Growth in Organisms Flashcards

All 11 cards in this deck

How does growth occur in animals?

By cell division (mitosis) and differentiation.

What are the three processes by which plants grow?

Cell division, cell elongation and differentiation.

What is cell elongation?

When a plant cell gets longer, increasing the size of the plant.

Give two methods, other than measuring change in length, that show the growth of seedlings.

Measure the change in mass; look at the number/size of leaves (or the width of the seedling).

True or false? In animals, cell division happens all over the body, but in plants it is mainly limited to the meristems.

True. Plant cell division occurs in meristems at the tips of roots and shoots.

What is cell differentiation?

The process by which a cell becomes specialised to carry out a particular job.

Why is cell differentiation important in the development of an organism?

It produces specialised cells, so tissues and organs can carry out different functions efficiently.

State two uses of percentile charts.

To monitor height/growth over time; to compare the growth of an individual against the standard growth pattern.

On a height percentile chart, what does being on the 50th percentile mean?

50% of children of that age are shorter and 50% are taller.

True or false? A single reading on a percentile chart that is below the 50th percentile shows a child has a growth problem.

False. A possible problem is shown when a child's growth crosses percentile lines over time, not by one low reading.

What is growth?

An increase in the size or mass of an organism.