Chapter: Plants

Petals ( flower)

leaf

stem

Figure 1.Parts of plants.

Plants play very important role on earth. They are also known as green
lungs .They provide food and oxygen to all other living things. Plants are
seen almost everywhere. They grow on land, on mountains, in deserts and
under sea. We know plants grow mostly from seeds when they get enough
water, sunlight and air.

The plant body consists of two systems

THE ROOT SYSTEM THE SHOOT SYSTEM

(Usually underground) (Usually above the ground)

TAP ROOT FIBROUS ROOT

Tap Roots- It consists of one main long thick root growing

downwards from which many thinner roots develop. Taproot goes
deep into the soil for searching for water and minerals.
Fibrous Roots- In case of fibrous root there is no main root. It
consists of a dense equal size roots that arise from the stem. The
roots grow downward and outward from the stem, branching
repeatedly to form a mass of fine roots.
Figure2. Types of roots.

FOOD FOR PLANTS: A plant takes in water from soil and carbon
dioxide from the air. In the presence of sunlight, green leaves
change air and water into food in the form of starch. Sunlight
provides energy to these leaves to prepare food. Hence, water,
carbon dioxide, chlorophyll and sunlight are needed by leaves to
prepare food. The process is known as PHOTOSYNTHESIS ( photo
means ‘light’ and synthesis means putting together.)--- sunlight is
required to put water and carbon dioxide together to prepare
food(glucose- which is stored as starch) and give oxygen.

Figure 3.Photosynthesis.

PARTS OF A LEAF
 Main vein ( mid rib)
 Side vein
 Blade
 Tip (apex)
 Petiole
 Base
Figure 4.Parts of a leaf.

You will see a main vein running along the centre of the leaf, it is
also known as midrib. It is formed by double pipeline of cells. One
carry water and minerals to all the cells of the leaf and the other
carries prepared food from green cells to the other parts of the
plant. Leaf has number of side veins.
On the underside of a leaf are tiny pores (microscopic- can not be
seen by naked eye) called stomata. During photosynthesis,
exchange of gases takes place through stomat.

Figure 5. Microscopic picture of stomata.