Plants and Their Adaptations What Vascular Plant Parts Do

Common Parts Roots, stems, and leaves are in all vascular plants no matter how large or small they are. Roots, stems, and leaves of plants allow them to live and grow because they are adapted to their environments

Roots Roots act as a plant anchor to keep the plant from falling over or blowing away Roots take in water and minerals through their root hairs and some store food Roots adapt to different environments Desert plants have roots that spread out but are close to the surface to take in lots of water when it rains Trees in the forest need deep roots because they have plenty of water Prop roots are tree roots that begin above the ground to keep trees from being blown over Fibrous roots look like little tree branches and form a thick tangled mat under the surface to help prevent erosion…they anchor the soil and well as the plant Taproots are single roots that reach water deep in the ground and store food Some roots in the rain forest attach right to the trees and take water from the moist air!

Storage Roots Since most plants can’t make food in the winter, some plants have storage roots. Some plants have storage roots to store more water Some plants story extra food and water in their stems Plants that have lots of extra food and water in their roots are eaten by people—beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips Root vegetables can taste sweet

Stems Hold the plant up Support the leaves so they will be in the sun Carry food and water to other parts of the plant Most stems grow upwards towards the sun Will bend to find the sun Some stems grow sideways and when it touches the ground a root and new plant will grow (strawberries, spider plant) Cactus stems store water Soft stemmed plants are usually small Stems bend Water in the stem holds the plant up Live for just one growing season Woody plants are large and need extra support Grow year after year Stems are stiff

Stems Xylem = tubes in plants the transport water and minerals Xylem move upward from the roots to the leaves Phloem = tubes that carry food Move the food in the leaves to other plants (roots, stems, and leaves) Flexible stemmed plants have xylem and phloem in bundles all throughout the stem Wood stemmed plants have xylem and phloem in rings with xylem towards the middle and phloem towards the outside Trunks get thicker as new xylem and phloem are formed More xylem is made each year Most of the tree thickness is xylem When xylem gets old, it can’t transport water When xylem will harden and become heartwood of the tree People use heartwood for lumber (houses and furniture

Leaves Most leaves are thin and flat to help make food Use water and minerals from the soil, carbon dioxide from the air, and energy from the sun to make food Waste is oxygen that is released into the air. Chlorophyll = helps plants use light energy to produce sugars and gives leaves their green color Leaves stop making chlorophyll in the fall which causes leaves to turn colors Food making takes place in the plant cell’s organelle called the chloroplast Xylem and phloem bring water and mineral to the chloroplast They also take sugars from them

Leaves Stomata are tiny holes in the leaves Carbon dioxide enters through stomata Oxygen and water leave through stomata Open wide during the day Closed at night Waxy outer layer of a leaf helps it conserve energy when it is really hot Venus’ flytrap catches its food because of the lack of nutrients in its soil The leaves shut and release chemicals to digest the insect Some leaves store food Onion leaves are actually the part that we eat