Content Strategy Manager
Gymnosperms or non-flowering plants have a wide range of economic importance as they act as a source of food, oil, timber, medicine, industrial resources and ornaments. Gymnosperm of species like pinus, cycas, chilgoza, ginko, etc is used as a staple food. Oils extracted from the seeds of gymnosperms are used to produce edible oils and perfumes. Seeds and stems of cycas revoluta are used to make wine. Apart from these, gymnosperms also possess wide medicinal and timber value. Gymnosperms provide wildlife with accommodation, and food and have a high importance for mankind. Economic importance of gymnosperms varies from them being a source of oil to having medicinal and ornamental value.
| Table of Contents |
Key Terms: Gymnosperms, non-flowering Plants, Plant species, Flowers, Seeds, Roots, Economic importance of Gymnosperms.
What are Gymnosperms?
[Click Here for Previous Year Questions]
Gymnosperm plants are also known as non-flowering plants.
- They include medium-sized and tall trees.
- Gymnosperms are a small and ancient group that consists of plants that produce ‘naked seeds’ (unprotected fruit seeds).
- Currently, there are more than 1000 gymnosperms species on Earth.
- The major difference between angiosperm plants and gymnosperm plants is that the plants that Angiosperms can bear flowers and gymnosperms can’t.
- Plants can be unisexual and bisexual in nature which implies that gymnosperm seeds are generally formed in unisexual cones called strobili.
- Gymnosperm plants are mostly shrubs and woody trees.
- Among gymnosperm plants, sequoia is the tallest tree species.
- The leaves are generally simple and compound.
- Some examples of gymnosperm plants are pines, cycads, ginkgo Biloba, conifers, etc.
Learn More About:
Importance of Gymnosperms
[Click Here for Previous Year Questions]
Gymnosperms are important as –
- Gymnosperms are a source of food and are used for producing various food products. Some of these plant species include cycas, pinus, ginko, etc.
- A few gymnosperms species are a good source of starch and is used to produce sago which is a major staple food for indigenous or lowland people.
- The different species of gymnosperms are used in the production of wine.
- Gymnosperms are used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce various medicines and treat various diseases and allergies such as cough, cold, bronchitis, etc.
- They are used as ornaments for decoration purposes such as fern.
- A genus of coniferous tree known as taxus is known for the drug taxol which is an anticancer drug.
- Economic Importance of gymnosperms also reflect in the hair products that they produce.
Read More: Difference Between Angiosperms and Gymnosperms
Economic Importance of Gymnosperms
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
Some of the significant economic importance of Gymnosperms include:
- Sources of food
- Sources of oil
- Sources of medicine
- Sources of timber
- Industrial source
- Ornamental uses
Read More: Difference between Auxin and Gibberellins
Therefore, there is significant economic importance of gymnosperms which can be described as follows:
Food Value
Gymnosperms are economically important as they are a good source of food. The seeds of gymnosperms are widely used as edible varieties of staple food.
- These types of plants include ginkgo, pinus, cycas, etc.
- Gymnosperms are also important sources of starch and are used in the production of sago.
- In some parts of America and near regions, the leaves of these species are immersed and eaten as green leafy vegetables.
- Various non-flowering plants are used in the production of wine and other food products.
Source of Oil
The oil extracted from the seeds of gymnosperms such as C. revoluta, macrozamia riedlei, pinus cembra, and Cephalotaxus drupacea is used as edible oils.
- Red cedar oil, extracted from the heart skin of Juniperus virginiana, is used to clean very small objects and oil-soaked lenses.
- Oils extracted from Cyptomeria, Cedrus deodara, Cupressus, japonica, and serum-Peruvians are used in perfume preparation.
Gymnosperms as a source of oil
Timber Value
Gymnosperm plants are economically important as they are a good source of timber which are are widely used in the making of furniture and for other construction purposes.
- The woods of these plants are softwood and hence, their durability is long-lasting.
- The largest timber-producing gymnosperm tree in the world is Agathis australis.
Medicinal Value
Gymnosperms are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for various medicines, which are used successfully to treat infectious diseases and other allergies including colds, coughs, asthma, respiratory congestion, etc.
- Taxus is a type of coniferous tree known as drug taxol.
- Taxus is an anti-cancer drug, which is used to treat various types of cancer and is made from the bark of the Taxus tree.
- Different kinds of cycas plants are used to treat many diseases and in the production of various products related to hair care, including shampoo, oil, lotion, etc.
