5 Ways We Use Plants

EverydayBy: Joe Chandler

FoodWe use plants everyday for food, even if you

are eating meat. All food is either a plant or has eaten a plant. The plants that make fruits which we eat are called angiosperms. All angiosperms are in the kingdom Plantae and the Division Angiospermae. All angiosperms use their flowers for reproduction.

AngiospermsAngiosperms use their flowers to reproduce.

There are male and female parts to a flower. The male part is called the stamen and the female part is the ovary which holds the ovules. The stamen make pollen which are sperm cells. In the end if these cells find their way to an ovary, they fertilize an egg. Once the egg is fertilized the flesh of the fruit that plant makes grows around the egg. In time the egg grows into an embryo inside the seed. If conditions are right where the seed ends up it will grow into a new plant.

GrowthAfter the seed is inside a fruit and it land in an

area that it can grow in, the embryo starts to use up the cotyledon inside the seed as nutrients. They use these stored nutrients until they grow leaves and start photosynthesis, which allows them to make their own food. When the embryo starts growing out of the seed it grows roots to anchor itself and to start absorbing water and nutrients.

ResponseOne major adaption that angiosperms have is

that they have a scent that attracts insects to come and collect nectar. By doing this pollen gets stuck to their tiny hairs and they are deposited at a different flower. Insects play a huge role in the reproduction of angiosperms.

OrganizationOne way they are organized is by being

vascular plants. This means that they have xylem and phloem which allow them to grow upward. The xylem and phloem deposit water and minerals all around the plant.

Medical Use Some plants are grown for medical purposes. The plant I

decided to use as a medical plant is the aloe plant. Aloe vera is used in products such as sunscreen, shaving cream, moisturizers, and shampoos. It’s sap is very good for the skin after suffering a sunburn.

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Monocots

Order: Asparagales

Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae

Subfamily: Asphodeloideae

Genus: Aloe

Species: Aloe vera

Reproduction and Growth

Aloe vera plants are angiosperms, so they reproduce with flowering which I feel I explain well enough earlier. The flower produces a seed. If the conditions where the seed land are ideal the seed will grow into a new aloe plant.

OrganizationAloe plants are vascular plant. This means that

that they can grow upward. It also means that the water and nutrients that the roots take in are distributed around the plant by their xylem and phloem which are like veins. This is very important for photosynthesis.

AdaptionAn adaption that aloe plants have made is that

they are very good at retaining water. This allows them to live in very dry and hot conditions. The water that they absorb when it rains is stored in its leaves as a gel.

OxygenPlants use photosynthesis for energy. The

process of photosynthesis allows plants to make sugars they need for energy. This happens when carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight all combine. They produce sugar and oxygen. They burn the sugars for energy and the oxygen exits through their leaves. We breath in this oxygen and it is essential to our life.

Classification I just picked a random plant to use as a plant that gives us

oxygen. I decided to use the sycamore maple tree.

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Rosids

Order: Sapindale

Family: Sapindaceae

Genus: Acer

Species: A. pseudoplatanu

Reproduction and Growth

It reproduces through seeds contained inside Samara fruits. When they land, if the conditions are right, they will grow into a new tree. They do this by using the nutrients inside the seed shell to make the embryo grow out of the shell. When it has grown roots and leaves it starts making its own food through photosynthesis.

Organization and Response

It is organized by being vascular. It has a phloem and a xylem to transport water and nutrients around the plant to allow photosynthesis to occur. An adaption it has made is that it that the samara has little wings on the sides of it to allow it to travel farther distances from the tree.

ClothingCotton plants were first cultivated around 7000

years ago. It has been spun and woven since prehistoric times. Today we still use it today in our clothes.

Kingdom Plantae

Subkingdom Tracheobionta

Division Magnoliophvta

Class Magnoliopsida

Family Malvaceae

Genus Gossypium L.

Species Gossypium hirsutum L.

ReproductionCotton is a flowering plant. This means that it

has a flower that has a male part (stamen) and a female part (ovary). The ovary holds the ovules and the stamen makes pollen. The pollen fertilizes the egg which starts the growth of a seed. If conditions are right the seed can grow into a new cotton plant.

Growth If where the seed ends up is an ideal spot then

it will start to grow. It will live off the nutrients inside the seed until it grows roots and leaves. Once this happens it will start making its own food through photosynthesis.

Organization and Response

It has a vascular system which is the organization. It has a xylem and a phloem that distribute minerals and water throughout the plant. An adaption that cotton plants have made is that the flowers attract insects. It benefits them by allowing them to get pollinated easily.

DecorationMany people care about how their lawns,

gardens, or yards look. I don’t. But then again I’m also not making a living as a landscaper. The plant I decided to use was the flower Chrysanthemum.

Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums, or Mums, reproduce with seeds. The seeds are

developed in the flower by ovules and pollen as I said earlier. If the conditions are ideal in the area the seed lands in, it will germinate and

grow into a chrysanthemum.

Kingdom: Plantae(unranked): Angiosperms(unranked): Eudicots(unranked): AsteridsOrder: AsteralesFamily: AsteraceaeTribe: AnthemideaeGenus: Chrysanthemum

Growth and ResponseChrysanthemum flowers and their stems grow

on average between 2 and 4 inches long. One adaption chrysanthemums have made to their environment is that they are very colorful, attracting bees and other insects to pollinate them.

OrganizationLike every living thing it has cellular

organization. It has tissue, or cells that do different things. One major things in the cellular organization of the chrysanthemum is that it has a vascular system. This means it has a xylem and phloem to distribute water and minerals all around the plant.

The End