What are Plants? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts

What are Plants?

Plants are living organisms that cover most of the land on planet Earth. You see them everywhere. These include grasses, trees, flowers, bushes, ferns, mosses, and more. Plants are part of the kingdom plantae.

What makes a Plant a Plant?

Here are some basic characteristics that make a living organism a plant:

• Most plants make their own food by a process called photosynthesis.
• Plants have cuticles, which means they have a waxy layer on their surface to protect them and prevent them from drying out.
• They have eukaryotic cells with rigid cell walls.
• They reproduce by spores or sex cells. plant cells.

Plant Cell

Plant cells consist of stiff cell walls made of cellulose, chloroplasts (which help with photosynthesis), a nucleus, and large water-filled vacuoles.

Energy from the Sun

One of the most important functions of most plants is photosynthesis. Plants use photosynthesis to generate energy directly from sunlight. You can go here to learn more about photosynthesis.

Types of Plants

There are many different types of plants. They are generally divided into two main groups: vascular and non-vascular.

Vascular – These plants have specific tissues that help move substances such as water through the plant. They are divided into non-flowering plants and flowering plants. Most organisms that you might think of as plants, such as trees, bushes, and flowers, fall into this group.

Nonvascular – These are smaller plants, such as mosses, that use diffusion and osmosis to move matter within the plant. Basic structure of plants.

Basic Structure of Plants

The three basic parts of most vascular plants are leaves, stems, and roots.

Leaf – Leaves are the organs of the plant that specialize in the function of photosynthesis. Leaves absorb energy from sunlight as well as carbon dioxide from the air. Lots of flat and thin leaves to capture as much sun as possible. However, the leaves come in a variety of shapes, including the long, slender needles found on pine trees.

Stem – The stem is the main structure that supports the leaves and flowers. The stem has vascular tissues that help move food and water around the plant to help the plant grow. Plants usually store food in their stems.

Roots – The roots of a plant that grow underground. The roots keep the plant from falling over and collect water and minerals from the soil. Some plants store food in their roots. The two main types of roots are fibrous roots and taproots. Thumbs tend to have one main root that grows very deep, while fibrous roots have multiple roots that grow in all directions.

Interesting Facts about Plants

The fastest growing woody plant in the world is bamboo. Bamboo can grow up to 35 inches in just a day!

Tomatoes and avocados are considered fruits.

Mushrooms (fungi) and algae (algae) are not considered plants, but are part of their own kingdom.

There are nearly 600 different species of carnivorous plants that feed on insects and small animals.

The largest flower in the world is the rafflesia flower, which grows to more than a meter in diameter.