I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast: A Celebration of Plants Around the World
WHAT IS A PLANT A plant is a living thing that usually grows in a permanent place The plant kingdom is so varied that it includes microscopic algae and pretty flowers right up to huge trees that can live for thousands of years It survives by taking in water H2O and nutrients through its roots and breathing in carbon dioxide CO2 through its leaves Using sunlight energy a plant can also make sugary food in a process known as photosynthesis Plants also need oxygen to survive They use it to break down their food which helps them grow see pages 16-17 This is a process called respiration 12
DID YOU KNOW It takes just 500 seconds for the Sun’s energy to reach Earth To reach the Sun’s surface from its core it takes a staggering 20,000 years
PLANT PARTS Each part of a plant has a specific job to do Let’s take a closer look at this poppy and its defining features to give us more insight into how plants work Leaves These thin flat organs are where tiny chloroplasts can be found These make the leaves look green Leaves also help the plant to make its own food Learn more about this on pages 16-17 Stem Flexible and strong a stem stalk or trunk helps the plant to stand up from the ground It also protects the important transportation tubes that carry sugary food down from the plant’s leaves and water up from its roots Roots Roots seek out and suck up water and nutrients They also anchor the plant into the soil 14
Flowers Most plants produce flowers at some point in their life so that they can make seeds and therefore more plants Learn more about flowers on pages 20-23 Poppy 15
