Plants are found almost everywhere on planet Earth. They grow in water and in deserts, on mountains and in valleys. They also range in size, from seedlings to redwood trees. In this article, we will be covering parts of a plant.
Plants are also important for other life on Earth, with all of the foods we eat coming from plants. We eat plants directly, and we also eat animals that consume plants. Plants are also important for converting the carbon dioxide that we breathe out and converting it into oxygen that is required for us to breathe. Some plants are useful for providing medicines, such as willow trees and aloe vera.
Pretty much every plant has the same basic parts, although they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
Vital Parts of a Plant
1. Roots
The root system of a plant helps to anchor it into the soil. This part of the plant helps the plant absorb its water and nutrients that are utilized by the rest of the plant. In many plants, the root system is also used for storing sugars and other carbohydrates, which the plant uses for its proper function.
There are two types of root systems in plants, the taproot system and a fibrous root system. An example of a taproot is a carrot, while grasses and onions are known for having a fibrous root system.
2. Stems
Stems come in a range of sizes and thicknesses. They support the part of the plant above the ground, and stems also act as a transport system, moving water, starches, and other nutrients for the plant to utilize. In some plants, photosynthesis can occur in the plant’s stem, such as in cacti and bananas.
There are two major types of cells located within the stem. Xylem cells are used for transporting water throughout the plant, while phloem cells move food throughout the plant, such as taking it to be stored in the root system.
Leaves joint onto the stems at a point known as the node, with the area between the stem and each leaf called the internode. Leaves are covered by a waxy coat, a cuticle, which helps to protect the leaf. Each leaf also has veins that carry nutrients and water throughout the leaf and to the stem for transport elsewhere in the plant.
3. Leaves
For most plants, the leaves are the location in the plant where the majority or all of photosynthesis occurs. A pigment in the leaves known as chlorophyll produces the green color we associate with most leaves. It absorbs light energy and turns water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and food for the plant.
Leaves, like the other parts of the plant, come in different shapes and sizes. Some are simple, with a single leaf blade attached to the stem through a part known as a petiole. Others are compound leaves, with multiple leaflets attached to the stem by a petiole.
4. Flowers
Flowers are used by many people as gifts and decorations. They often contain showy petals and a pleasing fragrance to attract animals and insects to help pollinate it. They are the reproductive parts of each plant.
Flowers can be divided into several main parts, including the petals, the sepals, the stamen, and the pistil. The stamen can be further divided into the male parts of the plant, the anther and filament, as well as the female parts of the plant, the style, stigma, and ovary.
Once a flower has been pollinated and successfully fertilized, they produce seeds, a process which takes place in the ovary of the flower. To do this, pollen lands on the stigma and enters the ovary by growing a tube down the style. The ovary then becomes the fruit that protects the seed or seeds.
5. Fruits
Fruits surround the seeds of the plant. They are often fleshy and can be very flavorful, although some develop into dry, hard objects. In addition to protecting the seeds, they attract different animals to eat them in many cases. This helps to disperse seeds over a wide area. Some fruits, such as those of the maple tree, are designed to help the seeds disperse on their own, without relying on an animal to move them around.
6. Seeds
Seeds are the part of a plant that can potentially develop into another plant, under the right conditions. It is also known as an embryo. Seeds have either one or two cotyledons, which are food for the plant until it gets big enough to make its own foodstuffs by having leaves develop. The seeds are also generally covered with a protective layer known as the seed coat.
Even though there are millions of different kinds of plants, they have the same basic parts. These allow the plants to live and thrive, and they also provide us and other animals with habitats, shelter, and food. Next time you go outside, take a look at the plants around you and see if you can identify the parts!
I hope that you found this article on the important parts of the plant to be useful. If you are interested, visit the health facts page!
