Parts of a Plant

Did you know the orange carrot you might eat for lunch is actually a root? And the crunchy celery stick is a stem? Every plant is built from parts that each have an important job -- and today we're going on a plant part treasure hunt!

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: - Name four main parts of a plant: roots, stem, leaves, and flowers - Explain the job each plant part does - Point out a root, stem, leaf, and flower on a real or pictured plant - Sort common foods by which plant part they come from

Roots grow down into the dirt, and they do two big jobs. First, they act like straws, soaking up water and nutrients from the soil. Second, they anchor the plant in place, like tent stakes holding a tent steady in the wind. Carrots, radishes, and beets are all roots that plants store extra food in -- which is exactly why they taste so good to us!

The stem is the plant's highway system. It carries water up from the roots to the leaves, and carries food made in the leaves back down to the rest of the plant. Stems also hold the plant up tall so its leaves can reach sunlight. Celery is a stem you can actually see this happen in -- if you put a celery stalk in water with food coloring, the color travels up the tiny tubes inside, just like it would carry water in a real plant.

Leaves are the plant's food factories. Using sunlight, water, and air, leaves make sugar the plant uses for energy -- a process called photosynthesis. That's why leaves usually spread out flat and wide, to catch as much sunlight as possible. Flowers have a different job: making seeds so new plants can grow. Many flowers use bright colors and sweet smells to attract bees and butterflies, who carry pollen from flower to flower and help seeds form inside.