19 The Wonderful World of Plants-High

The Wonderful World of Plants Written by Ron Fridell

Introduction Imagine a family is going out for dinner. The kids put on clean clothes and get ready to leave. At the restaurant, Mom parks the car under a large shade tree. The family walks across a grassy lawn to the entrance. Everyone sits down at a wooden table. They read from a paper menu. Their chicken dinners come with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. They share apple pie for dessert. Dad takes their leftovers home in a cardboard box. Think about the clothes, tree, lawn, table, chairs, menu, foods, and boxes. What do they all have in common? They are all examples of— or products that come from— plants! Even the chicken relies on plants. In your life, you see plants almost everywhere and use plants in countless ways.

In this book, you will learn what plants need in order to survive, how they make their own food, and how they make more plants. You'll also learn about how animals and plants depend on each other. Plants are very important living things. In fact, you could not survive without plants!

The Parts of a Plant You have probably learned that most plants have the same basic parts. Each of these parts helps the plant get the things it needs to survive: water, air, minerals, and light. The roots of a plant have several important jobs. In most plants, roots act as an anchor to hold the plant in place and help keep it upright. Roots also absorb water and minerals, which plants need in order to live and grow. Finally, roots store some of the food that plants make. Roots usually grow downward into the soil. In the soil, roots absorb water and minerals. Plants cannot survive without water. Minerals are the nutrients that help plants grow and stay healthy. Wowser! Some roots must grow very deep to reach water. Mesquite shrubs in the desert can send roots as far down as 50 meters (164 ft.).

The stems are important for a few reasons. In most plants, stems that support the leaves grow toward the Sun and help the plant absorb the sunlight it needs to survive. The stem also transports water and minerals from the roots to other parts of the plant. Finally, like roots, stems can store food and water for the plant. Do You Know? The stems of some plants are long, like the trunk and branches of a tree. Some plants have stems that creep along the ground, such as the vines of a strawberry, cucumber, melon, or pumpkin plant. The stems of some plants, such as white potatoes and tulip bulbs, are underground.

Leaves are another important plant part. Leaves are where plants make most of their food. Leaves also get rid of the waste products made during the food-making process. Leaves grow above the ground because that's where the light is that plants need to make food. Leaves are usually flat, which helps them catch as much sunlight as possible. Try This Botanists (plant scientists) describe leaves in many ways. Are the edges smooth, wavy, or toothed like a saw? Is the tip pointy, rounded, or dented? Is the surface smooth, rough, bumpy, hairy, sticky, or waxy? Does light pass through the leaf? Gather some leaves and compare their many features.