Economic Importance of Gymnosperms in the medical industry
Industrial Value
There are a number of uses of gymnosperm plant for the industrial purpose also which are as follows -
- Cycas gum is used as an adjuvant, a remedy for snake bites, and the use of dangerous sores.
- Tannins extracted from the bark of Araucaria, Pinus, Sequoia, etc., are used in the leather industry.
- Turpentine is derived from abies balsamea and is used as a balm in organic preparation.
- Fossil resin is found in Pinus succinifera. The wood of pinus is used for doors, posts, beams, wagon flooring, etc.
- Plywood prepared from podocarpus.
- Papers such as newsletters, stationery items, and print are prepared from the wood pulp of Pinus, Picea, Abeis, Gnetum, etc.
- Cycad leaves are used to fix baskets, mats, hats, brooms, etc.
- Fibres found in the leaves of cycas and macrozamia are used to fix pillows and make mattresses.
Check Out:
Ornamental Value
Gymnosperms also have an ornamental value and are used in the industry as –
- Several species of Cycas are widely cultivated as garden plants and for decorative purposes.
- Ginkgo, the ‘virgin’ tree is planted as an ornamental plant in Chinese and Japanese temples and is worshipped.
- Thuja plicata, Biota Orientalis, and Juniperus species are cultivated as ornamental trees throughout India, especially in aviation.
- Pinus and Aurocaria species are also cultivated as ornamental plants in northern India.
- Other varieties of Gnetum and Ephedra are also cultivated as ornaments.
Ornaments from Gymnosperms
Download Notes on Gymnosperms:
Gymnosperms PDF
Other Uses of Gymnosperms
[Click Here for Previous Year Questions]
Some other uses of gymnosperms are:
- Various species of gymnosperms help to produce medicines to treat ulcers.
- They help in the production of the mounting medium that is used in laboratories for microscopic examination.
- Gum that is extracted from the cycas trees is used as an antidote for snake bites.
- The wood of gymnosperms is used in the production of paper.
- Cycads leaves are used in the production of handbaskets, hats, brooms, door and floor mats, and other eco-friendly products.
- As in the case of rosewood and teak, the wood that is obtained from stem, barks, and branches of pine trees are used to produce doors, beams, poles, flooring, railway wagon, etc.
Learn More About:
Things to Remember
- The gymnosperm plants are also known as non-flowering plants.
- Gymnosperm plants are economically important as they are a good source of timber which are are widely used in the making of furniture and for other construction purposes.
- Seeds of gymnosperms are used as edible varieties, which are used to produce various food products.
- Oils extracted from Cyptomeria, Cedrus deodara, Cupressus, japonica, and serum-Peruvians are used in perfume preparation.
- Cycas gum is used as an adjuvant, a remedy for snake bites, and the use of dangerous sores.
- Taxus is a type of coniferous tree known as drug taxol which is used to treat cancer.
Previous Year Questions
- The lack of fruit formation in gymnosperm is due to … [JIPMER 2003]
- Which part of Ephedra yields ephedrine? … [MU OET 2011]
- The seeds of Cycas are … [JIPMER 1999]
- Turpentine oil is obtained from … [JIPMER 2003]
- A gymnospermic leaf carries 16 chromosomes … [NEET 1996]
- Correct position of floral parts over thalamus in mustard plant … [NEET 2020]
- Gymnosperms are also called soft wood spermatophytes … [NEET 2012]
- In gymnosperms, the pollen chamber represents … [NEET 2007]
- In Pinus/Cycas/gymnosperms, the endosperm … [NEET 1998]
- Strobili or cones are found in … [NEET 2020]
- Which of the following statements is incorrect about gymnosperms … [NEET 2020]
- Which of the following gymnosperms is a bushy trailing shrub … [KEAM]
- A plant having seeds but lacking flowers and fruits belongs to… [NEET 1992]
- Which one of the following is not common between Funaria and Selaginella...[NEET 1992]
- The plant group that produces spores and embryo but lacks vascular tissues and seeds is...[NEET 1992]
- A plant in which sporophytic generation is represented by zygote is...[NEET 1992]
- Select the correct statement... [NEET 2016]
- Protonema occurs in the life cycle of... [NEET 1990]
- Moss peristome takes part in... [NEET 1990]
- The pyrenoids are made up of... [NEET 1995]
Sample Questions
Ques 1. Write a short note on the economic importance of gymnosperms. (5 marks)
Ans. Gymnosperms are used in a variety of ways:
- Their wood is used for construction, construction, and furniture.
- They are also a source of paper and medicines, perfumes, varnishes, oils as well edible nuts.
