Chapter 6 Plants There are 350,000 species of plants Features chloroplasts chlorophyll---chemicals that give plants green color and trap light energy. Plants are producers, lowest life on the food chain Plants have a stiff cell wall

Vascular Plants Features

Vascular plants Tube-like cells True stems True roots True leaves

Types of tube-like cells Xylem cells Thick walled cells that carry water and dissolved minerals to the leaves Phloem cells Carry food from the leaves to all parts of the plant

Nonvascular Plants Moss, liverworts No true roots No true stems No true leaves Life cycle of a moss Sexual reproduction, union of 2 reproductive cells Takes place at the tips of the stems

Ferns Form coal Is a vascular plant Reproduces with spores Because they are a vascular plant they can grow taller than nonvascular plants. Why? There are over 12,000 known species of ferns

More on Ferns Ferns are over 300 million years old Have xylem and phloem cells Leaves are divided into tiny leaflets Similar to nonvascular plants in that they reproduce with spores Refer to the figure 6-7 in chapter 6

Seed plants Most common land plants Reproduce by forming seeds A seed is the part of the plant that contains a new, young plant and stored food The young plant in the seed is the embryo

Seed plants continued Seed has a hard outer covering called the seed coat which protects the embryo The food supply and the coat help the embryo survive for long periods of time, until conditions are right for growth

Conifers Most common land plants Produces seeds in cones Keep their leaves throughout the year Sometimes called evergreens Mostly found in the northern areas of the world

Conifers continued Leaves are small and needle-shaped Pine, spruce, fir are examples of conifers Copy figure 6-10 into your notebook Conifers reproduce with cones, small cones are male and produce pollen in which sperm develop Male cones open early in spring

Conifers Continued Wind carries the pollen to the larger female cones Female cones contain egg cells When the seeds are ripe, the cones dry up and open and the fertilized seeds fall to the ground The roots and stems of conifers are hard and woody Conifers supply ¾ of the lumber that is used in the world

Conifers are not only important to us but they are also a important food source and shelter for animals such as insects, birds, squirrels, rabbits

Flowering Plants Produces seeds inside a flower Flower is the reproductive part of Produces flowers and forms fruits a plant Male part produces sperm Female part produces the egg Female parts form the fruit that protects the seeds

Flowering Plants cont. Many broadleaved trees, vegetables, grasses,weeds and thorn bushes have flowers, not just sweet smelling showy flowers Many produce flowers at a certain time of year, used for decoration Some parts you can eat, oranges, potatoes

Flowering Plants Without plants no other animals would exist All animals depend on plants for food, and oxygen