Three basic tissue types give rise to diverse plant characteristics.

• 17.1 Older, taller, bigger: plants are extremely diverse (but share a basic structural organization).
• 17.2 Flowering plants are divided into two major groups: the monocots and the eudicots.
• 17.3 Plants are organized into tissues, each with specific functions.

Most plants have common structural features.

• 17.4 Roots anchor the plant and take up water and minerals.
• 17.5 Stems are the backbone of the plant.
• 17.6 Leaves feed the plants.
• 17.7 Several structures help plants resist water loss.

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

• 17.8 Four factors are necessary for plant growth.
• 17.9 Nutrients cycle from soil to organisms and back again.
• 17.10 Plants acquire essential nitrogen with the help of bacteria.
• 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?

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

• 17.12 Plants take up water and minerals through their roots.
• 17.13 Water and minerals are distributed through the xylem.
• 17.14 Sugar and other nutrients are distributed through the phloem.