Cuánto sabemos de las plantas

Three hundred and twenty thousand

How much do we know plants?

Do you know that there are more than 320 000 species of plants?

To tell you the way scientists classify them, how they grow and reproduce I went to Xochimilco, the kingdom of plants. This is one of the most colorful markets in Mexico, where you can find the plant you really like.

Scientists classify them by tissue and reproduction.

Classification by tissue

There are Vascular and nonvascular plants

Vascular plants have vascular tissues that allow them to move water, nutrients and sugar across long distances, they have true leaves and roots. Some examples of vascular plants are: trees, flowers, ferns etc.

Nonvascular plants don't grow far from the ground and they absorb water and nutrients like sponges. Some examples are: mosses, liverworts etc.

Then comes the classification by reproduction using seeds:

An orange produces seeds in fruit. Look at this beautiful fruit trees, they are orange and lemon trees. Once an orange falls off the tree, it might get decomposed as time passes by, obviously the seeds get into the soil and with some important nutrients such as sunlight, water and soil, another tree will grow . And here we have a conifer which is clear example of seeds produced in cones.

Now, do you know that there are some plants that don't need seeds to reproduce? This fern is one example. As you can see it has spores that are single reproductive cells that can grow into a whole new plant. Mosses are another example of plants that don't need seeds to reproduce.

Spores need to stay moist and sprout soon after being released, but seeds don't. a seed has a covering that protects it, enabling it to rest for years until conditions are right for sprouting.

Finally lets see how seeds grow

A seed lies into in the soil. When the conditions are right the seed germinates, a stem grows upward and roots grow downward. Roots grow denser. Leaves mature and the plants absorb more energy. The plant continues to grow and finally the plant produces flowers and fruit.

Hope you have enjoyed it.

...