Plant structure and function

• typical flowering plant:

  A) lateral bud

  
• the region of stem from which leaves and buds arise is called a node
• The region of stem between two nodes is the internode
• The leaves: make food by photosynthesis and pass it back to the stem
• Roots: absorb water and mineral salts from soil, anchor the plant into the ground, store food and transport it around the plant.
• Stem: supports the plant, transports water and minerals upwards and downwards, stores food and protects the plant
• Whole leaf

  
• Petiole - Stalk that attaches the blade to the stem
• Veins - Carry water and nutrients through the lamina
• Lamina - Blade part of the leaf
• Midrib - Main vein running along the centre of the leaf
• Arrangements of cells in a leaf

  A) a

  
• stomata-allows gases to diffuse in and out of the leaf
• guard cell- controls the opening and closing of stomata
• Spongy mesophyll- contains lots of air spaces
• Palisade mesophyll- contains lots of chloroplasts and is the site of photosynthesis
• veins-transport water needed for making sugar by photosynthesis to the mesophyll cells