Plants: Roots, Stems, Leaves Students will be able to describe the aspects of roots, stems, and leaves and their impact on our daily lives.

Plants Plants and Animals interact on a daily basis. Plants are used by animals for food. Plants are used to make the oxygen necessary for animals to breathe. Plants are different from animals, however their cells do contain a nucleus.

Plants: The Root The root is a very important part of the plant and it has the following functions: 1)To help grip the plant to the soil. 2)To absorb water and minerals from the soil. 3)To store food. 4)To propagate or make new plants.

Plants: The Roots The typical root has four parts: 1)Primary root- Grows downward and is the thickest. 2)Secondary root- Connected to the primary root, they are smaller and grow to the side. 3)Root cap- Protects the root and allows it to “drill” through the soil.

Plants: The Roots 4) Root hairs- absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Some of the food we eat are plant roots- –Potatoes –Carrots –Onions –Beets

Plants: The Stem The stem has two primary functions: 1)Maintain the flowers and leaves at a certain distance from the soil. 2)Carry the nutrients and water.

Plants: The Stem The stem has several different parts: 1)Main stem- The most important stem, it is the stem that is most easily identified (trunk of a tree). 2)Secondary stem- Smalls stems that grow from the main stem (tree branches). 3)Nodes- Bulges in the stems were leaves grow.

Plants: The Stem Internodes- Spaces between the nodes. We do eat plant stems: –Celery –Asparagus –Sugar Cane

Plants: The Buds Buds are responsible for plant growth. Buds can either be new stems, leaves, or flowers. Buds are three parts: 1)Main terminal bud- The bud in charge of the upward growth of the plant. 2)Secondary terminal buds- Come from secondary stems, they make the secondary stems grow.

Plants: The Buds 3) Lateral buds- Are on the stem nodes, leaves and flowers grown from them. We do eat buds from plants- –Artichokes –Cabbage

Plants: The Leaves The leaves are probably the most important aspect of the plant, because they are in charge of photosynthesis. There are many different sizes and shapes of leaves but leaves tend to have the same parts.

Plants: The Leaves 1) The Blade- The expanded part of the leaf. When people think of a leaf or draw a leaf it is usually the blade. –Veins- Wrinkles or pipes in the leaves, the central vein is called the midrib. 2) The Petiole- Connects the stem to the blade. Not every leaf has a petiole and are called stalkless.

Plants: The Seeds Seeds are necessary for some plants to reproduce. Each seed has several parts: 1)Embryo- the little plant 2)Endosperm- food supply in the seed 3)Seed Coat- outer layer of the seed

Gymnosperms Gymnosperms (“naked seed”)- cone bearing plants are gymnosperms. Pinophyta - Conifers Ginkgophyta - Ginkgo Cycadophyta - Cycads Gnetophyta - Gnetum, Ephedra, Welwitschia

Angiosperms Plants that produce flowers or fruits are called angiosperms (“flowering plants”). Most species on the planet are angiosperms.

Plants: The Seeds We do eat the seeds or fruits of plants- –Apples –Oranges –Beans –Grains –Nuts –Spices