GRE Subject Test: Biology : Plant Biology

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Biology

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #851 : Ap Biology

Of the following answer choices, which most accurately describes the mechanism that the stems of plants use to grow toward light?

Possible Answers:

Cells on the darker side of the stem elongate more than cells on the lighter side

Contractile cells on the light side of the stems dictate the growth toward light

Photosynthetic processes dictate the growth

The plant will grow away from other plants so as to minimize competition

The growth of the stem is determined by metabolic processes, which are stimulated by light striking the stems

Correct answer:

Cells on the darker side of the stem elongate more than cells on the lighter side

Explanation:

Plants grow so as to maximize the elongation of their stems as much as possible. Cells on the lighter side of the stem are already being provided with photosynthetic energy, while cells on the darker side are receiving less of this energy input. This causes the cells on the darker side to elongate toward the energy source. When one side of the stem is longer than the other, it causes a curve in the growth, resulting in a directionality of the growth of the stem.

Example Question #12 : Plant Biology

Plant root systems can be generally categorized as either taproot systems or fibrous root systems. Which of the following is a characteristic of a fibrous root system?

Possible Answers:

Fibrous root systems are well adapted to soil where ground water is not close to the surface

Fibrous root systems usually penetrate deeply into the soil

Fibrous root systems do not penetrate deeply into the soil

Fibrous root systems consist of a series of roots that spread out from a major single root

Correct answer:

Fibrous root systems do not penetrate deeply into the soil

Explanation:

Fibrous root systems are common in seedless vascular plants and in most monocots, such as grasses. Many small roots grow from the stem of the plant and are considered adventitious (a term describing a plant organ that grows in an unusual location). 

Fibrous roots have no main root and do not penetrate deeply into the soil, usually penetrating only a few centimeters. As such, fibrous root systems are best adapted to shallow soil. This also helps prevent erosion, as the shallow, highly-branched roots hold the topsoil in place. 

Example Question #13 : Plant Biology

Which of the following is a type of stem?

Possible Answers:

Pith

Lateral roots

Rhizomes

Stele

Correct answer:

Rhizomes

Explanation:

Stems are one of the three basic plant organs, and consist of an alternating system of nodes (where leaves attach) and internodes (regions of the stem that span between nodes).

Some plants have evolved to have stems with additional functions, such as the ability to store food or to participate in asexual reproduction. These modified stems include rhizomes, bulbs, tubers and stolons.  

A rhizome is a horizontal shoot of the plant that grows just below the surface. Vertical shoots (and resulting leaves) grow from axillary buds on the rhizome. Examples of plants with rhizomes include irises, hops, and asparagus. 

Example Question #1 : Understanding Water And Nutrient Transport

Which plant tissue system is similar to the human circulatory system?

Possible Answers:

Vascular cambium

Vascular tissue

Ground tissue

Dermal tissue

Sclerenchyma

Correct answer:

Vascular tissue

Explanation:

A plant's vascular tissues transport nutrients throughout the plant, just as the circulatory system transports nutrients throughout human bodies. While blood is the primary solvent for nutrients in humans, water is the primary solvent for nutrients in plants. Animals, however, use blood pressure to propel nutrients throughout the body while plants use gravity and the cohesive properties of water to transport nutrients.

The two primary types of plant vascular tissue are xylem, which transports water, and phloem, which transports organic molecules like glucose.

Example Question #1 : Plant Structures

What is the function of lateral meristems?

Possible Answers:

Provide nutrients to apical meristems

Stimulate root hair growth

Provide secondary growth in woody plants

Maintain water homeostasis

Correct answer:

Provide secondary growth in woody plants

Explanation:

In addition to growing in height, woody plants also grow in thickness. This is the function of lateral meristems. Lateral meristems are comprised of the vascular cambrium, and by cork cambrium that form vascular cylinders. The vascular cambrium adds layers of secondary xylem and phloem (wood), whereas the cork cambrium replaces the outer epidermis with a thicker and tougher layer called periderm.

