Plant &
Animal Life
CyclesUnit 4 Review
What do plants need to grow?
Soil (nutrients)
Water
Air (carbon dioxide)
Light
Space to grow
Four main plant
parts
1. Leaves
2. Roots
3. Stems
4. Flowers (eventually turn into
seeds)
Flower parts
You must know petal, pistil, and
stamen.
You must also know that the pollen
is located at the top of the stamen
and that seeds form at the bottom
of the pistil in the ovary.
The flower plays an important role
in the reproduction of the plant.
Pollination
Pollination is the process by with pollen gets moved from one plant to another.
Plants are mainly pollinated by:
Bees, butterflies, and other insects
Wind
Hummingbirds and other birds
Others small animals
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis – the process by which plants make their own food
What does the process of photosynthesis involve?
It involves the leaves using energy from sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugar (glucose) and oxygen. The plant releases the oxygen, but uses the sugar for food.
Where does photosynthesis mostly occur?
In the leaves!
What is the waste
product of
photosynthesis? Oxygen
How do leaves help
plants?
Make food through
photosynthesis
Water balance (either let water
out or keep water in)
Protection
Examples of edible leaves:
spinach, lettuce, basil, parsley
How do roots help plants?
Hold the plant in place.
Take in water and
nutrients from the soil.
Some types of roots, such
as taproots, hold food for
the plant.
Types of roots
Taproots are large roots
that grow deep in the soil
and store food for a plant.
Examples of taproots are
carrots and dandelions.
Fibrous roots look more
tangled and grow far into
the soil to reach water.
Most grasses have
fibrous roots.
You do not need the types of roots for the test!
How do stems help plants?
Support the plant
Transport (carry) food and water
Some help with survival
Examples – those with thorns and spines
Example of edible stems – celery, rhubarb
Grouping plants(Plants can be grouped by the kinds of parts they have).
Flowering plants
Includes deciduous trees that lose their leaves in autumn and grow new ones in
spring.
Grow flowers and seeds
When flowers get pollinated by things such as insects, birds, and wind, seeds form near
the center of the flower. A fruit often forms around the seeds to protect the seeds.
Coniferous trees
Reproduce with cones instead of flowers. Seeds are stored in the cones.
Most do not lose their leaves in autumn.
Their leaves usually look like needles.
How do new plants grow?
By scattering seeds:
By wind
By water
By fire
some types of pine cones need to be heated via forest fire to release seeds
Carried by animals on their fur or other body parts
Eaten and excreted by animals
By growing from a root or stem
Examples: Potatoes and carrots can grow from roots or root pieces.
Life cycle of a plant that grows from a
seed: Seed from a fruit gets
planted in soil on purpose or accidentally.
The seed germinates(starts to grow).
Young plant (seedling) -small leaves appear and begin making food.
The seedling grows into an adult plant that reproduces and makes new seeds.
Seed parts
Seed coat (protects)
Embryo (tiny new
plant)
Endosperm (food
store)
Seeds as food: Many seeds can be by people or animals as food. They are often
rich in nutrients. Examples of popular seeds that are eaten include sunflower
seeds and pumpkin seeds.
What can disrupt a
plant’s life cycle?
Pollution
Too little or too much
water
Too little sunlight
Lack of pollinators such
as bees or other animals
Vocabulary words
Organism – a living thing
Traits – physical features that offspring inherit from their parents
Pupa – the stage in which an insect changes from a larva to an adult
Metamorphosis – a series of major changes that some animals such as
butterflies go through
Life cycle – changes that happen in a certain order from the beginning of
plant and animal lives until the time they die
Complete vs. incomplete metamorphosis
Incomplete metamorphosis
Has 3 stages – egg,
nymph, adult
Example of an insect that
goes through it – cicada
Complete metamorphosis
Has 4 stages – egg, larva,
pupa, adult
Example of insects that go
through it – butterflies,
ladybugs
What stage is
the butterfly in
when it is in a
chrysalis?
Basic life cycle of
most animals
Birth – can hatch from eggs or
have live birth
Growth – during this stage
animals increase in size
Adult – reproduction occurs in
this stage
Death
Inherited traits
Siblings share at least one parent in common.
Parents pass traits to their offspring.
Offspring inherit traits from their parents.
Offspring can have traits that look more like their mothers or more like their fathers or a blend of both parents.
Examples of inherited traits in humans – hair color, eye color, etc.
Examples of inherited traits in plants – flower color, leaf shape,etc.