Unit 3: Lesson 1 What Are Some Plant Structures?

Unit 3 Lesson 1 What Are Some Plant Structures?
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Types of Plants
• Scientists have identified more than 310,000
types of plants on Earth.
• Scientists classify plants into two groups:

nonvascular plants and vascular plants.

Types of Plants
• Nonvascular plants are small plants that grow
close to the ground and soak up water and
minerals like a sponge. Mosses are nonvascular
plants.
• Some parts of nonvascular plants look like

structures on vascular plants, but the functions
are different.

Types of Plants
• For example, nonvascular plants have parts that
look like roots, but these parts do not take in
water. Instead, they help anchor the nonvascular
plant to the ground.
• Nonvascular plants do not have stems or leaves,

either. Instead, they have a stalk on which leaflike
structures grow.

Types of Plants
• Most plants you see every day are vascular plants.
• Vascular plants have a system of tubes that

carry water and nutrients through the plant.
These tubes run through the plant’s roots, stems,
and leaves.
• The roots take in nutrients and water and anchor

the plant in the ground.
• Stems hold up the plant’s leaves, which make

food for the plant.

Types of Plants
• All plants that produce flowers, such as
rosebushes and magnolia trees, are vascular
plants.
• Flowers are reproductive structures, but not all

vascular plants have flowers.
• Some vascular plants, such as pine trees, produce

reproductive structures called cones.

Using the Tubes

• Vascular plants have tubes that work like
straws to move water, minerals and sugars
though the plant.
• Vascular plants have structures called roots.

Roots are usually underground and absorb water
and minerals from the soil.
• Roots also help anchor a plant in the soil.

Using the Tubes

• There are two main types of roots—fibrous roots
and taproots.
• Fibrous roots are thin, branching roots that grow

close to the surface. Grasses and most trees have
fibrous roots.
• Taproots are thick, strong roots that grow deep in

the soil. Some plants use taproots to store food.
Carrots and beets are taproots.

Using the Tubes

• Stems are structures that have tubes to carry
water, sugar, and minerals to different parts of
the plant. Stems also support the plant.
• Most plant stems grow above ground, but some

plants have stems that remain underground.

Using the Tubes

• There are many types of stems.
• Some plants, such as trees, have a single, hard,

woody stem called a trunk. Shrubs have many
smaller, woody stems. Trees and shrubs live for
more than one growing season.
• Soft, green stems support other plants, such as

daisies. Many plants with soft stems sprout, grow,
and die all in one season.

Lots of Leaves
• Leaves are plant parts that use sunlight to
produce sugar for the plant’s food.
• Leaves come in many shapes and sizes. They

can be round, heart-shaped, or triangular. They
can be long, short, wide, or narrow.

Lots of Leaves
• Leaves also have different textures.
• Some plant leaves have tiny hairs that make them

feel fuzzy. These hairs keep the plant from drying
out and protect it from animals.
• Other leaves feel smooth and waxy. This waxy

coating keeps the plant from drying out.

Lots of Leaves
• Vascular plant leaves also have veins.
• These veins are small tubes that carry food made

by the leaves to the plant’s flowers, stems, and
roots.
• Veins also carry water and minerals through the

leaves.
• When the veins are filled with water, they even

help support the leaves.

Plants Make Food

• Plants make food through a process called
photosynthesis.
• During photosynthesis, plants use energy from

the sun to change carbon dioxide and water into
sugar and oxygen.
• Photosynthesis takes place in the leaves of plants.

Plants Make Food

• A substance in the leaves called chlorophyll
captures energy from the sun during the day.
• Chlorophyll is what makes the leaves appear green

in color. It also helps plants make sugars to store
in their stems, roots, and in some plants, their
leaves.

Plants Make Food

• Carbon dioxide is a gas that plants get from the
air.
• Plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen

through small openings in their leaves.
• This oxygen becomes part of the air that you

breathe.

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Unit 3 Lesson 1 What Are Some Plant Structures?

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Scientists classify plants into two groups:

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Some parts of nonvascular plants look like

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Nonvascular plants do not have stems or leaves,

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Vascular plants have a system of tubes that

• The roots take in nutrients and water and anchor

• Stems hold up the plant’s leaves, which make

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Flowers are reproductive structures, but not all

• Some vascular plants, such as pine trees, produce

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Using the Tubes

• Vascular plants have structures called roots.

• Roots also help anchor a plant in the soil.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Using the Tubes

• Fibrous roots are thin, branching roots that grow

• Taproots are thick, strong roots that grow deep in

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Using the Tubes

• Most plant stems grow above ground, but some

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Using the Tubes

• Some plants, such as trees, have a single, hard,

• Soft, green stems support other plants, such as

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Leaves come in many shapes and sizes. They

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Some plant leaves have tiny hairs that make them

• Other leaves feel smooth and waxy. This waxy

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• These veins are small tubes that carry food made

• Veins also carry water and minerals through the

• When the veins are filled with water, they even

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Plants Make Food

• During photosynthesis, plants use energy from

• Photosynthesis takes place in the leaves of plants.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Plants Make Food

• Chlorophyll is what makes the leaves appear green

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Plants Make Food

• Plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen

• This oxygen becomes part of the air that you

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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