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There are many different kinds of plants. Some have flowers. Some don't.

Some give us fruits. Some give us vegetables.

Some plants are poisonous, some have thorns and some are food for animals.

Even though there are so many different kinds of plants, there are several things about plants that are alike.
Let's look at some of the ways plants are alike:

Plants start from seeds (most of them, anyway)

Plants have roots

Plants have stems

Plants have leaves

Plants need soil, sun and water to live

Plants make their own food (photosynthesis)

All plants give us oxygen

How plants are made

Almost all plants start from a seed. When the seed is planted in the soil, it germinates.
Here is how it happens...
Once the seeds are in the soil, they need water and warm soil to be able to take in oxygen and minerals from the soil and water through the seed coat's tiny pores (holes) to give the inside of the seed the food it needs to break open and make its way through the soil so it can grow into a plant.

When the seed is full enough, it pops open.

The first parts of the seed to come through the seed coat are the cotyledon and the radicle (root).

The root takes hold of the soil and starts to take in food from the soil.

But because it is still so small, the cotyledon is still the main source of food for the seed.

The next part of the seed that appears is the hypocotyl.

The hypocotyl is sometimes called the understem because it first appears under the cotyledon.

The hypocotyl continues to grow upward with the epicotyl.

The epicotyl becomes the first leaves of the new plant.

By the time the epicotyl are showing, the plant is now above the ground.

When this happens, the cotyledon (which is sometimes called the seed leaves and looks like thin, dried brownish-white skin) has finished its job.

Because their job is done, they fall off the plant and become part of the soil.

Once the cotyledon are gone, the plant's tiny leaves take over the job of supplying food to the new plant.

The growing plant

Once you have a plant with two sets of leaves on the new stem, the plant starts making its own food.

It continues to drink water through its roots, too.

The water also gives the plant vitamins and minerals it gets from the soil.

All of these things help to make the plant grow.

Plants don't just grow on top of the ground, though.

The root system of a plant grows as the plant grows.

The main root that comes out of the seed is the tap root or main root.

It is connected to the stem of the plant and sends water and nourishment from the soil to the stem of the plant.

The tap root gets lots of help from the lateral roots.

The lateral roots also help to hold the plant in the ground.

The parts of the plant

The stem is the main part of the plant.

It is strong enough to hold the weight of the leaves and flowers and carries the water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves, flowers and fruits or vegies.

Without a healthy stem, a plant cannot survive.

Buds are the first thing to grow on the stem of a plant. Buds are little bumps on the stem that grow into petioles. The petiole is another name for the:

Branch of a tree

Smaller stems with leaves or flowers on the end of them

Leaves appear on the plant soon after the stem comes through the ground.

The leaves are responsible for making food for the whole plant to eat.

The leaves use sunlight, water (from the stem) and carbon dioxide (from the air) to make sugar for the plant to eat.

If the plant is a non-flowering plant, it will continue to grow and make more leaves over time.

If the plant is a flowering plant, the plant will grow and make more leaves, but it will also be working to make flowers.

If the plant is a flowering plant, the flowers on a plant appear after the plant has matured (grown up). In some plants, the flowers turn into fruits or vegetables.

In other plants, the flowers are 'just' flowers.

Every flower sits on the end of a stem. Some flowers (like tulips) have a single stem for a flower to sit on. Other flowers (like marigolds) have several stems; each with a flower on the end of it.

When we look at a flower we see the pretty colors and designs of the petals.

But did you know flowers actually have many different parts and that each part has a special job?

The receptacle is the green 'cup' the flower sits in.

The receptacle is directly connected to the stem.

The colorful parts of the flower are called petals.

Inside the petals of the flower you will find all the parts needed for the flower to make seeds so more flowers can grow.

The parts inside the flowers are:

The stigma and the style. The stigma is the tube in the center of the flower. The style is the opening of the stigma. These two parts together are called the pistal.

The stigma brings pollen up from the part of the receptacle called the nectary. The nectary is where nectar is made. These are the flower's juices that bees take with the pollen to make honey.

Stamen are the thin tubes that surround the pistal.

Anthers are the fat tips at the top of the stamen. The anthers are covered in pollen.

Flower power

Use a magnifying glass to examine as many different flowers as you can find.

How are each of them different?

Read more about Plant Facts for Kids

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Plant Structure - (All You Need to Know!) Science for Kids

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There are many different kinds of plants. Some have flowers. Some don't. Some give us fruits. Some give us vegetables. Some plants are poisonous, some have thorns and some are food for animals. Even though there are so many different kinds of plants, there are several things about plants that are alike.

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This section therefore starts with a study of plants and the different plant structures. Although CAPS does not directly require that the function of plant structures be studied, it is included to enrich the subsequent visual differentiation activities. Learners need to observe differences and find out more about the different types of plants in their environment.

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Plant Structure | Think Garden

This video from KET's Think Garden collection examines plant structure by taking a closer look at the root and shoot systems. Learn about roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruit through engaging illustrations and animations.

