Plants as Producers What do plants produce Plants

Plants as Producers What do plants produce?

Plants produce food and oxygen through a process called photosynthesis.

Synthesis means “put together”. Photo means “light”. Photosynthesis means “Put together with light”. Plants make food with light energy from the sun.

Photosynthesis • Most plants contain a green chemical called chlorophyll. This explains their green color. • When sun shines on a plant, the chlorophyll traps the light energy. This energy is used to make food by combining water and carbon dioxide. – Carbon dioxide is the gas animals give off when they breathe. How do animals help plants?

• During photosynthesis a plant makes more food and oxygen than it needs. The extra food is stored in the plant. The extra oxygen is released into the air through small holes in the plant’s leaves. How do plants help animals?

Plants store the extra food in different ways. Some plants store food in the form of sugar. Many plants store sugar in their fruits. Can you name some? Others store food in the form of starch, which does not taste sweet. Can you name some of these?

Things to remember • Plants produce food through a process called photosynthesis. • Plants make food by using energy from the sun to combine water and carbon dioxide. • Chlorophyll traps light energy that is used in photosynthesis.

Uses of plants Food Wood and paper Fibers Dyes Rubber, plastic and gum Medicines

Food • Seeds: corn, rice, peanuts

• Roots: beets, carrots, radishes

• Stems: asparagus

• Leaves: cabbage, lettuce, spinach

• Fruits: Apples, oranges

• Other: Sugar – from the sugar cane plant or sugar beets; syrup from corn or maple trees; chocolate and tea from plants, coffee from trees, cough drops and gum from the gum tree Sugar cane

Tea plants Coffee tree Cocoa plant

Koala in a gum tree Gum tree

Other products • Wood • Paper Wood pulp for paper making

• Wood pulp can also be used to make alcohol and plastic products.

• Rubber tree: rubber and latex

• Fibers: cotton, hemp

Dyes

• Medicines: aloe Coneflower – can be used to treat some viruses Ellacampane – Used in cough syrup Aloe – used for burns