Download What Vascular Plant Parts Do

PLANTS AND THEIR
ADAPTATIONS
What Vascular Plant Parts Do
COMMON PARTS
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Roots, stems, and leaves are in all vascular
plants no matter how large or small they are.
Roots, stems, and leaves of plants allow them to
live and grow because they are adapted to their
environments
ROOTS
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Roots act as a plant anchor to keep the plant from falling over or
blowing away
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Roots take in water and minerals through their root hairs and
some store food
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Roots adapt to different environments
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Desert plants have roots that spread out but are close to the surface to
take in lots of water when it rains
Trees in the forest need deep roots because they have plenty of water
Prop roots are tree roots that begin above the ground to keep trees
from being blown over
Fibrous roots look like little tree branches and form a thick tangled
mat under the surface to help prevent erosion…they anchor the soil
and well as the plant
Taproots are single roots that reach water deep in the ground and
store food
Some roots in the rain forest attach right to the trees and take water
from the moist air!
STORAGE ROOTS
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Since most plants can’t make food in the winter,
some plants have storage roots.
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Some plants have storage roots to store more
water
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Some plants story extra food and water in their
stems
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Plants that have lots of extra food and water in
their roots are eaten by people—beets, carrots,
sweet potatoes, turnips
Root vegetables can taste sweet
STEMS
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Hold the plant up
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Support the leaves so they will be in the sun
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Carry food and water to other parts of the plant
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Most stems grow upwards towards the sun
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Will bend to find the sun
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Some stems grow sideways and when it touches the ground a root and new plant
will grow (strawberries, spider plant)
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Cactus stems store water
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Soft stemmed plants are usually small
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Stems bend
Water in the stem holds the plant up
Live for just one growing season
Woody plants are large and need extra support
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Grow year after year
Stems are stiff
STEMS
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Xylem = tubes in plants the transport water and minerals
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Xylem move upward from the roots to the leaves
Phloem = tubes that carry food
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Move the food in the leaves to other plants (roots, stems, and leaves)
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Flexible stemmed plants have xylem and phloem in bundles all
throughout the stem
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Wood stemmed plants have xylem and phloem in rings with xylem
towards the middle and phloem towards the outside
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Trunks get thicker as new xylem and phloem are formed
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More xylem is made each year
Most of the tree thickness is xylem
When xylem gets old, it can’t transport water
When xylem will harden and become heartwood of the tree
People use heartwood for lumber (houses and furniture
LEAVES
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Most leaves are thin and flat to help make food
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Use water and minerals from the soil, carbon dioxide from
the air, and energy from the sun to make food
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Waste is oxygen that is released into the air.
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Chlorophyll = helps plants use light energy to produce
sugars and gives leaves their green color
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Leaves stop making chlorophyll in the fall which causes leaves
to turn colors
Food making takes place in the plant cell’s organelle called
the chloroplast
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Xylem and phloem bring water and mineral to the chloroplast
They also take sugars from them
LEAVES
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Stomata are tiny holes in the leaves
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Venus’ flytrap catches its food because of the lack
of nutrients in its soil
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Carbon dioxide enters through stomata
Oxygen and water leave through stomata
Open wide during the day
Closed at night
Waxy outer layer of a leaf helps it conserve energy when
it is really hot
The leaves shut and release chemicals to digest the
insect
Some leaves store food
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Onion leaves are actually the part that we eat