Plant Parts or Parts of Plants

(generally, flowering plants have special parts that make it possible for them to exist)

flower (s), flowers (pl) (nouns)
Those parts of flowering plants which are the sexual reproductive units that produce and contain the sex cells (gametes) of plants.

Flowers also attract pollinators (birds, insects, etc.) which carry off pollen from the stamen and fertilize other flowers of the same or other plants.

fruit (s), fruits (pl) (nouns)
Fruits help in the dispersion or spreading of the plant's seeds.

After fertilization, the ovary begins to develop into a fruit, and ovules into seeds. The seeds are carried off and will, if conditions are acceptable, eventually start new plants.

The seeds are spread in several ways:

  • Light seeds are carried away by the wind; for example, dandelion seeds.
  • Birds are attracted to some fruits and, after eating the fruit, they scatter seeds that are in their droppings.
  • Barbed seeds stick to animals as they move among the plants and then the seeds eventually fall off or are scratched off.
  • If some types of fruit are shaken by external forces; for example, by the wind, the seeds will drop out into the soil.
leaf (s), leaves (pl) (nouns)
Leaves are the plant's devices for intercepting light, obtaining and storing water and food, exchanging gases, and providing areas for photosynthesis (carbohydrates that are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source).
root (s), roots (pl) (nouns)
Generally, those parts of plants which anchor the organisms, or plants, to a solid surface; such as, the ground.

Roots are also used to absorb nutrients and water, are important in the asexual reproduction, and sometimes store food.

Roots range from a single large root (taproot) to a mass of similar-sized roots. These roots penetrate the soil by cell divisions and elongations of the cells just behind the tips.

seed (s), seeds (pl) (nouns)
There are different ways that seeds develop all of which depend on the kind of plants.

Usually, as the fertilized egg within the ovule develops into an embryo, the ovule walls convert to a seed coat, turning the ovule into a seed or ripened ovule.

The seed cover protects the inside from injury or drying and it is used as nourishment until the seedling can process food on its own.

The germination of seeds depend on the temperature and moisture of the environment; in particular, warmer temperatures are usually necessary for germination and seedling growth; although for some seeds to successfully germinate, they need cool temperatures.

During the germination process, the seed absorbs water, a root pushes through the seed coating; and finally, a shoot pushes up trough the soil and forms a tiny leaf.

Energy for germination is contained within the seed, but such energy for growth after germination comes through the leaves.

stem (s), stems (pl) (nouns)
The stem produces and supports new leaves, branches, and flowers and keeps these items in positions to receive light, water, and warmth.

The main functions of stems are to transport materials; such as, water and nutrients, to and from the roots. Stems may also contribute to the reproduction of plants, store food, or help in photosynthesis.

—Compiled from information as seen in
The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference by Patricia Barnes-Svarney, Editorial Director;
A Stonesong Press Book; New York; 1995; page 105.