1. Plant Anatomy
Unit 1
Chapter 6
Lesson 1

2. The Importance of Plants
Without plants, life on earth could not exist
Plants are the primary source of food for humans and animals

3. The Importance of Plants cont.
Plants also:
Provide oxygen
Provide shade
Supply us with medicines
Renew the air
Slow down the wind
Hold soil in place
Are a home for wildlife
Furnish building materials and fuel

4. Parts of the Plant Most plants are made up of four basic parts: Leaves
Stems
Roots
Flowers (these later become fruit or seeds)

5. Roots Usually underground – not visible Functions:
Anchor the plant and hold it upright*
Absorb water and minerals from the soil & conduct them to the stem*
Store large quantities of plant food*
Propagate or reproduce in some plants
* = essential to all plants

6. Roots on the Inside Very similar to a stem
Older roots of shrubs & trees have:
Phloem on the outside (old phloem is bark)
Cambium layer
Xylem (wood) on the inside

8. Phloem
Carries manufactured food down to the root for food storage
Xylem
Carries water and minerals up to the stem

9. Roots on the Outside Different from a stem On a stem, the terminal bud
initiates growth
On a root,
the root cap
Root cap continuously makes new cells that protect the root as it pushes into the soil

10. Root External Structure
Behind the root cap are root hairs
Root hairs become side roots that branch out as the root grows older
Absorb moisture and minerals which are conducted up to the larger roots and the stem

11. Roots as Crops
Cash crops
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Sweet Potatoes

12. Root Propagation Plants with tuberous roots:
Dahlia
Peony
Sweet Potato
Are propagated by separating the root clump or by rooting spouts from the root

13. Types of Root Systems
Fibrous Root System vs. Tap Root System

14. Which root system is easier to transplant? Fibrous roots or tap roots?
Answer: Fibrous roots
Why?
Because when plants are dug up out of the ground, a greater % of the fibrous roots system is saved.

15. If a root loses to many root hairs while being transplanted, the plant will die.
Larger roots only conduct & store water, nutrients, and food
Root hairs absorb moisture from the ground

16. Important “Root”words
Root System
All of the root parts of a single plant collectively
Primary Root
First root sent from a germinating seed
Absorbs water and nutrients for growing seedling
Anchors seedling in the ground
Secondary Roots
Small branches that form off of the primary root

17. Important “Root”words
Root cap
Group of cells at the end of a root that protect it from the coarse soil as it pushes through to grow
Adventitious root
Roots that begin growth from a stem or leaf
Commonly found on corn plants
Basal rooter
Plants that will produce roots at the base of the stem when a cutting is taken

18. Important “Root”words
Root tuber
Enlarged food-storage root with adventitious shoots that develop
These shoots produce adventitious roots to produce a new plant