Metabolic Processes in Plants
as the major pathway for the transport of nutrients from the
•PLANTS- are producers because they can make their own
food through photosynthesis.
Consumers, particularly people and animals, depends on
plants for food, oxygen, and energy.
Plants are structurally built and have Evolved in such a way
that they can effectively compete for light, water, minerals and
carbon dioxide the basic requirements for plant life.
•PHOTOSYNTHESIS - the process by which green plants
and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods
from carbon dioxide and water.
PLANT STRUCTURE
flowering plants have two organ systems: The root system and
the shoot system
• Root system - penetrates the soil from which he roots
perform three main functions:
1. They hold the plant to the ground and keep it from toppling
over.
2. They absorb water and other nutrients crucial to the plant's
growth and development
3. They serve as storehouse for reserve food for plants.
- the root system also includes the parts of the plant that grows
underground, such as bulbs, rhizomes and tubers
As soon as a seed in the ground begins to grow, it puts out its
first root to draw water and nutrients from the soil. The
developing root is called the radicle.
Parts of The Roots
Roots perform their main functions through their specialized
parts: roots caps, root hairs, Primary root, and secondary roots.
•Root caps - are groups of cells at the tip of the root that
protect it while forcing its way through soil.
•Root hairs - are hairlike growths on the root. They do most of
the work involved in securing and absorbing nutrients and
water from the soil.
The 2 biggest part of the root:
•Primary root - grows downward from the radicle and serves
smaller roots to the stem.
•Secondary roots develop from the primary root and usually
grow sideward or downward.
ROOTS AND ACTIVE TRANSPORT OF MINERALS
Minerals are inorganic substances found in rocks and soil, and
are important for plant growth.
A plant grows poorly if it has insufficient supply of one or
more minerals. However, the roots of plants can draw only
minerals that dissolve in water. The Cell Membrane of root
hairs contains active carrier proteins that pump mineral ions
from the soil into the plant through a process called active
transport.
SHOOT SYSTEM
- consists of all the plant parts that grow above the ground,
Particularly the stem and leaves. In Flowering plants, it may
include the buds, flowers, fruits, and seeds
THE STEM
Is the part of the plant that supports the leaves and flowers. It
also serves as the main pathway for the transport of water and
nutrients to other plant parts.
The plant body through small pipelike parts: xylem and
phloem
2 types of meristem
Apical meristem is located at the tip of main stem and is the
site of new growth for the plant it produces the terminal bud.
Lateral meristem surrounds the stem and is responsible for
the stem’s secondary growth or growth in width and thickness.
From it develops the lateral bud, which grows on the sides of
the stem.
The Leaves
Leaves – are vital to plant life because they turn sunlight into
stored energy in sugars through photosynthesis, the process by
which plants make their food. From this process leaves also
make the oxygen that people and animals need.
The broadest part of a leaf is called blade, this is attached to
the plant’s stem by the leaf’s slender stalk called petiole.
Running through the center of the blade is the midrib the
structure that serves as the leaf’s backbone.
The arrangement of the veins in a leaf’s called leaf venation.
Leaf venation can be parallel or netted. Plants such as corn,
onion and common grass have parallel venation.
Plants like: Gumamela, Santol and rose have net venation.
Different layers of the leaf
1. Upper epidermis – the upper layer of surface cells
2. Mesophyll - the middle layer of cells.
3. Lower epidermis – the lower part of surface cells
 The upper epidermis is covered with waxy Cuticle
that serves as protective covering for the leaf and
helps the plant to prevent or minimize water loss.
 Mesophyll consist mainly of cells equipped with
chloroplasts, the plant cells where photosynthesis
takes place.
 Stomata - Natural openings in leaves and herbaceous
stems that allow for gas exchange (water vapor,
carbon dioxide and oxygen).
The Mesophyll is made up of two Sections:
Palisade
Spongy
Palisade layer has cells with numerous chloroplasts
Spongy layer contains loosely arranged cells with
many air spaces between them, making it the chief
site of gas exchange among the different parts of leaf.

 Air enters through the stomata that are found in the

spongy layer and circulated freely in the spaces
among the cells.
 The mesophyll also contains leaf veins called Xylem
and phloem.
 Xylem moves the water and nutrients from the roots
to the leaf.
 Phloem helps to move the food produced in the leaf
to different plant parts.