Plant Parts & their Functions
What does each part of the plant do?
The diagram below labels five important parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit.
Each of these parts have a very important function, or job, that keeps the plant alive.
- The roots soak up the water and nutrients from the ground
- The stem moves the water and nutrients from the roots up to the leaves, and also holds those leaves up.
- The leaves soak in the sunlight and air, and then use those plus the water and nutrients, to make sugar.
- The flower produces the seeds (what would happen if plants didn't produce seeds!?)
- The fruit protects the seeds and helps disperse, or spread, the seeds.
The diagram below labels five important parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit.
Each of these parts have a very important function, or job, that keeps the plant alive.
- The roots soak up the water and nutrients from the ground
- The stem moves the water and nutrients from the roots up to the leaves, and also holds those leaves up.
- The leaves soak in the sunlight and air, and then use those plus the water and nutrients, to make sugar.
- The flower produces the seeds (what would happen if plants didn't produce seeds!?)
- The fruit protects the seeds and helps disperse, or spread, the seeds.
What a minute... how does FRUIT spread seeds to other places?
Fruit is delicious right? Strawberries... yum! Watermelon, apples, pears... delicious!
Well, animals think so, too! When an animal, like a bear, eats an apple, he eats the whole thing (bears don't spit out the seeds)
When a bear eats seeds, a bear poops seeds! Where the bear poops the seeds is where that seed is going to grow.
That is how delicious fruit helps a plant disperse, or spread, its seeds.
Fruit is delicious right? Strawberries... yum! Watermelon, apples, pears... delicious!
Well, animals think so, too! When an animal, like a bear, eats an apple, he eats the whole thing (bears don't spit out the seeds)
When a bear eats seeds, a bear poops seeds! Where the bear poops the seeds is where that seed is going to grow.
That is how delicious fruit helps a plant disperse, or spread, its seeds.
A story of how seeds are spread by Bear.
This is an apple tree! Where are the seeds? In the apple if course!
|
"Yummm, apples! These look delicious. Nom... nom... nom..." says bear.
|
"I'm full! Time to walk back across the meadow and find a place to sleep," says bear.
|
The next day
"Hmm.. I've got a full belly and nature is calling. Time to use the bathroom," says bear. |
There are tons of apples seeds in bear's poop! I mean... bear's scat. I bet you an apple tree will grow here!
|
Other ways fruits help seeds travel:
(Remember, anything that covers the seed is a fruit, even if it's not delicious or juicy!)
EXTINCT! ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A PLANT?
What do plants need to survive? Water & Nutrients from the roots, and Air and Sunlight from the leaves! That's all you need to know to play Extinct! Are you Smarter than a Plant? Make as many seeds as possible and find out: Will you survive, or go extinct?
What do plants need to survive? Water & Nutrients from the roots, and Air and Sunlight from the leaves! That's all you need to know to play Extinct! Are you Smarter than a Plant? Make as many seeds as possible and find out: Will you survive, or go extinct?