Transcript Plants and Their Adaptations - Education Service Center

Stems

Stems are adapted to the environment that
the plant is in, so stems may look very
different.

The stems of plants have several functions:
Hold the plant upright and support the leaves
Carry water up the plant and food down from
the leaves to other parts of the plant
Plant defenses thorns, prickles, and stinging hairs
Stems
Carry water up the plant and food down from
the leaves to other parts of the plant
Also prevents wilting
Xylem in celery to take in H2O
Many Stems are Edible
Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Nopal
Cinnamon: The bark is used as a spice.
Garlic and Onion: They are bulbs which are modified
stems for food storage.
Ginger Root: The edible portion is a branched underground
stem called a rhizome.
Potato: The edible portion is an underground stem that is
also a tuber.
Sassafras Tree: The shoots and stem bark can be used to
make root beer.
Leaves

Leaves have many shapes and sizes, all
depending on the environment and how
much sunlight the plant needs.
A Leaf’s Job
The main function of leaves is to make food
through photosynthesis and release oxygen.
 They can also protect the plant: prickles and
spines.

Protection

Some plants can protect themselves from
herbivores/omnivores
◦ toxins
◦ leaf defenses
◦ thorns/hairs
t
o
x
i
n
s
nightshade
Chinese lantern
poison ivy
L
e
a
f
D
e
f
e
n
s
e
s
Leaf
Prickles
Ocotillo
Spines
Spines
S
t
e
m
D
e
f
e
n
s
e
s
Rose
Prickles
Stinging
Hairs
Bark
Reproduction
If members of a
species do not
reproduce, that
species will die out
 Many adaptations
help plants disperse
their pollen and/or
seeds
