Note of Unit 3A: Life Cycle

1. Plants are important for other living things (organisms). They provide food and oxygen for them.
2. Plants can make their own food in their leaves using sunlight energy.
3. The process of making food in plants is called photosynthesis.
4. To make their food, plants use two main materials (water and carbon dioxide) and change them into
oxygen and starch (carbohydrates/sugars).
5. Organisms reproduce when they reach adulthood so their kinds can survive.
6. Functions of parts of plant:
Root:
 Absorbs water & nutrients (minerals) from the soil
 Anchors the plant to the soil
Stem:
 Holds up the plant
 Carries water and nutrients to all parts of the plants
Leaf:
 Makes food for the plant
Flower:
 Helps the plant to reproduce
Fruit:
 Contains and protects seeds

7. Seeds will grow into new plants. They need to be dispersed (spread) to other places so they can
grow better. Seeds can be dispersed by:
- animals (e.g. papaya, cherry, raspberry, rambutan)
- wind (grass, sycamore, dandelion)
- water (coconut, water lily, mangrove)
- explosion (poppy, green bean, viola)
8. When seeds germinate, they need water and warmth, but not sunlight.

Review exercise:
1. Explain why plants are important for other organisms.
Plants provide food and oxygen for other organisms.

2. Write two things you can do to help plants survive knowing that they are very useful.
E.g.: Water plants, take care of plants, don’t cut down trees, grow young plants.

3. Why is it important for organisms to be able to reproduce?

So their kinds continue to exist or survive.

4. Tiara kept some wet seeds in a dark cupboard. After several days she was surprised to see some
seedlings. She thought seeds only can grow if there is sunlight. Explain to her what you know!
For seeds to germinate, they only need warmth and water. So even if there’s no sunlight they still
can germinate.

5. Write “water”, “animal”, “wind’, or “explosion” for the way each seed below is dispersed.
 Seabean Apple Poppy Mangrove
Water because the Animal since it’s Explosion since its Water because the
plant lives in water tasty fruit dries up & plant lives in water
pops

Sa Mahogany
Peas ndbur Grass Wind since the
Explosion since its Animal since it can Wind since the seed has a wing
pod dries up & stick to animal’s seed is light
opens up body

Blackberry Viola Coffee fruit

Animal since it’s Maple
Explosion since its Animal since it’s
tasty Wind since the
fruit dries up & tasty
seed has wings
pops