Example Question #1 : Plant Structures

What is the tissue found in many vascular plants which forms as part of the periderm and generates secondary growth in roots and stems?

Possible Answers:

Phelloderm

Vascular cambium

Phloem

Cork cambium

Cortex

Correct answer:

Cork cambium

Explanation:

The periderm forms a protective layer around the outside of many stems and roots and consists of cork cambium, cork, and phelloderm. Cork cambium is the site of active secondary growth within the periderm of vascular plants. Phloem is a type of vascular tissue that directs the flow of nutrients and metabolic products from the leaves down to the roots.

Example Question #9 : Plant Structures

Plant cells  differentiate to perform different functions and enable the plant to grow. One cell type is present in young stems and petioles and functions to provide flexible support. This cell type is less resistant to bending forces because it lacks a secondary cell wall and the protein lignin, which causes rigidity in other plant cells. 

What differentiated plant cell is being described?

Possible Answers:

Collenchyma cells

Parenchyma cells

Sieve plate cells

Sclerenchyma cells

Correct answer:

Collenchyma cells

Explanation:

As described in the beginning of this question, collenchyma cells are found in young stems and petioles (leaves) and function to provide flexible support to the plant. This is because chollenchyma cells lack secondary cell walls and do not produce lignin to harden them—this protein is characteristic of sclerenchyma cells, which are also used to provide support/strength to the plant. 

Due to their lack of rigidity, collenchyma cells a also capable of elongating with the stems and leaves they support, allowing them to remain alive at maturity. Sclerenchymal cells lack this ability.

Example Question #1 : Understanding Plant Microstructures

Plant cells differentiate to be able to perform different functions and enable it to grow. One cell type has a critical job in supporting the plant. These cells have secondary walls that are further strengthened by a glue-like substance called lignin, which increases the cell's rigidity. At maturity, these cells cannot elongate and are found in regions of the plant that have stopped growing, forming a "skeleton" for the plant.

What type of differentiated plant cell is described?

Possible Answers:

Collenchyma cells

Parenchyma cells

Secondary meristems

Sclerenchyma cells

Correct answer:

Sclerenchyma cells

Explanation:

As described in the background to the question, sclerenchyma cells are specialized to support the plant as it grows. These cells have thick secondary walls that are further strengthened by the hardening agent called lignin.  As a result, these cells are highly rigid and inflexible.  

At maturity, these cells cannot elongate and are found in regions of the plant that have stopped growing. In some parts of the plant, the sclerenchyma cells may even be dead; however, the rigid walls remain and act like a skeleteon that supports the remainder of the plaint over its lifetime.  

Sclerenchyma cells can also further differentiate into two types called sclereids and fibers. Sclerids can provide hardness to nut shells. Fibers, as their name suggests, are usually arranged in long threads and have commercial uses, such as being made into rope.

Example Question #1 : Macrostructures

In plants, leaves contain specialized pores used for gas exchange. Each pore is formed by a pair of cells that control its closing and opening. What are these cells called?

Possible Answers:

Stoma cells

Cuticle cells

Guard cells

Epidermal cells

Correct answer:

Guard cells

Explanation:

For proper functioning, plants must take in carbon dioxide, expel oxygen, and limit the loss of water vapor. This gas exchange takes place via pores called stomata. These pores are formed by a pair of adjacent cells that can open and close in response to a number of factors. These cells are called guard cells.

The cuticle and epidermis are layers of leaf structure, and do not correspond to specific cell types. The stoma is the name of a single pore itself, not its surrounding cells.

Example Question #2 : Understanding Plant Microstructures

What is the main structural component of a plant cell wall?

Possible Answers:

Collagen

Cellulose

Actin and myosin

Chitin

Peptidoglycan

Correct answer:

Cellulose

Explanation:

Cellulose, a polymer of glucose, is the main component of plant cell walls. 

Collagen is found in the connective tissues of animals. Chitin is found in the cell walls of fungi. Actin and myosin are the proteins responsible for contraction in muscle cells; actin is also a microfilament in the cytoskeleton. Peptidoglycan is found in the cell walls of bacteria.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors