Plants and Their Parts
≈ 15 minA plant is built from parts, and each part has its own job:
| Part | Its job |
|---|---|
| Roots | Hold the plant firmly in the soil and take in water |
| Stem | Holds the plant up and carries water up to the leaves |
| Leaves | Catch sunlight and make food for the plant |
| Flower | Makes seeds that grow into new plants |
Work from the ground up: roots drink, the stem carries, the leaves make food, and the flower makes the next generation.
Worked example. Look at a pumpkin plant on a farm in Limpopo. Its roots grip the soil and sip up water. A long stem creeps along the ground. Wide green leaves sit in the sun making food. Yellow flowers appear, and each one can grow into a pumpkin full of seeds — the start of new pumpkin plants.
Which part of a plant takes in water from the soil?
Which part of a plant catches sunlight and makes food?
What is the main job of a flower?
A farmer plants 3 neat rows of mielies with 4 plants in each row. How many mielie plants are there altogether?