A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Agronomy
The science of soil management and production of field crops.
Amino acid
Amino acids are the basic structural units of protein. They are organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes phosphorus and sulfur.
Anatomy
The science dealing with the structure of animals and plants.
Apical bud
The growing point at the apex (tip) of a shoot or root.
Axil
The space between a leaf or branch and the stem to which it is attached.
Biochemical
The chemistry of living matter.
Carbohydrates
Organic compounds consisting mainly of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that form the supporting tissues of plants and are important food for animals and man. Sugars, starch, and cellulose are all important plant carbohydrates.
Cellular level
The position in a range of relative levels of biological organization that relates to cells of the plant.
Cellulose
An inert carbohydrate that is the main constituent of plant cell walls, wood, cotton fibers, and paper.
Combining
To harvest crops using a combine harvester.
Conditioning plant
The factility used to clean seed and prepare it for market.
Cotyledon
The primary leaf of the embryo of seed plants.
Cotyledonary node
Plant node at the cotyledon(s).
Dicotyledon
A plant producing seeds with two cotyledons.
Dormancy
A physical or physiological condition of a viable seed that prevents germination even in the presence of otherwise favorable germination conditions.
Ecosystems
A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.
Embryo
The young plant contained in a plant seed. It consists of the radicle, which grows to become the first plant root, and the plumule, which becomes the plant shoot.
Emergence
The act or process of coming out of the ground and appearing above the soil surface.
Enzymatic
Pertaining to an enzyme.
Enzyme
Any of various complex organic substances originating from living cells that is capable of producing certain chemical changes in organic substances.
Epicotyl
The part of the stem above the cotyledons.
Epidermis
A thin layer of cells forming the outer covering of plant stems and leaves.
Evaporate
To give of moisture.
Evaporation
The act or process of evaporating.
Fats
Solid or liquid organic molecules consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents such as ether.
Fatty acid
Fungi
Single-celled or multicellular organisms without chlorophyll that reproduce by spores and live by absorbing nutrients from organic matter.
Forestry
The science of planting and taking care of forests.
Germination
The resumption of active growth by a seed resulting in the development of a young plant.
Gradient
A measure of change in a physical quantity such as temperature, pressure, or concentration over a specified distance.
Guard cells
Two cells in the epidermis of plants that flank a stomate and allow it to open and close.
Habitat
The natural conditions and environment, for example, forest, desert, or wetlands, in which a plant lives.
Heavy soils
Soils that require a greater relative amount of power to till. More energy is required for seedlings to penetrate these soils relative to light soils.
Hormones
A nonnutrient substance synthesized by plants that regulates growth and development.
Hypochlorite
A salt or ester of hypochlorous acid. Hypochlorous acid is a weak unstable greenish-yellow acid that occurs only in solution or in its salts, formed when chlorine dissolves in water. It is commonly used in bleach and disinfectants. HOCl
Hypocotyl
That part of the stem below the cotyledons.
Imbibe
To absorb or soak up.
Lateral buds
Growing points located at the sides of the stem, usually in the leaf axils.
Life cycle
The series of changes of form and activity that a living organism undergoes from its beginning through its development to sexual maturity.
Light soils
Soils that require relatively less power to till. Less energy is required for seedlings to penetrate these soils than heavy soils.
Longitudinal
Going from top to bottom.
Maturity
Full growth or development; the state or condition of being full grown or developed.
Mesocotyl
The mesocotyl is a tubular, white, stemlike tissue connecting the seed and the base of the coleoptile in some cereal crops. It elongates upon germination in corn and oats elevating the coleoptile towards the soil surface. It is technically the first internode of the stem.
Metabolic
Relating to or typical of metabolism.
Metabolism
The ongoing interconnected series of chemical reactions taking place in living organisms that provide the energy and nutrients needed to sustain life.
Microorganism
A tiny organism such as a virus, protozoan, or bacterium that can only be seen under a microscope.
Molecular level
The position in a range of relative levels of biological organization that relates to molecules.
Monocotyledon
Plant with a single seed leaf (cotyledon). Monocotyledons include grasses and lilies.Niche
The role of an organism within its natural environment that determines its relations with other organisms and ensures its survival.
Node
The place on a plant stem where a leaf is attached or has been attached.
Optimum planting depth
The planting depth producing the greatest amount of live seedlings that will survive to become mature plants.
Photosynthesis
A process by which green plants and other organisms produce simple carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, using energy that chlorophyll or other organic cellular pigments absorb from radiant sources.
Physiological
Relating to the way that living things function, rather than to their shape or structure.
Plant pathology
The science or the study of the origin, nature, and course of plant diseases.
Plant population
A group of several plants growing together in one place and quantified as the number of plants in a given area. i.e. plants per acre. Often used interchangeably with stand density.
Plant science
The scientific study of plants.
Plant-community level
The position in a range of relative levels of biological organization that relates to how all the plants in the same area interact with one another.
Plumule
The rudimentary primary shoot of a plant embryo.
Prolific seed producing capacity
The ability to produce large amounts of seed.
Protein
A complex natural substance that has a high molecular weight and a globular or fibrous structure composed of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Proteins are essential to the structure and function of all living cells and viruses.
Radicle
Embryonic root. The part of a plant embryo that forms the root of the young plant.
Rudimentary
Existing at an elementary or basic level. Biological use - in an embryonic state.Simple sugars
Monosaccarhides. A simple sugar, such as glucose or fructose, that cannot be broken down into simpler sugars.
Species
A taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a genus. It is a basic biological classification containing individuals that resemble one another and that may interbreed.
Stand
A group of several plants growing together in one place.
Stomate
A tiny pore in the outer layer ( epidermis ) of a plant leaf or stem that controls the passing of water vapor and other gases into and out of the plant.
Taxonomy
The science of classifying plants, animals, and microorganisms into increasingly broader categories based on shared features. Traditionally, organisms were grouped by physical resemblances, but in recent times other criteria such as genetic matching have also been used.
Testa
The protective covering of a seed from a flowering plant.
Transpiration
To lose water vapor from a plant's surface, especially through the stomates.
Vapor
The gaseous state of a liquid or solid at a temperature below its boiling point.
Viable
Able to grow. Able to germinate and develop normally.
Weed scientists
Scientists who study plants that interfere with human activities, such as food production and recreation.
Whole-plant level
The position in a range of relative levels of biological organization that relates to how the growth and development of a plant reacts to its environment.
Xylem
Plant tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals from the roots through the stem and leaves. It also helps to support the plant and is the main constituent of wood.