Plant Structure

Period 6

The Basics

The is a hierarchy in a plant body goes like this.

Cells Tissues Organs

There are three basic plant organs Roots Stems Leaves

Plants must absorb water and minerals below ground and sunlight and CO2 from above ground

In order to do this, plants have a root and shoot system

Get back to your Roots!

A root is an organ that anchors a vascular plant, absorbs minerals and water, and stores organic nutrients There are three types of roots in plants Taproot system- it consists of one main vertical which branches out into lateral roots Vascular plants Example- Carrots and dandelions Fibrous root system- a mat of smaller/thin roots that spread out below the soil; there is no main root Seedless vascular plants Example- Grasses Adventitious root system- roots arising from the stem Seedless vascular plant Example- Palms and bamboo

Stems

A stem is an organ
consisting of an alternating system of nodes and internodes

Nodes are the points at

which leaves are attached

Internodes are the stem

segments between the nodes

Leaves

The leafs main job is photosynthesis in vascular plants Leaves generally consist of a flattened blade and a stalk, the petiole The petiole joins the leaf to a node on the stem Leaves have veins, which is the vascular tissue of the leaves Some plants have leaves that have adapted different functions, such as support, protection, storage, or reproduction