CHAPTER ONE WHY PLANTS ARE IMPORTANT Plants that bear fruit provide food for humans and other animals here could be no life on earth without plants Plants are the only earth living things that can make energy from the sun Every other living thing has to eat to get energy Humans and other animals depend on plants for much of their food 21 CENTURY SKILLS LIBRARY
Plants come in all shapes and sizes Different Century parts of plants are used as food Beets and carrots Intent are the roots of plants Apples and bananas are the fruits of plants We eat stems of asparagus and leaves of lettuce The seeds of corn and rice plants are the main foods in many countries Today s cars are not just fueled by gasoline Ethanol made from plants also fuels modern cars In the United States ethanol is made mainly from Corn In Brazil it is made from sugarcane Scientists are working to find ways to make ethanol from other plants Among these are weeds and grasses and peelings from potatoes Ethanol can be used in cars outboard motors lawnmowers chain saws snowmobiles and other small engines Like humans animals depend on plants for food Koalas eat the leaves of one type of tree Deer eat lots of different plants Horses eat grass and other plants Even when animals eat meat they are eating animals that ate plants When people eat chicken bacon and steaks they are eating food that came from plant eating REAL WORLD SCIENCE PLANTS
A fuzzy caterpillar finds food and shelter among the leaves of plants animals Milk and eggs come from cows and chickens that are plant eating animals Plants provide homes and shelter for many animals Birds build nests in tes Caterpiles make their homes in plants Timid alamanders hide under falen logs During storms and harsh weather animals take shelter under plants Plants provide humans with material for shelter and clothing wood to build our homes comes from trees So does the wood for our tables 6 21 CENTURY SKILLS LIBRARY
and chairs Cotton and linen to make our clothes comes from the fibers of plants So do the dyes that make them colorful Wool for sweaters comes from plant eating animals Silk comes from silkworms that feed on leaves from mulberry trees Plants furnish raw materials for making many products Ropes that tie huge ships to docks are made from thousands of tiny plant fibers Roses lilacs and other flowers are used to make perfumes Wood pulp is used to make paper Plants are also an important source of fuel Some Plants provide raw materials for many things including the ropes that tie these boats to the dock REAL WORLD SCIENCE PLANTS
