There are two major groups of plant parts - the vegetative parts, which are responsible for the plant's daily life functions, and the reproductive parts, including the flowers, fruit, seeds and buds.There are two major groups of plant parts - the vegetative parts, which are responsible for the plant's daily life functions, and the reproductive parts, including the flowers, fruit, seeds and buds. Some vegetative parts can be used to allow the plant to reproduce asexually, as well - usually in the form of cuttings. Let's take a look at the major parts of plants and how they function. Plant parts: Stems These structures support leaves and buds, as well as acting as conduits for nutrients. They have three major parts: the xylem, phloem and cambium. The first two make up the majority of the vascular system in plants - the system responsible for moving minerals, nutrients and water through the plant. The vascular system also provides support, allowing the plant to stand up. Water is conducted through the xylem, and food is sent through the phloem. The rings in trees are formed by the division of these two types of vascular tissue. Stems can be extremely long, such as tree branches and strawberry runners, or quite short, like fruit spurs, dandelion stems and strawberry corns. Most stems are above ground, but some, including the bulbs of tulips and onions, are located below ground. To be classified as a stem, however, the tissue needs to have buds or leaves. These are located in an area referred to as a node, which is an area of high cell activity. Plant parts: Leaves Leaves are expanded structures made up of a petiole and a blade. The blade is usually the largest part of the leaf, and the most obvious. The petiole is usually smaller and stalklike, and may be completely absent in some leaves. No matter what a leaf looks like, however, it has the same function - absorbing sunlight to help the plant make sugars to feed itself. The reason most leaves are flat is because this is the most efficient way to absorb the energy of the sun. The petiole allows the leaf to be further from the stem and gather more sunlight. Leaves are attached to stems at nodes. There are several different layers to a leaf blade, including the epidermis - a tough layer on the top and bottom that protects the leaf and determines its texture, the cuticle - a waxy layer that keeps the leaf from disease and dehydration, and the mesophyll - located between the upper and lower epidermises and the location of photosynthesis. Leaves come in many different types, in addition to the kind we usually think of. These are called foliage, and are the most obvious. However, there are also small leathery leaves called scale leaves, modified leaves called seed leaves, brightly colored bracts, and hard, spiky leaf structures that have become spines. Tendrils are also a kind of leaf, as are conifer needles. Plant parts:Buds Buds are undeveloped shoots that eventually give rise to flowers or leaves. Generally, buds in temperate areas are covered in bud scales to protect them, while some other types of plants have buds that are naked and vulnerable. It can take a long time for buds to start growing, and they may need long periods of certain temperatures or other conditions to get them ready to grow again. Leaf buds are made up of a short stem and tiny leaves that will eventually develop into leafy shoots. These are usually pointier and narrower than buds for flowers. We name buds according to where they are on the stem. Terminal buds are at the end, or terminus of a stem, and lateral buds are on the sides of a stem. Plant parts:Roots Roots are extremely important to a plant, and can affect their healthy and size, how they grow and reproduce, and many other factors. Roots absorb moisture and nutrients, and anchor the plant in the soil. Some soil-less plants still have roots, but those roots are exposed to the air. Roots can help plants propagate, and can be used to store food for the plant, as well. They come in a number of different varieties. Primary roots are a single large root at the lower end of a seedling. If they continue to elongate, primary roots become taproots, like the ones we see in parsnips and carrots. Lateral roots are the branching roots we see in many plants, where the primary root stops elongating and a fibrous system is formed instead.Dwarf plants happen when the root system stops growing early. Roots have three major internal parts - the meristem, at the tip, which makes new cells; the zone of elongation, where cells increase in size and push the root through the soil; and the maturation zone, where cells change to become differentiated tissues like the epidermis or vascular tissue. These cells help protect the plant and transport nutrients to the rest of the tissues. On the outside, the roots have a root cap, made of cells that are sloughed off as the root continues to grow, and root hairs, which do most of the work of absorbing water and nutrients. The root cap can sense gravity and direction, and actually directs the growth of the root. Plant parts: Flowers Flowers have only one function, which is to help the plant reproduce. Many flowers are extremely showy and have strong fragrances to attract other creatures and help the plant spread its seeds. The plant parts of the flower include the stamens, pistil, petals, nectar glands and sepals. The stamens are the male reproductive parts, containing pollen sacs and a long filament that supports the sacs, or anthers. The pistil is the female part, and generally is located in the middle of the flower. Made up of the ovary, style and stigma, this part of the plant holds the eggs, which when fertilized become the seeds. Sepals are the small green plant parts at the base of a flower that protect the bud and look like leaves. Together, all the sepals of a flower are referred to as the calyx. The petals are collectively called the corolla, and are the most attractive, brightly colored parts of most flowers. They may be perfumed and contain nectar glands. Petals usually come in multiples of three, four, or five, depending on the type of plant. Plant parts: Fruit and Seeds Fruit is made up of the fertilized and mature ovules, or seeds, and the ovary wall, which is frequently fleshy. Sometimes, however, it may be hard, like the flying fruit of the maple tree. Some seeds are on the inside of the ovary, like peaches, cucumbers and apples, while others are on the outside, like the strawberry and corn. Fruits come in a number of different kinds, and may be simple, aggregate, or multiple. Simple fruits come from just one ovary, and include peaches and cherries, while aggregate fruits include blackberries, strawberries and raspberries, coming from one flower with many ovaries. Multiple fruits come from a cluster of flowers on a single structure, and include the fig and pineapple. To receive automatic updates whenever changes are made to our site visit our BLOG PAGE today. Similar Posts _________________________________________________________________ Top of Plant Parts Listed under Plant Growth Factors |