Plant Characteristics

*Significance of plants
* Photosynthesis - a process where the plants convert the sun’s energy into
chemical energy
* Botany - a branch of biology that studies plants
* Botanist - biologist who studies plants
Specialization:
* Dendrology - study of trees and woods plants
* Bryology - study of mosses and simple plants

Three important features that make plant cells different from animal cell:
1. Cell wall – provide support and protects the plant cell.
2. Chloroplast – it captures light energy coming from the sun and converts into
chemical energy.
3. Vacuole – storage of material such as water, minerals and other nutrients

Basic Characteristics of Plants

* Multicellular – organisms composed of multiple cells working together
* Eukaryotic - organisms whose cells contain a true nucleus and membrane-
bound organelles.
* Photosynthetic – capable of performing photosynthesis
*Autotrophs - organism that can produce its own food using light, water,
carbon dioxide, or other chemicals.
* Cell walls made of cellulose - is a complex carbohydrate, specifically a
polysaccharide, composed of long chains of glucose molecules linked together
* Cell division - is the process by which a parent cell divides into two or more
daughter cells
* Stores starch - is a complex carbohydrate, or polysaccharide which serves as
a reserve energy source for plants.
* The body parts can be groups into two:
 1. Vegetative Organs - are essential for the growth and survival of the
plant
Roots - anchors the plant in the soil and absorb water and
nutrients from the surrounding soil.
Stems - provide structural support for the plant and transport
water and nutrients
Leaves - primary site of photosynthesis
2. Reproductive Organs - responsible for the continuation of the species
through the production of seeds or spores
Flowers - are the reproductive organs of flowering plants
Fruits - are the develop from the ovary of a flower after
fertilization and contain seeds.
Cones - reproductive structures of gymnosperms (non-flowering
seed plants), such as pine trees.
- produce seeds enclosed within the cone scales.
* Vascular tissue - refers to the specialized tissue in plants responsible for the
transportation of water, nutrients, and other substances throughout the plant.
* Xylem - responsible for transporting water and minerals from the roots
to the rest of the plant.
* Phloem - primarily transports organic nutrients produced in the leaves
(or other source organs) to other parts of the plant.

Three (3) unique properties of plants:

1. Meristems - capable of producing new roots, stems, leaves and flowers
2. Cell wall – rigid and it enables the plant to continue growing
3. Totipotency - the ability of a single cell to develop into an entire organism.