Parts of Plants for Kids | Learn all about plant parts and their functions

Plant Parts. What's green and found all over? Nope, not money. In this video, we're talking about plants. Plants are everywhere. In the forest, in your neighborhood, in the country, on mountains, on farms, in your schoolyard, even in the sidewalk cracks in the city. A plant can be an apple tree, the grass on your soccer field, flowers in the flower pot in your kitchen, even that catnip your cat goes crazy for. That's a type of plant. We eat plants. They provide us with oxygen. They feed animals. Plants provide decorations. They're even used to make clothing, backpacks, and other household items. They're inside, outside, on rooftops, on golf courses, and just about everywhere. When you bite into an apple, have some bread, eat that pasta, quench your thirst with some orange or pineapple juice, eat those chips, or have that cookie. You're eating or drinking plants. Without plants, animals like you and me, including all the wildlife in the world, wouldn't be able to survive. So, let's start with the basics. What exactly are plants, what do they do, and what are they made of? Plants are living organisms like you and me that need several essential things to survive. Water, air, light, and nutrients from the soil. They also reproduce like all other living things. Every plant starts out as a seed. A seed is either planted in the soil by people, blown there by wind, or brought there by an animal. When a seed takes root in the ground, it uses that soil's nutrients to start to grow. Tiny holes in the seeds are called pores, and they drink in the nutrients and the water that the plant will need to continue to thrive. When the seed breaks open and a plant emerges, it will extend upward towards the sun or a source of light. As it grows, different parts of the plant will start to show, and eventually, that plant will create seeds of its own, and the process will start all over again. The various parts that make plants are not that different from our own bodies, in the sense that every part of a plant serves a specific function. Your blood carries oxygen around your body, from your heart to your brain. Your lungs breathe air in and out. Your stomach digests your food. Your skin protects your body. Plants have their own parts, such as their roots, their stems, their leaves, and their flowers, and they all have their own unique purpose. Each small part of the plant plays a vital role in making sure the plant survives and thrives. Here are the basic parts of every plant. The roots, the stem, the leaves, the flowers, the fruits, and the seeds. Of course, we know that the roots are underground and are the first part of the plant to grow out of the seed. But what do roots do? Well, first of all, they support and anchor the plant, so it won't blow away or fall over. They also absorb water and nutrients. They store sugar and minerals, and finally, they carry water and nutrients up to the rest of the plant. Here are some images of roots from various plants. Some are shallow, and some grow very, very deep. Next, you have your stem. The stem of a plant receives and carries water and nutrients from the roots, carries food produced by the leaves from one part of the plant to another, and helps water move up the plant to get distributed throughout its various parts. Stems also provide the support the leaves need to reach the sunlight. Think of the stem as a ladder for the plant, reaching higher and higher and closer to the sun. And then you have the leaves. The leaves are amazing. They actually make the food for the plants through a process of photosynthesis and come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Look at how small these leaves are. Now look at these. They're absolutely huge. The leaves catch the light and have openings to allow air and water to come and go. And finally, as you can see, there are veins in leaves. Just like your veins carry blood and nutrients you need to live, veins in the leaves of plants carry water and nutrients from one part of the leaf to another. What about flowers? We know they're super pretty to look at, often smell really sweet, and they attract bees. But what do they do? Well, flowers are the seed-making part of the plant, are used for fertilization so the plant can reproduce and sometimes turn into fruits or vegetables. They're colorful so that pollinators like bees and flies are attracted to them. The part below the flower that protects the buds as they start to bloom is called sepals. What about fruits? We all know they come from plants, but why? Just to be tasty and sweet for animals? Well, yes! That's because fruits contain seeds, and when animals eat them and leave behind their droppings, the seeds in the droppings that weren't digested can then become new plants. Fruits can also take the form of vegetables, and they also have seeds in them. Finally, you've got the seeds themselves. Seeds are where plants start, and they contain all that is needed to make a new plant. They have the plant's DNA already in them. They're full of nutrients that the new plant can use to help it start to sprout out of the ground. They're protected by an outer coat, and they're moved to new locations by the wind, water, or animals. What do you think is the coolest part of a plant? As you can see, all the parts are necessary for the whole plant to survive and thrive. If the parts don't work together, the plants won't be able to, well, be a plant. So the next time you're asked to take care of a plant, remember that all its parts are counting on you. You have to make sure it has enough water, plenty of light, and all of the nutrients it needs so that every part of the plant can do its thing. Under the right conditions, plants can live a long time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ficus plant to water. Thanks for following Clarendon Learning. Be sure to subscribe. For more free resources, check us out at clarendonlearning.org.