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At Ecologist Verde we want to talk to you about what are plants and their characteristics. Not only in a general way, but its importance within ecosystems and for us. These originated more than 500 million years ago from a type of algae and, from there, they populated the earth to provide the planet with a large amount of life.
Discover in this informative article everything you need to know about them and learn a little more about their function, classification and, even, about their medicinal uses, among other important information that we hope will help you to know them better, value them and take care of them with everything. the love they deserve.
What are plants and their function
We generally recognize plants as living creatures, generally green, that have adapted to the environment where they live and that, almost always, are fixed on the ground. However, its most characteristic feature is that they do not need to feed on other living beings to get the energy they need to survive. Your method of getting that input is through a function called photosynthesis. This process, exclusive to them, is carried out through plant cells, called chloroplasts, which carry a substance called chlorophyll. Thanks to it, the plant will capture solar energy. To this is added the collection of water, mineral salts and carbon dioxide, necessary to produce organic matter for their subsistence.
Among the various plant functionsMost importantly, during the photosynthesis process, plants give off oxygen to the atmosphere, vital for the rest of the living beings that populate the earth. To learn more about the functions of vegetables, we encourage you to read this other post on The importance of plants. In addition, to learn more about what plants are, we recommend reading this article about the Kingdom Plantae: what it is, characteristics, classification and examples.
Plant parts and their functions
Most plants have three main parts in which they coincide: roots, stem and leaves. However, some also have flowers and fruits, with their seeds inside and others do not have these structures or have different ones. Learn a little more about plants and their parts with this summary:
- The roots They are the underground organ of the plant, whose main function is to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, as well as to provide a solid grip. Here you can read more about Root Parts and their functions.
- Stem It is the part of the plant that has the function of providing structure and support to the rest of the aerial organs, such as the leaves and the flowers or fruits. Learn more about the Parts of the stem and their functions with this post.
- Leaves They are in charge of making food for the plant from the elements absorbed by the roots and from sunlight, through the photosynthesis process. Furthermore, they are also responsible for perspiration and respiration. In this link you will see more about the Parts of a sheet and their functions.
- We finally have flowers, which are a vital part of the sexual reproduction of angiosperms. The fertilized flowers will give rise to fruit, which protect the seeds while they are forming and will later help to spread them. In these other links you will learn more about What are the parts of a flower and their functions, the Parts of the seed and their functions and the Parts of the fruit and their functions.
If you want more details about the Parts of a plant and their functions, with diagrams, you can consult this other article and this video from Ecologist Verde.
Classification of plants
To help recognize the different Plants types that exist on our planet we offer you a simple classification of them, so that you can identify and know them at a glance:
Green algae
This type of plant, although they are within the Protista kingdom, are considered the primeval plants being the first organisms on earth to photosynthesize. Find out more about them here: What are green algae, characteristics, types and examples.
Embryophytes
Commonly known as land plants, are those that grow and feed on the earth's soil. These are divided into two sub-classifications: vascular and non-vascular.
- Vascular or higher plants: This type of plant consists of physical parts (root, stem, leaves, seed, flower and fruit) and vascular tissue to carry out the transport of nutrients. In turn, they are divided into: Vascular plants include: Pteridophytes and Spermatophytes. Within the latter they are classified into angiosperms and gymnosperms.
- Non vascular: as its own indicates they lack a vascular tissue and, in general, they do not have the physical constitution. Within this group are some algae and ferns.
Bryophytes
The habitat of this type of plants, mainly mosses, usually requires areas with high humidity and uses surfaces such as tree trunks, rocks. Similarly, there are also species that prefer mountain areas and low temperatures. In this other post you will see more information about Bryophyte Plants: examples and characteristics.
What are Angiosperm and Gymnosperm Plants
There is a classification of plants according to aspects related to their reproduction, which focuses on whether they are gymnosperms or angiosperms:
- Gymnosperms: those plants that have a woody trunk, seeds like flowers, and usually develop in regions with a cold or temperate climate. They are usually evergreen. Species such as cypresses, pines or redwoods belong to this group. Expand this information with this post about Gymnosperm Plants: what they are, characteristics and examples.
- Angiosperms: They are distinguished by being plants with showy flowers, seeds and fruits. Another of its main characteristics is that the ovule is protected by the fruit and it can even contain several seeds. They are the most abundant type of plants on the planet. By clicking here you will see more information about Angiosperm Plants: what they are, characteristics and examples.
To finish understanding this classification, we also recommend you read this other article about the Difference between angiosperms and gymnosperms.
What are carnivorous plants
We call carnivorous plants to those species that have evolved and developed the ability to obtain nutrients through the digestion of insects and even of small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Their techniques and strategies are very varied, generally using the production of sticky substances rich in sugars to attract insects to their different traps, where they will be absorbed and digested.
Learn much more about them by knowing these 9 types of carnivorous plants and their characteristics.
What are medicinal plants
The use of medicinal plants dates back to prehistory. Medicinal plants are known as the different plant species whose use is beneficial to human health. It can be used directly consumed as food, in infusions or even by direct application on the skin. In general, the industry uses its extracts or essential oils, of much greater potency and that should not be used without specific training, so it is vital to follow the doctor's instructions when consuming them.
If you are interested in delving further into the world of these types of plants, here are some guides from Ecologist Verde:
- 50 Mexican medicinal plants and what they are for.
- 60 medicinal plants of Peru and what they are for.
If you want to read more articles similar to What are plants, we recommend that you enter our Biology category.
