Plant Parts
Plant Parts
their functions
By
Shahzad Bashir
University of Agriculture Faislabad
Pakistan
Importance of plants
• Without plants life on earth
would not exist
Plants:
• Primary source of food for
people and animals
• Produce oxygen
• help to keep us cool
• renew the air
Plants:
• slow wind speed
• provide a home for wildlife
• beautify surroundings
• perfume the air
• furnish building materials and fuel
Parts of a plant
• Four basic parts
– leaves
– stems
– roots
– flowers
Leaves
• the food factory of the plant
• produce the food used by the
plant or stored for later use
Shape and size of leaves
• vary among plants
• used for identification of plants
Leaf arrangement
• alternate
• opposite
• whorled
– arranged in a circle around the
stem
External leaf structure
• petiole - leaf stalk
• leaf blade (leaf)
– has veins
– forms structural framework of
the leaf
Midrib
• large center vein from which all
other leaf veins extend
Margins
• edges of leaves
• assists in plant identification
Internal leaf structure
• epidermis
– skin of the leaf
– single layer of cells
– protects leaf from loss of too
much moisture
Guard Cells
• open and close the small pore
on the underside of the leaf
Stomates
• allow the plant to breathe and
transpire
– give off moisture
Chloroplasts
• contain chlorophyll
• located inside the food making
cells
Photosynthesis
• process by which CO2 and
H2O in the presence of light are
converted to sugar and oxygen
Chemical formula
• 6CO2 + 6H2O
• -----> in reaction with sunlight
and chlorophyll ------>
• C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6O2
food
• manufactured in the leaves moves
downward through the stem to the
roots
– used by the plant
– stored in stem or root and leaf in the
form of sugar, starch or protein.
Respiration
• plants respire 24 hours a day
• consume O2 and give off CO2
• plants produce more O2
through ps. Than they consume
during respiration and growth.
Stems
• have two main functions
– movement of water and minerals
from the roots upward and
movement of manufactured food
down
Stem functions
• support of leaves and
reproductive structures
Stems also
• used for food storage and
reproduction of plants
involving cuttings
• Green stems manufacture food
just as leaves do
External Stem Structure
• lenticels- breathing pores
• bud scale scars-indicate where
terminal bud has been located
previous year.
Leaf Scars
• shows where leaf was attached
• Distance between the two
represents one year of growth.
Internal Stem Structure
• phloem- bark, carries manufactured
foods down.
• Xylem- wood, carries water and minerals
up.
• Cambium- separates the 2 and produces
all new cells.
• Characteristic of dicots
Internal Stem Structure
• dicot- dicotyledon, a plant with
2 seed leaves
Monocot
• Monocotyledon - a plant with
one seed leaf.
• Have vascular bundles, contain
both xylem and phloem in each
small bundle
Monocot
• stems have no cambium
• cells enlarge to create size of
mature stem
Economic Importance
• food
• building materials
Roots
• Usually underground
• functions:
–anchor plant and hold upright
–absorb water and minerals form
soil and conduct to stem
–store food, & propagation
Root Structure
• internal
–similar to stems
–older roots have xylem,
phloem and cambian
external
–root cap
•produces continuous supply of
new cells
•protects roots as they push
through soil
Structure
• root hairs
–absorb moisture and minerals
• small roots
Functions other than water
and mineral absorption
• cash crops for food
–carrots
–beets
–radishes
–sweet potatoes
• propagation
Type of root systems
• fibrous-grasses
–easier transplanting
–shorter, smaller, more compact
• lap root-carrot
–longer and fewer roots
Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds
• pollination- color of flower attracts
insects to fertilize flower
– beginning of fruit and seed formation
• fruits and seed are attractive to birds
who eat and spread seeds.
– Reproduces plant
– some seeds carried on animals coats
Parts of the Flower
• differ in size, shape, and color,
some basic parts
• sepal
–green leaf-like part, covers and
protects bud before opening
Petals
• are actually leaves
• usually bright colors to attract
pollinating insects.
Parts of the Flower
• stamens
–male part of flower
–has two parts
• filament-stalk
Anther
• anther- sac-like structure
on top of filament,
contains pollen
Parts of the Flower
• Pistil - female part
• in the center of flower
• has three parts
Pistil
• three parts
• stigma - top - sticky
• style - tube leading from stigma
to ovary
Ovary
• egg cells develop here
• grows to become fruit or
seedcoat
Types of Flowers
• complete
–contains 4 main parts
Incomplete
• does not have all 4 main parts
Perfect
• has stamens and pistils
Imperfect
• lacks stamens or pistils
Types of Flowers
• monoecious
–stamens and pistils are found
in separate flowers on the
same plant
• ex: Corn
dioecious
• male or staminate flowers found
on one plant, female or pistilate
flowers on another plant
• ex: holly