Download I`ve never thought about plants needing things to live. What exactly

Have you ever planted a seed? If you have, you probably saw how it changed from a tiny, hard seed into a green, growing plant. It’s an amazing process. Have you ever thought about what’s happening to a plant as it grows?
You’ve probably never thought about the things you share in common with plants. Humans and plants are not alike, right? Not so fast! All living things have some basic needs, like food and water. Plants need some of the same things we need to survive. In this concept, you’ll learn a lot more about plants and what they need to live. I’ve never thought about plants needing
things to live. What exactly do plants need?
There are a few important things that all plants need to live.
Those things are water, air, and nutrients. Plants also need light
so they can make food. You need water, air, and food to live, too!
Are you starting to see the similarities? Of course, plants and
humans are very different. They are both living things, though.
All living things have basic needs that they must meet in order
to survive.
Would you believe that
humans and plants share
some things in common?
They do!
Misconception 1: Hang on just a minute! I didn’t realize plants were alive!
I thought that only things that moved, like humans or animals, are alive. How are
plants living?
Plants are alive, even if they don’t play on a baseball team like you or climb trees like
cats. We know that plants are alive because all living things share things in common. We
call the things they share in common characteristics. All living things grow and develop.
They reproduce. They are made of cells. They respond to their environment, and they
obtain and use energy. All of these characteristics are true for humans. They’re also true
for plants. That’s how we know that plants are living, even if they spend their whole lives
in one place!
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Plants can’t move because their roots keep them in the ground.
How do they get the things they need?
A plant’s roots actually help the plant get
what it needs. Roots help capture water that is in the soil and carry it to the plant. Roots can also carry nutrients from the soil to the plant. The plant itself also has ways to move water and nutrients. Water and nutrients can move up and down a
plant’s stem. This system helps feed and
water all of the parts of the plant. A plant’s leaves are also really important. They help
capture light from the Sun. In an amazing process, they turn light into food (you’ll read more about this in just a minute).
Have you ever noticed how most leaves
A leaf’s shape is very important. It helps the
are broad and flat? That’s so they can
plant capture sunlight. Sunlight helps the plant
catch a lot of sunlight. Leaves are almost
create food.
like solar panels that you’ve seen on
homes or buildings. Solar panels capture
light from the sun so that it can be used to produce energy. In fact, the engineers who
design solar panels often study how plants capture light. Knowing more about the ways
plants capture light helps them design good solar panels.
I have seen leaves. I guess they are like solar panels! How do leaves
capture sunlight?
Plants capture light energy from the Sun. They turn this light energy into food. This process
is called photosynthesis. It’s amazing because it helps plants make their own food! Can
you imagine being able to make your own food using just light, water, and parts of the air?
Hmmm, what would you make?
When plants make food, they don’t make
cookies or donuts. However, they do make
special sugars to help them stay healthy and
alive. Photosynthesis needs light energy,
water, and carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is
a natural part of the air in the atmosphere.
It comes from decaying things, like dead
trees. Humans can also create carbon dioxide
every time we exhale. Too much carbon
dioxide in the air is a bad thing. Plants help
absorb some of the carbon dioxide. It’s just
another reason why plants are so interesting
and important.
No matter what size they are, all plants need sun
to make food.
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