PLANTS PLANTS ARE ADAPTED TO LIVING ON LAND MOST MOSSES AND FERNS LIVE IN MOIST ENVIRONMENTS SEEDS AND POLLEN ARE REPRODUCTIVE ADAPTATIONS MANY PLANTS REPRODUCE WITH FLOWERS AND FRUIT.

PLANTS ARE ADAPTED TO LIVING ON LAND Plants are a diverse group of organisms. Plants share common characteristics Plant parts have special functions –Roots: anchor plant in ground, absorb water & nutrients from soil (transported to leaves via stems) –Stems & Leaves: make up shoot system; leaves use materials from roots & CO 2 from air to make sugars/carbohydrates (& O 2 ); stems then deliver these energy-rich compounds back to rest of plant Plants grow throughout their lifetimes.

PLANTS ARE DIVERSE Plants are nearly everywhere; they come in all sizes, & shapes. Plants are found in all types of environments, from icy arctic to steamy tropics

Share Common Characteristics Plants are multi-cellular organisms A plant cell has a nucleus and is surrounded by a cell wall. Plants are producers. They capture Energy from the Sun. Plant life cycles are divided into 2 stages, or generations.

Special Functions In most plants, materials move through a vascular system in the stems, made of long, tubelike cells. Xylem tissue are big tubes taking water & nutrients up to leaves. Phloem tissue are smaller &take sugars/carbs down from leaves.

Special Functions Plants make sugars via photosynthesis, which takes place in green chloroplasts full of chlorophyll(absorbs sunlight, mostly in upper leaf); vascular tissue in center of leaf brings in WATER & NUTRIENTS and carries away SUGAR/CARBS; Tiny openings at bottom of leaf (STOMATA) lets in CO 2 gas & stores it as oxygen is released. (this is known as gas exchange) 6CO 2 + 6H sunlight  C 6 H O 2 Stomata also let water evaporate out of the leaf(this is called transpiration); both sunlight & wind cause water to transpire/evaporate.

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS Surface of leaf & stem has waxy protective layer (cuticle), keeping water from evaporating. When air is dry, stomata can close. Spines of cactus are modified leaves (regular leaves would loose too much water); photosynthesis occurs in the fleshy green stem, which also stores water & carbon dioxide gas.

Plants Grow throughout Life Plants continue to grow till die (cells at tips of roots & stems divide quicker) Leaves only grow on stems from growth tissue. Stems have vascular system(to transport materials between leaf & root) which gives support through stiff fibers and gives plant its shape. Can also store sugars made by photosynthesis (broccoli). Soft stem plants have stems & leaves that die in bad weather but roots survive (store sugar) to re- grow stems & leaves back in good weather. Woody Stem plants have stems that don’t die each year but grow longer & thicker; form special xylem called “wood”; growing tissue near outer surface (so older wood in middle of tree).