Chapter 1: Plants Inside and Out Investigation 1: What are the parts of a flowering plant?

What kinds of plant roots have you seen in a grocery store?

Roots Roots are the underground foundation of a plant. Roots keep the plant anchored in the soil and absorbs water and minerals, which then travel to all the parts of the plant. The 4 main parts of a flowering plant are roots, stems, leaves and flowers.

Fibrous Roots Very thin same-sized roots that spread through the soil in many directions. It can have up to 14 million roots. They grow downward and outward from the stem. Fibrous roots are shallow and absorb surface water. Examples: Grass and lilies.

Taproots One large main root. Smaller lateral roots spread in all directions from the main taproot. At their ends are fine root hairs that absorb water and minerals. Taproots make a plant hard to pull from the ground. They grow deep into the ground. Examples: Dandelion, carrots, beets and radishes.

Fibrous Root and Taproot

Inside a Root Epidermis-covers root. Cortex- connects the epidermis with the inner core. Xylem cells- connecting tubes that carry water and minerals from the soil upward. Phloem cells- tubes that carry nutrients from the leaves, through the stem and down to the root. Root hairs- take in water and minerals. Root cap- pushes the root through the soil.

What functions do stems carry out in plants?

Stems Stem- Part of a plant that connects its roots and its leaves. It is a main support for the plant above the ground. The job of the stem is to hold up a plant’s leaves and flowers. Stems move in the direction of light, allowing leaves to pick up light needed for photosynthesis. Stems contain a transport system for carrying water and minerals upward and sugars downward. Some stems store large quantities of water to sustain plants during dry periods. -cactus There are 2 types of plants: woody and nonwoody.

What is the function of bark on woody stems?

Bark protects the stem tissue from drying out From invasion by insect pests and fungi From mechanical damage by winds and gnawing animals

Woody Plants Plants that produce wood as its structural tissue. A woody plant such as a tree, can live for hundreds or thousands of years. Examples: oaks, basswoods, maples and roses.

Non woody Plants Plants that have leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. Examples: marigolds, buttercups and beans. Annuals & perennials

Transport in Stems Inside stems are tubelike cells that carry water up from the roots and face down from the leaves. One kind of tubelike cells forms a tissue called xylem. Another group of tubelike cells forms a tissue called phloem. The xylem and phloem cells group together to form the transport system of a plant.

What do we know about leaves?

Why do leaves change color?

The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible. At the same time other chemical changes may occur, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments. We have less sunlight on trees during the fall and winter. Trees respond to the decreasing of sunlight by producing less chlorophyll. Trees eventually stop producing chlorophyll and the orange and yellow pigments start to show.

Leaves Leaves- Plant part that grows out of the stem, is the food making factory of a plant. Sunlight is an essential part of the process of photosynthesis, or food making in plants. Without chlorophyll in leaves, trees wouldn’t be able to use sunlight to produce food.

Process of Photosynthesis It begins with plants absorbing sunlight. Intercepting the light is a green pigment in the leaves called chlorophyll, which is found in tiny structures called chloroplasts. The chloroplasts convert the Sun’s light energy into chemical energy that is stored, usually as starch. Using the starch as fuel, a plant can grow and develop. Photosynthesis takes place in the two middle layers of cells.

Parts of a Leaf Veins- Form the transport system of the leaf. Water enters the leaf through the veins. Blade- The broad, flat part of a leaf. Broad Leaf- Plants such as maple and oak are called broad-leaved trees and have broad, flat leaves. Petiole- An extension of the xylem and phloem tubes of the stem. Needled leaves- Plants such as pine, spruce, and fir have leaves shaped to reduce water loss.

Needle Leaves Broad Leaf

Inside a Leaf A leaf is thin, but it’s crammed with cells. If you cut across a leaf, you will find several layers of cells. The cells are designed for food making. Photosynthesis takes place in the two middle layers of cells. Top and bottom layers protect the leaf and keep it from drying out. Another function of the bottom layer is to allow for the exchange of gases needed in food making. A leaf also contains many veins, which allow for the transport of water and manufactured food. Also made up of the petiole.

Cell Layers Upper Epidermis- Cell layer that protects the leaf from drying out. Palisade Layer- Columnlike cells where food making occurs. Spongy Layer- Loosely-packed cells where food making occurs and where veins are located. Vein- Bundle of cells that contain xylem cells for the transport of water and phloem cells for the transport of sugar and other nutrients. Lower Epidermis- Cell layer that protects the leaf and allows for the exchange of gases.

Last part: Flowers

How do you think brightly colored flowers help a plant?

Color attracts insects or birds to flowers, these creatures carry pollen to other plants. Bee’s and hummingbird’s carry pollen. Pollen grains are sticky, so they would stick to the bee’s body and the hummingbird’s head.

The most colorful part of a plant is its flower. Flower- The reproductive part of a flowering plant. Inside the flower is where the seeds are produced. Some plants, sunflowers, have big showy flower heads. Other plants, grasses, have tiny green flowers that you hardly notice. Flowers come in all shapes and sizes and in a great variety and range of colors.

Looking Inside a Flower The flowers beauty is an adaptive feature: it draws animals toward the plant, encouraging them to dip into the flower to draw out the sweet nectar. When the animals remove the nectar, they also remove pollen. The pollen grains are then carried to the next flower, which pollinates the flower. Pollination starts the process of seed production.

Parts Inside a Flower Petals- The often colorful showy parts of a flower. Flower stalk- The flower stalk holds up the flower. Pistil- The female part of the flower, which is made up of the stigma, style, and ovary. Stamen- The male part of the flower, which is made up of the anther and the filament.

What types of plant foods do we eat?

Plants provide many essential parts of your life, from the house you live in to the furniture you sit on, from the foods you eat to the clothes you wear. Even medicines are made from plants. Some breakfast foods come from plants that originally grew in different parts of the world. When people traveled or moved to new lands, they took seeds for their crops with them. Over time, crops that were grown and used by people in one part of the world came to be grown in more distant places. Corn, wheat, potato, coffee, tea, rice. Did you eat corn flakes today?

What did you eat for breakfast today?

Plants in Our Lives Corn was first grown in South and Central America. By the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayas. Wheat was brought from the Mediterranean region. Potato was first grown in South America. Coffee was made in Africa. Tea was used in China as far back as the third century. Rice was first grown in Southeast Asia.

Wheat stalks contain grains of wheat that are processed into the flour used to make loaves of bread. Rice plants are harvested from paddies and processed to remove the grains of rice used in cooking rice. Spinach is an edible leaf, just like lettuce and cabbage. Carrots, radishes, and beets are commonly eaten roots. Artichoke is really the flower of a plant. Peas or beans are seeds of a plant. Cinnamon, what you might eat on toast, comes from the bark of a laurel tree. Cotton plant is made to make cotton fabric in clothes you wear.

Spinach Leaf Wheat Stalks Cotton Plant Rice Plants Cinnamon Leaf Artichoke Plant

Videos https://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/seedplants/ https://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/photosynthesis/ https://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/plantgrowth/