GETTING STARTED - What is Photosynthesis?, Where Does Photosynthesis Happen?, Plant Cells, Respiration, Starch, Why Do Plants Need Energy?

The Sun is the source for all life on Earth. It gives out huge amounts of energy as light and heat. This energy travels across space to Earth. Here it is used by both plants and animals. Plants, in particular, make good use of sunlight. A plant's leaves trap the energy from the Sun. They use it to make food. Plants in turn supply animals with food. Some animals eat the plants. Some eat the…

4 minute read

WATER FOR LIFE - Water Storage, How Do Plants Get Water?, How Do Plants Lose Water?

Plants are 90 percent water. They need water for photosynthesis to take place. If plants do not get enough water, photosynthesis slows down. Water also keeps a plant's leaves and stems from drooping. The leaves of pond plants spread out on the water's surface. The roots beneath them can get plenty of water. Plants store water in sacs, called vacuoles, in their cells. When the…

4 minute read

SOIL FOR LIFE - Nitrates, Phosphorus, Potassium, How Do Plants Obtain Minerals?, Helping Soil and Plants

Plants make most of their food by photosynthesis. But they also need minerals to be healthy. Plants cannot make minerals. They get them from the soil. Some of the minerals they need include the following: Nitrates provide nitrogen. Nitrogen helps plants grow. All living cells contain nitrogen. Nitrogen is also part of chlorophyll, the pigment that traps sunlight. No nitrogen means no photosynthes…

2 minute read

PLANT TRANSPORT - Xylem, Phloem, Roots and Stems

Plants have tubes that run through their stems and roots. These tubes carry water, minerals, and sugars. There are two types of tubes: xylem and phloem. The xylem and phloem connect the top and bottom of the plant. Each has its own job. Xylem are strong, thick tubes. They carry water and minerals from the plant's roots to its leaves. Water and minerals must reach the leaves. There they wil…

1 minute read

REPRODUCTION - Stamen, Carpel, Petals, Sepals, What Is Pollination?, Animal-Pollinated Plants, Wind-Pollinated Plants

Flowers come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. They are a plant's reproductive organs. They usually contain both male and female sex organs. Some major parts are shown below. Look inside a real flower and try to match all of the parts inside it with the picture here. Not all flowers look the same, but most of them contain the same parts. It is harder to find each part in a plan…

3 minute read

ALL ABOUT SEEDS - How Do Seeds Find a Good Place to Grow?, 1. Wind Dispersal

After the seeds have formed, the petals drop off. The flower dies. The ovary becomes a fruit. The seeds are inside the fruit. Some fruits can be soft and juicy. Others are hard and tough. The flesh of an apple is the ovary. Nuts have hard, tough ovaries. Sometimes, seeds do not form inside fruits. Strawberries have seeds covering the outside. The pollen fertilizes the egg (left). The ovary fo…

4 minute read

PLANT SURVIVAL - How Do Plants Adapt?, How Do Plants Survive Extreme Conditions?, Deserts, Rainforests

Our planet has about 260,000 species, or types, of plants. They are found all over the place: your backyard, the rainforests, the deserts, and the poles. Plants cannot move from place to place the way animals can. That is why it is important that they are in the right environment. For example, a cactus would not grow very well at the South Pole. Sunflowers only grow well where the weather is …

2 minute read

PLANTS AND OUR PLANET - What is Global Warming?, What is Climate Change?, Why is Climate Change a Problem?

Around planet Earth is a layer of gases. This is the atmosphere. It contains nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide acts like a blanket. It traps the Sun's heat. This is the natural greenhouse effect. We need this to survive on Earth. The greenhouse effect. Some heat escapes back into space, but some is trapped in the atmosphere. Among Earth's resources are t…

2 minute read

GLOSSARY

atmosphere (AT muhss fihr) — the layer of gases that surrounds Earth carpel (KAR puhl) — the female part of a flower cell (sel) — the tiny structure from which all living things are made chlorophyll (KLOR uh fil) — the green matter in plants deficiency (di FISH uhn see) — lacking in something dispersal (diss PURSS uhl) — when something spreads over an are…

2 minute read

FURTHER INFORMATION - Books, Websites to visit

Photosynthesis And Respiration. William G. Hopkins. Chelsea House Publications, 2006. Science with Plants. Helen Edom. Usborne Books, 2007. Time for Kids: Plants! Editors of TIME for Kids. HarperTrophy, 2006. Understanding Photosynthesis With Max Axiom, Super Scientist. Liam O'Donnell. Capstone Press, 2007. http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_main.html Information about the classifica…

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