Plants and Fungi: Multicelled Life »

Cells are life's building blocks. A cell cannot be seen without a microscope, yet this tiny chemical package holds all the ingredients of life. All living things are made up of millions and millions of cells working together. This revised and updated edition of the Cells & Life series explores all aspects of cells, including brief overviews of important scientific achievements in the field.

Plants and Fungi examines how cells work together to form the huge range of plants and fungi we see around us. It looks at the typical structure of a plant cell, and points out the ways in which this differs from a typical animal cell. It shows how plant cells have become specialized so that they can carry out different jobs, from photosynthesis to reproduction. This book also looks at the differences between plants and fungi, and how fungi and algae can work together to form lichens.

Different Cells for Different Jobs     4
Plant Cells     6
The Plant Body     8
Plant Tissues     10
Vascular Tissues     12
The Epidermis     14
Stems     16
Looking at Leaves     18
Inside the Food Factory     20
Photosynthesis     22
Leaf Specializations     24
Roots     26
A New Generation     28
Sexual Reproduction     30
Pollination and Fertilization     32
Seeds and Germination     34
Spores and Cones     36
Fungi     38
Spores, More Spores, and Buds     40
Fungal Partnerships     42
The Plant Kingdom     44
Glossary     45
Further Reading and Websites     47
Index     48