W HAT DO P LANTS NEED IN ORDER TO GROW ? Grow For Me

Aim: Why would plants need to eat when they already perform photosynthesis? Do Now: Fill out the Worksheet – What do plants need in order to survive? What did you notice about the plant in the video? Do plants like that exist in real life? HW: Handout

Venus Flytrap C ARNIVOROUS P LANTS Pitcher Plant Bladderworts Sundews Butterworts

E SSENTIAL INGREDIENTS FOR PLANT GROWTH Based on what we have discussed so far, plants need: SUNLIGHT WATER (H20) CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) SOIL (RICH WITH NUTRIENTS)

W HY WOULD PLANTS NEED TO EAT INSECTS ? Lack of Sunlight? Sunlight is abundant throughout the entire planet, and carnivorous plants still perform photosynthesis…so that’s not it… What about Water? Water is often readily available for these insect-eating flowers, since many of them grow in marshlands and swamps…

W HY WOULD PLANTS NEED TO EAT INSECTS ? Would they need more CO 2 ? Carbon Dioxide is found everywhere on Earth, so that couldn’t be the reason for these plants to gorge themselves on bugs… Then that can only mean one thing…SOIL! Insects contain nutrients that plants may not be able to obtain from the soil. Over time, certain plants adapted to their mineral-poor soil by trapping and digesting the numerous insects around them.

W HICH NUTRIENTS DO PLANTS GET FROM THEIR PREY ? Nitrogen This is the most common nutrient sought by insect- eating plants. Nitrogen is very important for a plant so that it can produce amino acids and proteins. It is also an essential component of chlorophyll - Recall: What is chlorophyll used for?

W HAT ARE THE MECHANISMS USED BY C ARNIVOROUS P LANTS TO TRAP THEIR PREY ? Flypaper Sundews (Drosera) and Butterworts (Pinguicula) both use a sticky mucus to trap insects that are tempted by its bright, reflective aura. Though their structures are varied, both plants secrete a mucus-like substance.

W HAT ARE THE MECHANISMS USED BY C ARNIVOROUS P LANTS TO TRAP THEIR PREY ? Snap – Trap Both the Venus flytrap and the Bladderwort use traps that depend on reflexes to catch unwary prey. The Venus flytrap snaps its jaws shut when small trigger hairs are set off one too many times. The Bladderwort has a similar mechanism, but instead of snapping its jaws shut, it fills a balloon like sac with water, trapping its victim within.

W HAT ARE THE MECHANISMS USED BY C ARNIVOROUS P LANTS TO TRAP THEIR PREY ? Bait and Switch The pitcher plant comes in many varieties, but its method of trapping prey is unique and arguably the most sinister. Insects, attracted by the copious amounts of nectar the pitcher plant provides, enter into an opening near the top of the pitcher plant. Those insects who are careless may find themselves with more than they bargained for. One slight mistake, and the insect can easily lose its grip and slip down the plant’s pitcher into a well of digestive juices. Any insect that attempts to crawl back up will find themselves thwarted by tiny hairs that line the inner walls of the pitcher plant. These hairs, pointing at a downward angle, make it impossible for the bug to climb to safety, condemning it to its watery grave.

S UMMARY Why would plants need to eat when they already perform photosynthesis? What were the three methods used by carnivorous plants to trap its prey? Write one thing you learned today about plants Write one question you still have about plants On a sheet of paper, write down a response to each of the following: