Plants are extraordinary living things. Unlike animals , which must eat other living things, plants make their very own food . They do this using three ingredients : sunlight , water from the soil , and a gas from the air called carbon dioxide . This food-making process is called photosynthesis , a word that means "putting together with light ".
Photosynthesis happens mostly in the leaves , which contain a green substance called chlorophyll . Chlorophyll captures the energy in sunlight , a bit like a tiny solar panel , and uses it to turn water and carbon dioxide into a sugar the plant uses for energy and growth . It is the green colour of chlorophyll that makes leaves and grass look green .
📷 Photo by and (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) · GFDL 1.2✨ During photosynthesis , plants release oxygen as a by-product . Every breath of air you take relies on plants — they make the oxygen that keeps you alive .
🗂️ Sort these: which go INTO photosynthesis, and which come OUT?
Goes IN (needed) Comes OUT (made)
Goes IN (needed) Comes OUT (made)
Goes IN (needed) Comes OUT (made)
Goes IN (needed) Comes OUT (made)
Goes IN (needed) Comes OUT (made)
A plant has four main parts , and each one has a special job. The roots anchor the plant firmly in the soil and soak up water and minerals . The stem holds the plant up and carries water up to the leaves , a bit like a set of pipes . The leaves capture sunlight and carry out photosynthesis . The flowers attract pollinating insects and help the plant make seeds .
📷 Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0🔗 Match each plant part to its job.
Attracts pollinators for reproduction Capture sunlight for photosynthesis Carries water up to the leaves Absorb water and anchor the plant
Attracts pollinators for reproduction Capture sunlight for photosynthesis Carries water up to the leaves Absorb water and anchor the plant
Attracts pollinators for reproduction Capture sunlight for photosynthesis Carries water up to the leaves Absorb water and anchor the plant
Attracts pollinators for reproduction Capture sunlight for photosynthesis Carries water up to the leaves Absorb water and anchor the plant
💡 Trees are the largest plants on Earth . The giant sequoia in California is the most massive living organism by volume — taller than a 20-storey building .
Flowers are how many plants make new plants . When a pollinator such as a bee carries pollen from one flower to another, the flower is pollinated and can grow into a fruit or seed pod. Seeds are then carried away from the parent plant — by the wind , floating on water , or hitching a ride on an animal's fur or inside a tasty fruit . When a seed lands somewhere with enough light , water , and warmth , it germinates , sending out its first root and shoot , and a brand new plant begins .
📷 Buba NS · CC BY-SA 4.0✨ Some plants have spectacular defences . The Venus flytrap snaps shut to catch insects , and stinging nettles inject tiny chemicals that sting your skin if you touch them.
🧩 Put the life of a flowering plant in order.
Fruit or seeds develop and disperse ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Plant flowers and attracts pollinators ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Seedling grows roots, stem and leaves ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Seed germinates in the soil ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
✍️ Fill in the plant words.
Plants make food from sunlight in a process called _____ . The green substance in leaves that captures light is called _____ , and plants give out _____ that we breathe .
photosynthesis chlorophyll oxygen carbon dioxide