- Some gymnosperms are important for landscaping and horticulture.
- Moreover, certain drugs obtained from these plants treat severe ulcers.
- It is used in the medium mounting during microscopic testing in laboratories.
- Also, gum extracted from cycas trees is used as a remedy for snake bites.
Ques 2. Write a short note on pine wood. (3 marks)
Ans. Pinewood is the softest wood used in the world. Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine). P. caribaea, P. palustris, P. contorta, and P. densiflora are some of the commercial timber used for commercial purposes in America and Europe. Pinewood is widely used in India. It produces amber, durable and lightweight wood. It is used mainly in packing cases, construction work, cheap furniture, poles, train accommodations, truck, and bus chassis.
Ques 3. Briefly discuss the poisonous effect of the gymnosperm plant. (2 marks)
Ans. The pollen grains of Cycas circinalis have narcotic properties. Macrozamia leaves are toxic and can cause rickets if eaten by animals continuously. Eating too many ginkgo seeds can be deadly. Taxus baccata is used as a fish poison due to alkaloid poisoning. Gnetum montanum is used as a fish poison.
Ques 4. What are the characteristics of the gymnosperm plant? (2 marks)
Ans. Gymnosperm plants are naked. They are found in cold areas where it usually snows. They form needle-like leaves. These plants do not produce flowers. They are durable or woody, forming trees or shrubs. Thus, these are evergreen plants.
Ques 5. Do gymnosperms have a root system? (3 marks)
Ans. Gymnosperms have a well-developed vascular system of xylem and phloem and have real roots, stems, and leaves. Vascular tissue is much more efficient and efficient than in the vascular systems of seedless plants such as ferns and shrubs. They are usually woody plants. While in a few other species such as the Cycas plant, the roots are in the form of special roots called coralloid roots and are associated with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. These plants also are vascular, with both phloem and xylem.
Ques 6. What is the pollination process in gymnosperm plants? (2 marks)
Ans. In gymnosperms, pollen maturation involves the transfer of pollen from the male cone to the female cone. Pollen reaction takes place when the pollen from one tree is transferred to the pollen of either the same or different flowers on the same plant. This is the process of pollen germination in the gymnosperm plant.
Ques 7. Are the gymnosperms heterosporous or homosporous? (3 marks)
Ans. Gymnosperms are able to produce both male and female cones. This means that both the gametes needed for fertilization are present, making these groups of plants heterosporous. All gymnosperms are heterosporous. Male and female reproductive organs can form with cones or strobili. Male and female sporangia are produced on a single plant, defined as monoecious (‘single home’ or male and female), or in separate plants, called dioecious plants (‘two homes’ or single).
Ques 8. What is integument? (2 marks)
Ans. The covering outside an ovule in a Gymnosperm is known as integument. It consists of a tiny hole at one end which allows germination of pollen grains that are further carried to female gametophyte through water and air.
Ques 9. What is the role of megasporangium tissue? (2 marks)
Ans. After fertilization, zygote develops in an embryo and the megasporangium tissue acts to provide nutrition for the embryo development.
Apart from providing nutrition, megasporangium tissue also plays a important role in the development of the female gametophyte.
Ques 10. What are gymnosperms and angiosperms together called? (1 mark)
Ans. Gymnosperms means naked seeds and Angiosperms means covered seeds. Together they both are known as Spermatophyta where Spermae refers to seeds and phyta is plants.
Ques 11. Where does gymnosperm grow? (2 marks)
Ans. Gymnosperms are often found in boreal forest biomes and temperate forest. Some of the common types of gymnosperms are conifers, ginkgoes, cycads, and gnetophytes.
Ques 12. What type of roots do gymnosperms have? (1 mark)
Ans. The root system that is present in the gymnosperms is known as the taproot system. In some plants, these roots form mycorrhiza, for example – Pinus.
Ques 13. What is the function of gymnosperms? (2 marks)
Ans. Gymnosperms have major economic importance. Pine, spruce, fir, and cedar are examples of conifers that are used for production of paper, lumber, and resin. They are also used to produce soap, varnish, nail polish, food, and perfumes.
Ques 14. What is the difference between Pteridophytes and gymnosperms? (1 mark)
Ans. Gymnosperms are plants with seed known as spermatophytes, while pteridophytes have no seeds.
Ques 15. What is the difference between angiosperms and gymnosperms? (2 marks)
Ans. Angiosperms are flowering plants that have their seeds enclosed within their fruit.
Gymnosperms have no fruits or flowers and have naked seeds on their leaves’ surface.
Also Check:
Comments