Summarizing the Role of Seed Plants

Summary

Angiosperm diversity is due in part to multiple interactions with animals. Herbivory has favored the development of defense mechanisms in plants, and avoidance of those defense mechanism in animals. Pollination (the transfer of pollen to a carpel) is mainly carried out by wind and animals, and angiosperms have evolved numerous adaptations to capture the wind or attract specific classes of animals.

Plants play a key role in ecosystems. They are a source of food and medicinal compounds, and provide raw materials for many industries. Rapid deforestation and industrialization, however, threaten plant biodiversity. In turn, this threatens the ecosystem.

Glossary

barcoding

molecular biology technique in which one or more short gene sequences taken from a well-characterized portion of the genome is used to identify a species

crop

cultivated plant

heirloom seed

seed from a plant that was grown historically, but has not been used in modern agriculture on a large scale

herbivory

consumption of plants by insects and other animals

nectar

liquid rich in sugars produced by flowers to attract animal pollinators

pollination

transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma