Chapter 5: Plants and Fungi

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Explain how land plants evolved from aquatic green algae and adapted to life on land.
• Identify key terrestrial adaptations in plants, including the waxy cuticle, stomata, roots, gametangia, and alternation of generations.
• Compare the major plant groups—bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, and angiosperms—based on their structures and reproductive strategies.
• Describe the reproductive processes in each plant group using terms like spores, seeds, pollen, flowers, and fruits.
• Analyze how plant structures like roots, vascular tissue, and lignin support survival in different environments.
• Interpret how plant-pollinator interactions and seed dispersal strategies increase angiosperm success and diversity.