ORGANIZATION OF LIVING THINGS

Structures and functions

Structure of organism (Plants)

Flower

Stem

Leaf

Root

Sashafatcat, “ crazy flower with hanging roots”, July 3, 2007 via Flickr.creative commons Attribution

Roots

Long roots or little roots. They hold plants in the ground. Roots take water and minerals

from the soil. Plants need water and minerals

to live and grow. Minerals are in soil (natural,

nonliving materials)

Stems

Hold up the leaves, flowers, and fruit of a plant.

Most stems grow straight up from the ground.

Some stems grow along the ground.

Vines grow up and over things.

Stems

Thick stems like trees or thin stems like flowers.

Roots bring water and minerals to the stem.

Carry the water and minerals to the rest of the plant.

Leaves

Some plant leaves are wide and flat.

Others are long and thin.

Some look like needles.

Green plants use energy from the sun to make food in their leaves.

Leaves

The energy of the sun uses carbon dioxide (gas) and water from the roots to make a kind of sugar.

The sugar helps the plant live and grow.

Many plants store the sugars in their roots, stems, and leaves to use later.

How Flowers Form Seeds Seeds grow inside flowers. A petal (pet l) is an outside part of a

flower. Seeds grow at the center of the flower. Pollen (pol en) is a yellow powder. It is

made inside the flower. Then seeds can form.

liberalmind1012, “Magnolia” May 11, 2006, via Flickr.creative commons Attribution

How Flowers Form Seeds

As the seeds grow, the fruit grows around it.

What are the fruits we eat? The fruit protects the seeds inside. As the fruit grows, the flowers dry up

and fall off. The seeds that form in a fruit can be

planted. Some of them will grow to make new

plants.

Scattering Pollen

Insects and birds carry pollen from flower to flower.

Wind can blow pollen off one flower and onto another. The second flower is pollinated.

Quiz

1. Plant roots get water and minerals from the _____.

 

2. The energy from the sun makes a kind of ______ from water and carbon dioxide.

3. To make seeds, which part of the flower does the pollen have to be in?

4. Name two things that can move pollen.

5. Have you ever seen an animal bury something? What kind of animal was it?

Reference

webs.rps205.com/.../science/.../E0D3077BD5904C1B9992E3D8769828CF.doc –

Flickr.com/creativecommons