PLANTS – VOCABULARY AND PROCESSES

PLANT VOCABULARY Roots – secure the plant in

the ground; take the water & nutrients from the soil

Stem – connects the leaves to the roots; helps hold the leaves up to the sunlight

  Leaves – grow from the

stem; collect sunlight to make food for the plant

PLANT VOCABULARY Flowers – produce seeds;

attract and feed some pollinating birds and insects

  Fruit – contains seeds that

can be planted  Seeds – have hard

coatings to protect the tiny new plant parts inside

PLANT VOCABULARY Petals – shelter the inside of the

flower; attracts insects & birds by the color

Sepals – outermost part of the flower to protect the inner parts of the flower

PLANT VOCABULARY Pistil – female part of

a flower

Stamens – male parts of a flower that surround the pistil

Pollen – yellow dust from the stamen that is moved to the pistil during pollination

PHOTOSYNTHESIS Photosynthesi

s (photo – “light”, synthesis – “to put together”) – process of how the plant makes its own food

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

1. Chlorophyll (in green plant cells) collects energy from the sun.

2. The Sun’s energy splits the water molecules (from the soil) into hydrogen & oxygen

PHOTOSYNTHESIS3. The hydrogen joins

with carbon dioxide (that the plant takes in) to make sugar (food). The sugar is not your normal sugar. It’s used to make more complex substances like fats, proteins, etc.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

4. Sugar is carried to other parts of the plant. Extra oxygen is released into the air.

 Light + Water + carbon dioxide = glucose (sugar) + oxygen

TRANSPIRATION

1. Plants absorb water from the soil.

2. Water moves from the roots through the stems to the leaves.

TRANSPIRATION

3. The leaves have a small opening called a stomata. Guard cells surround the stomata & control how much the stomata opens.

TRANSPIRATION

4. Some water from the leaves evaporates through the stomata.