Download Life Support for Plants

Life Support for
Plants
A72-75
Basic Needs of Plants
Air
 Nutrients
 Water
 Soil

Why do plants need air?
There is carbon dioxide in the
air. Leaves take in this carbon
dioxide.
 Carbon dioxide is one of the
two main materials plants use
to make food.

Why do plants need nutrients?
Just as animals need nutrients
(vitamins and minerals) for
growth, so do plants.
 Soil provides plants with the
nutrients they need to survive.
 Plants cannot survive in soil that
doesn’t have the necessary
nutrients.

What about water?
Plants get water from rain.
 Some of the water is
absorbed through the plant
leaves.
 Most is absorbed by the
roots.

Necessary Light
No plant can live in total
darkness.
 Some plants, however, may
grow better in shaded areas.

Photosynthesis
Scientific name for the process by
which a plant makes its own food
 “Photo” means “Light”
 “Synthesis” means “Putting
Together”
 Plants make food from light
energy combined with carbon
dioxide and water.

How does photosynthesis work?
Light + Carbon Dioxide + Water
 Light is trapped by the chlorophyll.
 Leaves take in carbon dioxide.
 Roots take in water.
 Water travels to leaves.
 In the leaves, sugar is formed.
 Oxygen is then released into the air by
the leaves.

Plant
Adaptations
 Water plants grow from soil below
the water, with stems growing toward
surface
 Vines grow on forest floors, but have
stems climbing and clinging to other
plants or objects for support and to
get sunlight
 Desert plants have thick stems that
can store water for long periods; also
have roots near surface, to absorb
water quickly