The earth is covered in a large variety of plants and we depend on many of them to create the oxygen that we need to breathe and have a healthy planet.
Most plants are green due to the chlorophyll that they need to create their food from the sun’s energy. Some plants flower, while others simply create seed pods. There are thousands of variations of plant types and each one is based on location, weather, and amount of moisture that they get.
Green plants use sunlight as an energy source to make their food. What is this process called?
Photosynthesis. This is a very sophisticated chemical process that uses the sunlight to “synthesis’ or change carbon dioxide and water into the food source that it needs. The product left over is oxygen and thanks to the plants, we have oxygen to breathe.
The study of plants is what scientific branch?
Botany. Botanists examine each kind of plant that is found all over the world so that they know how they work and how they are different.
In the movie “Jurassic Park” the scientists pulled dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber. What is amber?
Amber is fossilized tree sap. The insects that fed on the dinosaurs became trapped in the sap and over thousands of years the sap hardened and fossilized into what is known as “amber.”
Who existed on earth first: humans or plants?
The answer is plants. They are some of the simplest life forms. It’s believed that plants appeared on earth during the Ordovician period, or around 470 million years ago. They were close to the mosses that we see today and didn’t have root systems that were very deep.
Are there plants that are carnivorous (meat eating)?
Yes. There are a variety of plants that attract insects by letting off a scent that brings them to them. Once the insect lands it either falls into a tubular shape, known as a pitcher plant, that holds them in the liquid while other plants, like the Venus flytrap simply folds itself around the insect so that they are trapped.
Many plants rely on pollinators for fertilization. What are the world’s greatest pollinators?
Bees and butterflies. Without pollinators many of the crops that we grow for our food wouldn’t exist. The pollinators collect the pollen on parts of their bodies and as they go from flower to flower and plant to plant, they deposit the pollen which fertilizes the next plant.
Bamboo is a versatile plant that can be used as a renewable and sustainable source for a variety of uses. How fast does bamboo grow?
In the right conditions, bamboo can grow as much as 24 inches/60 cm in a single day. Because it’s so fast-growing and resilient, it is now being used for everything from kitchenware to building materials. Bamboo is also insect resistant.
What is the grain that has the highest production level around the world?
Corn, also known as “maze.” Thousands of years ago corn had just a small seed, but due to humans breeding specific corn types, they eventually developed it to the corn size that we are familiar with today. The second most popular grain that is produced around the world is rice.
How important are trees to our survival and that of all living things?
Trees produce a majority of the oxygen in the world and without them all living things would die. The tropical rain forests produce the greatest amount of oxygen.
What medicine was originally produced from the tree back of a willow tree?
Aspirin. Used as a painkiller and for the reduction of fever, it is just one of many medicines that are derived from herbs and plants.