Key learning points

1. Plants can be infected by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause diseases.
2. Pests, including insects, can damage plants by feeding on them, and can spread pathogens that cause diseases.
3. Plants have physical, chemical and mechanical defences against pathogens.
4. Examples of physical, chemical and mechanical defences in plants.
5. Ways to identify plant diseases and the pathogens that cause them.

Common misconception

Keywords

• Waxy cuticle - Waterproof coating on the surface of a leaf.

• Cell wall - Structure made of cellulose that surrounds plant cells.

• Antimicrobial - A substance that kills microorganisms or stops their growth.

• Microscopy - Use of a microscope to observe a specimen such as a microorganism.

• Antibody - Protein produced by white blood cells against a specific pathogen.