PART 5   Plant Life

17  •  Plant Structure and and Nutrient Support 687

How plants function, and why we need them

Three basic tissue types give rise to diverse plant characteristics. 688

17.1

Older, taller, bigger: plants are extremely diverse (but share a basic structural organization). 688

17.2

Flowering plants are divided into two major groups: the monocots and the eudicots. 690

17.3

Plants are organized into tissues, each with specific functions. 691

Most plants have common structural features. . 695

17.4

Roots anchor the plant and take up water and minerals. 695

17.5

Stems are the backbone of the plant. 697

17.6

Leaves feed the plant. 699

17.7

Several structures help plants resist water loss. 701

Plant nutrition: plants obtain sunlight and usable chemical elements from the environment. 703

17.8

Four factors are necessary for plant growth. 703

17.9

Nutrients cycle from soil to organisms and back again. 704

17.10

Plants acquire essential nitrogen with the help of bacteria. 707

17.11

This is how we do it: Carnivorous plants can consume prey and do photosynthesis. Why are they confined to bogs and other nutrient-poor habitats? 709

Plants transport water, sugar, and minerals through vascular tissue. 711

17.12

Plants take up water and minerals through their roots. 711

17.13

Water and minerals are distributed through the xylem. 713

17.14

Sugar and other nutrients are distributed through the phloem. 716

StreetBIO: KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN USE

Organic foods: are they worth the price? 718