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Flora – Bacteria and Viruses

How many species of plants are there?

Today, scientists know about 320,000 to 500,000 different species of plants, but they estimate that this number is much higher. Many of the well-known trees and flowers come from Asia, while other plant species thrive in tropical rain forests. Some plants have adapted to live in or under water, while others have adapted to live in desert areas. Algae, lichens and mosses also belong to the plant kingdom.

How do we differentiate plant species?

Previously, scientists differentiated plants mainly by their appearance. Today, plants are classified according to their evolution, that is, on the basis that all members of a group must have shared a common ancestor more recently than with any species outside the group. Thus, plants are broadly classified into those that contain chlorophyll (the green plants) and those that do not. Green plants include green algae and land plants, which grow toward the light against Earth’s gravity. Land plants include mosses, vascular plants such as ferns and horsetails, and seed plants. These also include conifers (gymnosperms) and flowering plants (angiosperms).

What is the difference between trees and shrubs?

The main difference between trees and shrubs is their size. Trees are much taller than shrubs, and their root balls (root systems with attached soil that support tree health) are also larger. Unlike the thin, flexible stems or stems of shrubs, trees have thick stems to support the load of larger, heavier leaves, branches, and fruit. Because trees are taller, they need to transport water from the ground much higher than bushes. This is done by several thin, hair-like tubes on the stem and branches.

Why should lichens be protected?

Lichens are unusual. They have no roots or leaves and live in association with a fungus that stores water and nutrients. Many lichens grow in inhospitable terrain; for example, in the rocky highlands and the cold Arctic. They also grow on the walls of houses in big cities. The growth rate of lichens is very slow: some species grow less than a millimeter in a year. If you step on them, you can destroy in seconds a plant that took hundreds of years to grow. Since lichens are very sensitive to air pollution, they are often used as pollution indicators. The cleaner the air, the more lichens will grow.

Are bacteria and viruses animals or plants?

Bacteria are unicellular organisms without a cell nucleus. Viruses are just nucleic acid molecules in a protein shell. They belong neither to animals, which are multicellular organisms, nor to plants, which always have a cell nucleus. While most viruses make humans, animals, and plants sick, many bacteria are good for humans. For example, bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract aid in digestion, while others such as salmonella cause illness.

What are algae?

Algae are living organisms similar to plants. They live in the seas, fresh water or moist land areas. They range from tiny single-celled organisms, which can only be seen with a microscope, to larger plant-like plankton, used as food by blue whales or flamingos. Large leaf-like algae, known as “kelp”, grow extensively in shallow water to form dense underwater forests.

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