Download Functions of Plant Parts

Functions of Plant Parts:
An introduction to our exciting exploration of
botany
Presented by: Miss Herman
Lesson Objectives:
* Be able to explain the importance
and function of the following plant
parts:
• stem
• roots
• leaf
• fruit
• flower
Roots:
» Take up oxygen during respiration
» Absorb and translocate water and
nutrients to the stem that are taken up
through the root hairs
» Store food in the form of starch
More roots…..
» Anchor the plant and keep it in a
stable position
» Give off carbon dioxide during
respiration
» In some plants, roots have nodules
which contain nitrogen fixing
bacteria (like legumes)
TIME OUT
Let’s get our hand dirty!
Remove the top two inches of the
carrot, which is the cell foliage,
and put it in a cup of water in the
back of the classroom. We will
check the carrot cuttings
periodically and record what
happens.
The leaf:
» Photosynthesis is the process by
which plants produce their
food….and photosynthesis takes
place in the leaves.
»Carries out transpiration and cools
the plant.
Don’t ‘leaf’ us out….
» Can store some food, which can be
transferred to other areas of the
plant
» In some cases, the leaf can be used
in asexual or vegatative propagation
Time out
Let’s get our hands dirty
Place a piece of opaque paper over
a part of a leaf surface and a paper
clip it to the leaf given to you.
What happens to the color of that
portion of leaf surface? Why?
The stem:
» Serves to translocate nutrients
from the roots to the leaves in the
vessels of the XYLEM and
PHLOEM.
This is a cross section of a celery stalk,
showing the vascular bundles,
including the xylem and phloem.
More on stems…
» Supports the leaves of a plant and
also the fruit and flowers
» Provides growth in the
‘MERISTEM” of the terminal bud
a) The meristem is where cell
division occurs
Almost done with stems…
» Often can be used for vegetative
propagation
» The CAMBIUM layer provides
diameter growth in the stem.
Time out
Let’s get our hand dirty
Cut out the eye of a potato with
some potato meat attached. Plant
in our sterile growing media in the
back of the classroom with the eye
pointing up. We will observe and
record what happens with these
eyes in the next couple weeks.
Fabulous fruit functions:
» The fruit is a ripened ovule together with
its associated parts, and often protects
the seed.
» Some plants have a dry dehiscent fruit
which, when split open helps disseminate
seeds.
a) some actually hurl the seeds out as
the seed surface explodes
b) others have wings, or other ways to
float or be carried by air
Can always use more fruit…
» Can provide nutrients to the soil and to a newly
germinating seedling
» Some fruits help disseminate seed by providing
food for animals:
a) animals eat the fruit and seeds. The fruit is
digested and the seeds pass out in the animals’
feces at (presumably) another location.
Like this nice
Big buck 
Flower power:
» The flower is of utmost importance
in reproduction and continuance of
the species.
» Pollination of the flower serves to
instigate the fertilization of the
ovules
a) this produces a ‘zygote’ which
becomes the seed
Flowers continued….
» Because flowers are often colorful and
fragrant, it attracts insects and birds for
pollination
a) It can be said that
the flower is often a
biotic partner with he
animals which obtain food
from the flowers and in
exchange help fertilize
it (by bringing in pollen).
Are we done yet?
» The flower can also be an animal
trap, such as the Venus Fly Trap
and the pitcher plant. Once the insect is
trapped, it is digested (dissolved
by the plant for food.
Venus
Fly
Trap
Pitcher
Plant
Time out
Let’s test our knowledge?
Please take out a piece of paper
and write down 5 new things you
learned from today’s lesson on the
functions of basic plant parts.