leaf in cross section with branching veins

II. Internal (Microscopic) Anatomy of Monocot Leaves

1. On the same slide you used for the previous section, use the scanner objective to
locate the cross section of the monocot leaf, then use greater magnification to
find the following structural details.

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2. Notice that the arrangement of cells in the monocot leaf is quite different from that
of the dicot leaf. The mesophyll of the monocot leaf is not clearly differentiated
into two types, and air chambers are spread throughout. Also, the leaf veins look
quite different in the monocot, although the xylem cells are still larger than the
phloem cells.

3. Label the monocot leaf diagram in Figure 2 using the list of terms below.

• Cuticle • Mesophyll cells

• Epidermis • Leaf vein

• Chloroplasts • Phloem

• Guard cells • Xylem

• Stoma
Xylem
Cuticle Leaf Vein

Epidermis
©Hayden-McNeil, LLC

Stoma

Guard Cells
Mesophyll Cells Phloem Chloroplasts
Figure 2. Monocot leaf in cross section

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Section 2—Plants: Form and Function

OBJECTIVES

Place a check mark (✓) in the box in front of each item as you complete it.

❑❑ 1. I can identify the vegetative and reproductive structures of a plant.

❑❑ 2. I can explain how the flower is a reproductive structure and explain how it
gives rise to fruit and seeds.
❑❑ 3. I can identify the parts of fruits.
❑❑ 4. I can identify the parts of seeds and explain the function of each part.
❑❑ 5. I can identify the edible structures of common plants.
❑❑ 6. I can define and use all bold terms in this activity.

MATERIALS

1. Model of flower
2. Plant specimens

Vegetative Organs

INTRODUCTION

Flowering plants (angiosperms) are complex organisms that consist of organs and tis-
sues. The organs can be divided into two types: vegetative (stems, roots, and leaves) and
reproductive (flowers and fruits). The typical vegetative parts of a plant are described
below. Read the descriptions and use the bold terms to label the parts of a
plant shown in Figure 3.

• The apical bud (terminal bud) allows a plant to increase in height. It contains a
continuously dividing group of cells called the meristem that produces new cells at
the tip of the plant. The shoot apical meristem located at the tip of the plant con-
tributes to shoot growth.

• Axillary buds are located at the base of the leaf where it attaches to the stem.
These give rise to the lateral (sideways) branches of a plant, increasing the overall
width of the plant. Each axillary bud also contains an apical meristem.

• Leaves carry out photosynthesis for the plant. A leaf consists of a flattened blade
and a petiole, the stalk that attaches the blade to the stem. The leaf midrib and the
lateral veins contain vascular tissue, which is involved in the movement of sugar
and water through the plant.

• Stems are divided into areas called nodes, where the axillary buds and leaves arise.

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• Roots are located below ground to absorb water and minerals. The main root is
called the taproot, and the tip contains the root apical meristem that produces
continuous root growth. The taproot gives rise to the lateral roots to form a
branching network.

Apical bud

Axillery bud

Leaves, Blade, Petiole

Stem

Lateral Root

Tap Root

Figure 3. Vegetative organs of a plant

©Hayden-McNeil, LLC

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Reproductive Organs

INTRODUCTION

Most plants that you see every day are angiosperms. One reason why angiosperms are
so common is because they have evolved a very effective mechanism of reproduction.
The flower is the reproductive organ of angiosperms. Flowers contain pollen, which
contain sperm cells, and ovules, that produce egg cells. Pollination and fertilization of
the flower leads to the formation of the seed, which contains a plant embryo, and the
fruit that surrounds it. A flower is composed of whorls of different floral parts arranged
together. Observe the model of a flower and label Figure 4 using the bold
terms in the definitions below.

• Sepals are the outermost layer of floral parts. They are usually green in color. They
protect the flower bud.

• Petals are located inside of sepals. They are usually large, colorful, and showy to
attract pollinators.

• Stamens produce the pollen. The stamens consist of a stalk-like filament attached
to the pollen bearing anther.

• Carpels produce the ovules. Carpels can be separate or fused together to form
an ovary. The ovary is enlarged at the base containing the ovules. The top of the
ovary narrows into a neck-like style that ends in the stigma. The stigma receives
the pollen.

Stamen, Anther, Filament

Petal

Stigma, Style, Ovary Sepal

Ovules

©Hayden-McNeil, LLC

Figure 4. Parts of the flower

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Fruit is the result of fertilization of the ovules with sperm from the pollen. When
a pollen grain lands on the sticky surface of the stigma, it produces a long tube that
allows sperm cells to travel down the style to the ovule. Fertilized ovules develop into
seeds, and ovaries develop into fruit. Depending on the type of fruit, the ovary wall
(pericarp) can be fleshy, like in tomato and mango, or it can be dry and thin, like in
sunflowers and dandelions.

