Transcript Link to Powerpoint - The Science of Plants

the importance of plants
A presentation by: Isabelle Balaban
We use plants… A lot
Plants are essential to human survival
Most importantly, they provide us with three key elements
of survival
They release oxygen through the process of
photosynthesis
They provide us with food
Plants can be used to form shelter
In the following presentation, I will provide detailed
descriptions of some other uses of plants…
Plant use #1:
They mitigate the effects of
Plants reduce climate and mitigate the effects of
global
warming
global warming through the consumption of carbon
dioxide and the emission of oxygen.
Global warming is caused by excessive carbon
emissions
That is why as deforestation increases, so does the
earth’s climate
without plants, carbon emission would fill up the
atmosphere, and we would not be able to breathe in
Plant use #2:
Now when you thinkPaper
of paper, you think of it being
made from trees, right?
In reality, paper has been used for a very long time
to document our history
The ancient Egyptians made paper out of papyrus
plants
Paper is used for tons of products in our daily life
that we take for granted
Like: wrapping paper, dollar bills, paper plates and
cups, cardboard, sticky notes, napkins, books,
magazines, brochures, origami, etc.
Plant use #3:
Clothing
People have been using plants for clothes since
the days of the neanderthals
We have since transitioned from fig leaves to
cotton
Plants that are used for clothing nowadays are
called fiber plants
Plant use #4:
Medicine
and
drugs
(Legal
PLANTS HAVE BEEN USED AS REMEDIES FOR
ILLNESSES
RANGING
FROM
THE
COMMON
AND
ILLEGAL)
COLD TO MALARIA (WHICH IS CALLED QUININE
AND COMES FROM TREE BARK)
FOXGLOVE IS THE SOURCE OF A VERY
IMPORTANT DRUG TO CURE HEART DISEASE
ASPIRIN WAS ORIGINALLY SYNTHESIZED
FROM THE BARK OF WILLOW TREES
BOTH MARIJUANA AND TOBACCO ARE PLANTS
(BUT NOT GOOD FOR YOU DON’T USE THEM!)
Plant use #5:
alcoholic beverages
beer is distilled through wheat
Wine comes from grapes
vodka derives from potatoes
Plant use #6:
lessens the effects of erosion
Plants prevent erosion, because their roots hold the
soil in place
When rain washes away, often times it washes the
soil with it
But, if there is a plant, the roots will secure the soil,
and privet erosion
Plant use #7:
Furniture
Even the first humans made beds out of dirt and
leaves, and since then we make most of our
furniture out of wood
we have wooden chairs, windowsills, tables, desks,
doors, cabinets, drawers etc.
Even if the furniture is not wooden, it may have
cotton stuffing or upholstery (like couches and
pillows)
Although…
There are many other uses for plants,
these are the primary methods that
pants are used.
Thanks for paying attention!