Plant systems are made up of plant cells. Organelles in a plant cell include chloroplasts, central vacuole, nucleus, ribosomes, etc. Plant cells are multicellular organisms. They survive by using the metabolic process of photosynthesis, where plant cells convert solar energy into chemical energy for nutrients and food.
There are non-vascular and vascular plants. They are distinguished by their different strategies for water and nutrient transport.
Non-vascular plants, as the name suggests, lack vascular tissues for water and nutrient transport. They tend to be small due to the lack of a system to efficiently transport substances. They mainly depend on diffusion and osmosis for water and nutrient absorption. Some examples of nonvascular plants include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
Vascular plants possess specialized vascular tissues, xylem and phloem, for nutrient transport. The xylem conducts water and minerals from the roots to other parts of the plant. The phloem transports substances from the leaves to other plant parts. Vascular plants can grow larger and taller than nonvascular plants due to their vascular tissues. Some examples of vascular plants include ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.
Both types of plants use photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process where plants convert light energy into chemical energy, stored in the form of glucose. This metabolic process occurs first in the chloroplast, organelle containing chlorophyll. There are the light-dependent and light-independent reactions. During the light-dependent reactions, light energy is absorbed and used to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate). During the light-independent reaction, carbon dioxide is fixed and converted into carbohydrates. Oxygen is released as a byproduct during the process.
Photosynthesis not only sustains plant life but also plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, making it a cornerstone of Earth's ecosystems and the foundation of energy flow in most ecosystems.
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