Roots, Stems, Leaves, Flowers

Most plants have FOUR main parts that work TOGETHER. ROOTS grow DOWN into the soil. STEMS hold the plant UP. LEAVES catch sunlight. FLOWERS make new seeds. Each part has a special job. Together they keep the plant alive and growing.

What each part does. ROOTS: drink water and minerals from soil; anchor the plant. STEMS: carry water UP to leaves and food DOWN to roots; hold the plant tall to reach sunlight. LEAVES: use sunlight to make food (photosynthesis); breathe in carbon dioxide and out oxygen. FLOWERS: make seeds with help from pollinators (bees, butterflies); seeds grow into new plants.

Some plants are different. CACTUS: leaves shrunk into spines to save water in deserts; stems do photosynthesis. CARROT: a giant taproot stores food (we eat the root!). VENUS FLYTRAP: a leaf is shaped like a trap to catch insects. EVERY plant has the four basic parts in some form, but they're shaped to fit their environment.

Once you know the four basic parts, you can understand any plant. Their jobs together make the plant a tiny living factory — drinking, growing, eating sunlight, and making more of itself.