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This video from KET's Think Garden collection examines plant structure by taking a closer look at the root and shoot systems. Learn about roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruit through engaging illustrations and animations.

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We're going to look at plant structure in this section. The plants we discuss will be vascular plants that have systems of tubes (xylem and phloem) for the transport of nutrients and water. Remember that there is a wide variety of plants on Earth and even a whole group that doesn't have vascular systems. Mosses and liverworts may still have photosynthesis, but they do not have that 'classic' plant structure. Then you will find species such as cacti that don't have leaves. They conduct photosynthesis in their stems. Anyway, just remember that there are many other possibilities in the plant kingdom.

We just told you about the many exceptions to the basic plant structure, so let's look at some similarities. An easy similarity is on a cellular level. Plants conduct photosynthesis. This process of converting the Sun's energy into molecular energy happens in chloroplasts with the help of chlorophyll molecules and a variety of enzymes. Vascular plants share a similar set of structures called roots, stems, and leaves. Many plants have specialized versions, but the basics are there. One specialization might be the petals of a flower. Those flower petals are specialized leaves that surround the reproductive structures of the plant.

We'll start at the bottom with the roots. These structures are designed to pull water and minerals from whatever material the plant sits on. For water plants, the roots may be in the water. For traditional trees, the roots go deep into the soil. There are even plants called epiphytes that live in trees and their root system clings to branches. Humans often capitalize on the roots of plants for food. Carrots are just one big orange root.

Root systems also provide support for plants in the form of an anchor in the soil. If the wind blows hard, those roots keep the plant from falling over. Some plant species have roots above ground that provide support for the entire plant. Roots are further broken down into the primary root and lateral roots that each has apical meristem at their tips. Root hairs are also a common structure on roots. They make the roots look fuzzy and help in the absorption of water and nutrients.

Sure we said that there are some roots above the surface, but the majority of the plant you see is made up of stems and leaves. Think about a tree. The stems are the trunks and branches. Leaves are self-explanatory. Stems are all about transporting food and water and acting as support structures. Leaves are all about photosynthesis, creating food molecules and absorbing carbon dioxide for the plant. These parts are connected by the vascular system of xylem and phloem that spreads through the entire plant.

The tip ( terminal bud) of the main stem has a specialized structure that is the source of new growth for plants. You will find the apical meristem that develops into young leaves ( primodium). There are other points of growth at each node where leaves and branches develop on the stems. Those branching points are home to axillary buds that can also develop into new branches.

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We're going to look at plant structure in this section. The plants we discuss will be vascular plants that have systems of tubes (xylem and phloem) for the transport of nutrients and water.

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Science4Fun - Learn Science experiments, Topics, ideas and activities

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Plants are the beauty of nature. They look very beautiful and gives us fresh oxygen. There are many types of the plants on the Earth including flowering plants and non-flowering plants. These plants differ in their structure, but the basic structures of these plants are similar. We will discuss the structures of the plants that are produced from the seeds.

Roots

Roots are the part of a plant that are buried in the soil. They grow out of the seeds during the germination. Roots perform very important tasks, which include:

Absorbing the water and the necessary nutrients and sending them to different parts of the plant.

It provides a good grip to the stem of a plant so that it can stand against the wind.

Some plants store the food in their roots. Examples of these plants are carrots and potatoes.

Stems

Stems are connected with the roots and grow outside the soil. All the parts of the plants are connected to the stems. When a plant is young, its stems are green. But as they grow older, their stems turn their color and become hard. Stem performs functions, which include:

It provides support to the leaves, flowers, and fruits.

It carries the water and nutrient absorbed by the roots to all parts of a plant.

Stems also store food in many plants, like sugar cane.

Buds

Buds look like a bump on the stem of a plant. These are the developing shoots, which will become branches of the plant.

Leaves

Leaves are the important part of the plants, which have green color (not all plants have green colored leaves). They produce the food for the whole plant by the process of photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, plants take the carbon dioxide from the air and light from the Sun to make food. Also, they produce oxygen for us to breathe.

Flowers

When the plants become mature, they produce flowers (only flowering plants produce flowers). Flowers have beautiful colors with attractive fragrance. They play an important role in the reproduction of the flowering plants. They also make the seeds and the fruits of a plant.

Fruits

Fruits are the parts of plants that bear its seeds. The fruits are made when the female part of the flower are pollinated. Making delicious fruits is the strategy used by plants to disperse it seeds to different locations. Because fruits are delicious, when animals are humans eat them they will through its seeds to land.

Fun Facts

Flowers have eye-catching colors and good smell to attract the insects and animals to carry their pollen.

Humans use around 2000 different species of plant in their food.

Some plants eat insects as their food. These plants are called carnivorous plants.

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Plant Structure - (Information + Fun Facts) - Science4Fun

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Plants are the beauty of nature. They look very beautiful and gives us fresh oxygen. There are many types of the plants on the Earth including flowering plants and non-flowering plants. These plants differ in their structure, but the basic structures of these plants are similar.