Label Figure 5 with the bold terms from the paragraph above.

Fruit
Sepal
seeds
Sepal

Pericarp

©Hayden-McNeil, LLC seeds

Figure 5. Fruit

A seed contains the plant embryo (notice the tiny leaves and root) and stored food for
the embryo enclosed in a protective cover called a seed coat. In dicots, the stored food
is in the form of two fleshy cotyledons (like in bean seeds). In monocots, the stored
food is in the form of a tissue called the endosperm (like in corn).

Label Figure 6 using the bold terms from the paragraph above.

Embryo

Seed Coat

©Hayden-McNeil, LLC Cotyledons

Figure 6. Bean seed

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QUESTIONS

1. Based on what you have learned about plant parts, determine which part (or parts)
of the plant we eat when we eat the following foods.
Fruit, Seeds, Pericap
a. Cucumber _________________________________________________
Fruit
b. Broccoli _________________________________________________
Seeds, Pericap
c. Green Bean _________________________________________________
Fruit
d. Lettuce _________________________________________________
Fruit, Seeds, Pericap
e. Pumpkin _________________________________________________
Embryo, Seed Coat, Cotyledons
f. Pinto Bean _________________________________________________
Fruit, Pericap
g. Olive _________________________________________________
Embryo, Cotyledons
h. Peanut _________________________________________________

2. Earlier you read that flower petals are typically “large, colorful, and showy to at-
tract pollinators.”
a. Describe what is meant by the term “pollinator.”
Pollinators are things that deliver pollen to the flower.

b. Give two examples of pollinators.

Bees and Butterflies

c. Explain why it is beneficial for a flowering plant to attract a pollinator.

It is beneficial since it means that the plant is able to pass on its genes to another
generation

3. What is the difference between pollen and seeds?

Pollen contains the gametes for reproduction, while seeds do not.

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Section 3—Seed Dispersal

OBJECTIVES

Place a check mark (✓) in the box in front of each item as you complete it.

❑❑ 1. I can describe various mechanisms of seed dispersal and relate the structure of
a seed to the mechanism of its dispersal.
❑❑ 2. I can explain how seed dispersal benefits a plant.

MATERIALS

Samples of seeds

A seed is a dormant plant embryo packaged with some nutrients inside of a protective
coat. Embryos inside of seeds can survive for long periods of time, but they will not be
able to grow and develop unless they are in an appropriate environment. Most seeds
have some type of dispersal mechanism or characteristic that enables them to scatter or
travel a distance from the parent plant and potentially end up in an environment that
will support their growth. Seeds may disperse by wind, water, sticking to fur of animals,
or mechanical means, such as the fruit exploding and shooting the seeds away from the
plant. A seed’s dispersal mechanism often reflects the conditions within the habitat.
Look at the chart below to examine some ways that seeds are dispersed.

By wind By animals By water

Maple

Cocklebur

Dandelion
Coconut

By forcible discharge
Beggartick
Elm

Impatiens

Poppy Blueberries

©Hayden-McNeil, LLC

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PROCEDURE

Examine the various types of seeds that are displayed on the counter. Write the name of
each specimen in the table below. Determine how you think these seeds are dispersed
and write the correct letter in the table next to the specimen in the list below. Some of
these specimens could be dispersed more than one way.

A. Eaten by birds/animals
B. Blown by the wind
C. Attached to fur of animals
D. Floats on water
E. Buried by animals
F. Fruit or pod explodes by twisting or popping open

Table 1. 

Name of Specimen Mechanism(s) of Dispersal

Coconut D
1.

Horse Chestnut C, F
2.

Milkweed B, C
3.

Staghorn Stumac F
4.

Soybean A
5.

Oak Acorn A, E
6.

Purple Cone flower C

7.

Sycamore F
8.

Barberries A, C
9.

Hibiscus F
10.

11.

12.

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QUESTIONS

1. What is inside of a seed?

The embryo and cotyledons

2. Why is it important for seeds to be dispersed over a wide area?

It is important since it allows the seeds to have their own resources to grow, rather
than compete with nearby flowers of its own kind

3. Why is it important for a parent plant to move its seeds far away from itself?
Its important for a parent plat to move its seeds far away as it means the parent plant
isnt competeing with its offspring.

4. Many seed dispersal mechanisms depend on something other than the parent plant
to distribute the seeds. Name one living (biotic) and one non-living (abiotic) part
of the ecosystem that is involved in helping plants with seed dispersal.
One living part of an ecosystem that can disperse seeds are animals. Seeds can
attach to their fur and can be carried far away. One non-living part of an ecosystem
that disperses seeds is the wind. Small seeds can be carried by the wind currents and
can be blown to a different location.

5. Based on what you learned in today’s lab, why is it an advantage for a plant to
produce fruit that are delicious to animals?
It ensures that animals will eat the fruit, helping disperse the seeds of the plant.

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