Conceptual Content: Plant Structure and Classification
Definition and types of plants according to the stem structure: tree, shrub, herb, or liana.
Types of plants: flowering plants (Phanerogams) and cryptogams.
Parts of the plant (Root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit), including the types and features of each of these parts.
Morphology of the flower: style, stigma, ovary, ovules, stamens, petals, corolla, sepals, calyx, and flower stalk.
Criteria used to describe leaves.
Definition of Inflorescence.
Procedural Content: Developing Botanical Skills
A) Research Skills
Observation and description of a plant.
Registration of measurements.
Connecting parts of a flower with arrows (labeling exercise).
Identification of the plant using a simple identification key.
Developing a data table on the stem, leaf, root, and flower of a Cassia plant.
Making a drawing of the analyzed plant.
Analysis of results.
Establishing conclusions about the plant type and name.
B) Manipulative Skills
Use and management of laboratory instruments such as forceps, mounted needle, binocular loupe, scalpel, and millimeter ruler.
Dissection of the parts of the plant using laboratory equipment (binocular microscope, tweezers, scalpel, mounted needle).
Key Botanical Definitions
Plant
A living eukaryote that feeds on inorganic substances through photosynthesis.
Phanerogams
Plants which bear visible sex organs, commonly referred to as flowering plants.
Cryptogams
Plants without flowers, and therefore those whose reproductive apparatus is not visible to the naked eye.
Parts of the Plant
Root
The part of the plant growing in the opposite direction to the stem, serving to anchor the plant to the ground and absorb necessary nutrients.
Stem
The plant organ that grows in the opposite direction to the root and serves to support the leaves, flowers, and fruits.
Leaf
The plant organ specialized for the functions of photosynthesis and gas exchange. Secondarily, it also assumes duties such as protection, reserve storage, and setting.
Fruit
The part of the plant that develops from the ovary of the flower after fertilization, and contains the seeds within it.
Flower
The reproductive structure characteristic of flowering plants. Its function is to produce seeds through sexual reproduction.
Parts of a Flower
Sepal
Protective leaves that enclose the other floral parts in the early stages of development, when the flower is only a bud. They may be free or fused.
Calyx
The collective structure consisting of the sepals.
Stamens
Highly modified leaves bearing the male organs (pollen sacs), which reside in the anthers.
Petals
In most typical cases, brightly colored leaves designed to visually attract pollinators. They may be free or fused.
Corolla
The collective set of petals.
Pistil
The female organ of flowering plants, generally consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary.
Stigma
Part of the gynoecium of the flower that receives pollen during pollination.
Style
The extension of the ovary at the end of which is the stigma.
