Functions of Plant Parts
Created By: Jill Heuvel
AgEd 410
Fall 1999
Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office
July, 2002
Functions of Roots:
1. To take in oxygen
during respiration.
2. To give off carbon
dioxide during
respiration.
3. To store food in the form
of starch (like the taproot of
a carrot).
4. To anchor the plant and
keep it in a stable position.
5. To absorb and translocate water and
nutrients to the stem via the root
hairs.
6. In legumes, such as alfalfa, the
roots play an important role in the
nitrogen fixation process.
( Bacteria live in the root nodules and
work to “fix” nitrogen for the plant).
Functions of Leaves:
1. Critical for photosynthesis
(the process by which plants
produce their food).
2. Aid in the process of
transpiration which is
necessary in order for
plants to cool themselves.
3. Leaves can store some food which
can later be transferred to other areas of
the plant.
4. Sometimes, leaves
can be used in asexual or
vegetative propagation.
Functions of Stems:
1. Translocate nutrients from the roots
to the leaves in the vessels of the xylem
and phloem.
2. Support the leaves
of the plant as well as
the fruit and flowers.
3. In some plants, stems function as a
source of food storage for the plant.
Tuber
Rhizome
(Asparagus)
(Irish Potato)
Bulb
(Tulip)
4. Primary plant growth occurs in the
tip of the stem (the terminal bud).
5. Stems can often be used
for vegetative propagation.
Functions of Fruit:
1. Protect the seeds inside
the ripened ovule (fruit).
2. Provide nutrients to the soil and
to a newly germinated seedling.
3. Aid in the dissemination/spreading
of seed by providing food for animals.
Animals eat the fruit and seeds. After the
fruit is digested, the seeds pass out in the
animal’s feces at another location.
4. Some plants have dry, dehiscent fruits
which split open to disseminate seeds.
Functions of Flowers:
1. Critical for plant
reproduction and the
continuance of the
species.
2. Pollination of the
flower instigates
fertilization of the
ovules.
3. The colorful
and/or fragrant
nature of the
flower attracts
insects and birds
that aid in the
pollination
process.
4. The flower can also serve as an
animal trap. Once the insect is trapped,
it can be digested by the plant for food.
(Venus Fly Trap)
THE END