Choice Plants

How Do Plants Store Excess Sugar?

By David Lessem

Although plants do take water and some nutrients from the ground, they are actually built mainly from air and sunlight. A plant absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, water from the ground, and energy from the sun's light. It uses the energy to convert the carbon dioxide into carbohydrates, releasing oxygen as a byproduct. The plant then uses these carbohydrates to grow, converting them...

How Does Sunlight Affect Plant Growth?

By David Lessem

Plants need sunlight to grow. A special pigment in the leaves called chlorophyll absorbs energy from the sun. The leaves absorb carbon dioxide through tiny holes from the surrounding air, and take in water drawn up from the roots. The sunlight provides the energy the plant needs to turn the carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates which it needs to grow. Some plants are specially evolved to...

How Do Plants Reproduce?

By Keri Honea

Plants have structures called gametophytes that contain male and female gametes for reproduction. The concept of gametophytes is roughly similar to the sex cells in reproduction in the animal kingdom. The male gametophytes release the male gametes (sperm) into nature to find other female gametophytes of the same species and fertilize the female gametes (eggs). Plants rely on the elements of...