the structures of typical plants and the function of each structure;
processes and structures involved with plant reproduction;
photosynthesis;
adaptations allow plants to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.
PLANT PARTS
For many typical green plants, there are anatomical structures that perform certain basic functions. For example, roots anchor the plants and take water and nutrients from the soil. Plant stems provide support and allow movement of water and nutrients.
Many seed-producing plants have roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.
SEEDS VS. SPORES
Plants can be divided into two general groups: those that produce seeds and those that produce spores.
Plants that reproduce with spores include ferns and mosses.
SEEDS
Seeds vary considerably in size. Orchids, for example, produce seeds as small as dust particles. The coconut is one of the largest seeds in the plant kingdom.
In many seeds, the protective outer seed coat is resistant to physical damage and may also contain waxes and oils that help prevent water loss.
The embryo within the seed begins as a single cell, the zygote. The basic organs of the plant body can be found in the embryo. In some seeds the embryonic leaves are quite large, filling most of the volume of the seed.
The embryonic leaves are a major source of stored food for the embryo. Beans are an example of plants with large embryonic leaves.
In many other plants the embryonic leaves are relatively small, and the embryo is nourished by a tissue called endosperm.
POLLINATION
Pollination is part of the reproductive process of flowering plants. Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the stamens to the stigma .
The stamen and pistil are reproductive parts of the flower. The sepals are the small leaves that form the housing of the developing flower.
Plants adapt to changes in their environment in order to survive.
Dormancy is a plant adaptation. Dormancy is a period of suspended life processes brought on by changes in the environment.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Green plants produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Green plants use chlorophyll to produce food (sugar), using carbon dioxide, water, enzymes and other chemicals, and sunlight. Leaves are the primary food-producing part of these plants.