PLANT

ORGANS AND
THEIR
FUNCTIONS
•OBJECTIVES:
•1. DESCRIBE THE STRUCTURE
AND FUNCTION OF THE
DIFFERENT PLANT ORGANS;
•2. EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT
METABOLIC PROCESSES
INVOLVED IN THE PLANT
ORGAN SYSTEM
 • CLASSIFICATION OF PLANT
ORGANS
• Vegetative organs
• Reproductive organs
•1.VEGETATIVE ORGANS- function is for
growth and development
•Includes: Leaves, stems, roots
•A. LEAVES-are generally the
expanded and flattened lateral
outgrowth of the stem
•- elevated to an aerial position
to receive light energy
•- light, water, and carbon
dioxide are needed by the
leaves to manufacture food by
photosynthesis
•- the by-product –oxygen is
released through the stomata
•- The blade is the expanded portion
of the leaf and is usually colored
green
•- The petiole (leafstalk) extends
from the blank
•- Veins support the tissues and
serve as conducting channels
through which water, minerals , and
food are transported.
•Transpiration- a function of
leaves to release water through
vapor
• - employed by plants to
maintain favorable body
temperature even under the
heat of the sun
•B.STEMS- are between roots and
leaves and provided with nodes
•- functions for support of
branches, leaves, flowers and
fruits
•- another function is conduction
of substances and food
•- holds the leaves and exposes
them to sunlight
•XYLEM vessel that
carry water
•PHLOEM vessel that
carry the food
substances
•C. ROOTS- functions are for
anchorage firmly to the
ground, and for absorption of
water and minerals from the
soil
•Primary root- the first root
that that grows out of the
embryo plant
2. REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS- consist
of the stamen and pistil
Stamen- represents the male sexual
reproductive organ
- made up of anther which
contains the pollen grains and the
filament
Pistil- represents the female sexual
reproductive organ
- consist of the stigma, style
and the ovary -
 The "Typical" Plant Body
The Root System
•Underground (usually)
•Anchor the plant in the soil
•Absorb water and nutrients
•Conduct water and nutrients
•Food Storage
• The Shoot System
• Above ground (usually)
• Elevates the plant above the soil
• Many functions including:
• photosynthesis
• reproduction & dispersal
• food and water conduction
• Note:
the shoot system includes the leaves
and the reproductive organs, although
these will be covered in more detail
 What are adaptations?
Adaptation – an inherited
characteristic that helps an organism
to survive long enough more
successfully in its changing
environment and can either be
structural or behavioral.
 Types of Adaptations
•Structuraladaptations are
the way something is built or
made.

•Behavioraladaptations are
the way something acts
Structural Adaptations
•Adaptations to get food
•Leaves and stems absorb energy from
the sun.
Behavioral Adaptations
•Adaptations to get food
•Plants lean or grow towards the sun.
•Roots grow down into soil.
•Vines climb up trees to catch sunlight.
Behavioral Adaptations
•Adaptations to get food
•Plants like the Venus fly trap, trap
insects for food.
 Structural Adaptations
•Adaptations for reproduction
•Brightly colored flowers with nectar
attract pollinators such as birds,
bees and insects.
 Behavioral Adaptations
•Adaptations for reproduction
•Plants drop seeds to grow new
offspring.
 Behavioral Adaptations
•Adaptations to get water and
nutrients
•Desert flowers can stay dormant for
months, only coming to life when it
rains.
Structural Adaptations
•Adaptations for defense
•Poison Ivy and Poison oak have
toxins that give predators a painful
itchy rash.
 PLANT BEHAVIORS
Plants do not only have structural
adaptations; they have behaviors that help
them to survive in their environment.
Tropism: movement of a plant toward or
away from a stimulus. Toward is called
positive, away is called negative.
Example 1-Phototropism
•When the plant senses light and the
shoots (stems & leaves) grow toward
the light source.
•This is a positive tropism because the
plant is growing toward the stimulus.
 PLANT BEHAVIORAL
DORMANCY - - A state of rest or inactivity.
ADAPTATIONS
- Many plants go dormant in the winter. Fall is the time of year when
plants are preparing for dormancy.

Why do trees loose their leaves in What other types of plants go dormant
the fall? in the winter?
DORMANCY
•Seasonal Changes in Trees to survive winter.
All trees lose their leaves at some point.
Stop taking in water so the xylem will not
freeze.
•Trees like pines and holly lose their leaves
all through
Pines out the year. TheyHolly
are called
evergreens.
Example 2-Gravitropism
•When growth of a plant changes in response to
direction of gravity.
Shoots (stems & leaves)
have a negative Gravitropism
because they grow in the
opposite direction of the
force of gravity.


Roots mostly have positive gravi-

tropism because they grow
toward
the force of gravity (downward).

Ex: gravitropism – responding to
gravity
Stems grow up
(negative)

Roots grow down

(positive)
 PLANT ADAPTATIONS
FOR DIFFERENT BIOMES
Desert Adaptations
•Small leaves or spines on desert plants
conserve water.
•Thick waxy skin holds in water.
•Roots near the soils surface soak up rain
water quickly before it evaporates.
Desert Adaptations
•This cactus
displays
several
desert
adaptations:
it has spines
rather than
leaves and it
Desert Adaptations

•This cactus
displays light-
colored hair that
helps shade the
plant
Grassland Adaptations
•Deep roots help plants survive prairie
fires.
•Narrow leaves lose less water than broad
leaves.
•Flexible stems bend in the wind.
Tundra Adaptations
•Small plants grow close to the ground
for warmth.
•Dark colored flowers absorb heat from
the sun.
•Fuzzy stems provide protection from
wind.
Tundra Adaptations

•This plant grows

in a clump to
help conserve
heat.
•
Tundra Adaptations

Some plants
grow in clumps
to protect one
another from the
wind and cold.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Adaptations
•Thickbark protects trees and dropping leaves in
winter conserves water and nutrients during
cold winters.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Adaptations

•Broad leaves
can capture a lot
of sunlight for a
tree.
Temperate Deciduous
Forest Adaptations
•Inthe autumn,
deciduous trees
drop their leaves
to minimize
water loss.
Tropical Rain Forest
Adaptations
•● some plants climb
on others to reach
the sunlight
•● smooth bark and
smooth or waxy
flowers speed the
run off of water
Tropical Rainforest
Adaptations
•Smooth, slippery bark keeps vines from killing
trees.
•Slide shaped leaves lets rain run off so fungus
doesn’t grow on plants.
Tropical Rain Forest
Adaptations

•Proproots help
support plants in
the shallow soil
Tropical Rain Forest
Adaptations
Some plants
collect rainwater
into a central
reservoir.
Tropical Rain Forest
Adaptations

•Drip-tips
on
leaves help
shed excess
water.
Temperate Rain Forest
Adapatation
•cool temperatures
lead to slow
decomposition but
seedlings grow on
"nurse logs" to take
advantage of the
nutrients from the
decomposing fallen
logs.
•
Temperate Rain Forest
Adapatation

•Epiphytes live
on other plants
to reach the
sunlight
Temperate Rain Forest
Adapatation

Trees can grow

very tall in this
very moist
environment.
Taiga Plant Adaptation
•The shape of
many conifer
trees helps shed
heavy snow to
save branches
from breaking.
Water Adaptations
•Flexible stems move with water
currents.
•Floating seeds spread offspring.
Water Adaptations

•Aquaticplants
must be flexible to
withstand the
pressures of
moving water.
Water Adaptations
•Infloating plants
chlorophyll is
restricted to upper
surface of leaves
(part that the
sunlight will hit)
and the upper
surface is waxy to