Class 6 Science Chapter 7 Plants Getting to Know Plants, Herbs, Shrubs, Trees, Creepers, Climbers, Root and Stem, Leaf
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Getting to Know Plants
Three Types of Plants
Herbs
- Plants with green and tender stems are called herbs.
- These plants are usually sort and may not have many branches.
- Wheat, paddy, cabbage, etc. are some of the examples.
Shrubs
- These plants develop branches near the base of a stem.
- The stem is hard but not very thick.
- Lemon, Coriander, Rose, etc. are some of the examples.
Trees
- These plants are very tall and have hard and thick stem.
- Much above the ground, stems have branches in the upper part.
- Mango, banyan, acacia, coconut, etc. are some of the examples.
Some Other Types of Plants
Creepers
- These are the plants with weak stems that cannot stand upright but spread on the ground.
- Pumpkin, Watermelon, etc. are some of the examples.
Climbers
- These are the plants with weak stem and need support.
- Cucumber, bean, etc. are some of the examples.
Roots and Stem
Root
- It is the underground part of a plant and is usually pale in colour.
- They perform important functions such as holding the plant firmly in the soil and absorbing water and minerals from the soil.
Tap Root
- It is a large, central root through which other roots sprout laterally.
- A taproot is typically somewhat straight and very thick.
- Tapering in shape and grows directly downward.
- Pea, radish, carrot, mango, etc. are some of the examples.
Fibrous Root
- Usually formed by thin, moderately branching roots growing from the stem.
- It forms a dense network of roots closer to the soil surface.
- Wheat, rice, and corn, etc. are some of the examples.
Stem
- It usually grows above the ground.
- It bears leaves, branches, buds, flowers, and fruits.
- Node is the point from where branches or leaves grow.
- Internode is the portion of a stem between two consecutive nodes.
- Functions of stem:
- Provides structural support to the plant.
- Water and minerals are carried to different parts of the plant from the roots.
- In plants like potato, ginger, etc. stem undergoes modification for food storage.
Leaf
- It is the thin, flat, and green structure arising from the node of the stem.
- Chlorophyll is a green-coloured pigment that gives green colour to the leaves.
- Lamina is the flat green portion of the leaf.
- Petiole is the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem.
Venation
- It is the arrangement of veins in a leaf.
- Reticulate venation is the network like structure made by veins. Some of the examples are leaves of banyan, mango, etc.
- Parallel venation is the veins running parallel to each other. Some of the examples are leaves of paddy, wheat, grass, etc.
Stomata
- Small openings on the lower surface of a leaf.
- It is through stomata only that gases enter or exit the leaf.
- Excess of unwanted water gets removed through stomata in the form of water vapour.
Transpiration
- It is the process of water movement through a plant along with its evaporation from different parts such as leaves, stems, and flowers.
- Through stomata a major portion of transpiration happens.
Functions of Leaf
- To produce food for the plant by photosynthesis.
- Stomata in leaves also facilitate breathing by leaves.
- They also protect the plants from grazing animals.
- Also helpful in storing food and water.