Make food using sunlight (photosynthesis).
Anchor the plant and absorb WATER and minerals from the soil.
Makes seeds for reproduction — attracts pollinators.
Learn the Parts
1Leaves make food.
Using energy from sunlight, leaves combine water and carbon dioxide into sugar (food), releasing oxygen. This is photosynthesis.
2Roots absorb water — not food.
Roots take in water and minerals and anchor the plant. Minerals help the plant grow but aren’t its food.
3Flowers make seeds.
Pollination (often by insects) lets flowers form seeds, which grow into new plants.
Worked Example
What does a plant need to grow well, and why does one in a dark cupboard die?
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
They make their own! Plants take WATER and minerals from soil, but their food is made in the leaves by photosynthesis using sunlight.
They use carbon dioxide! For photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen — the reverse of our breathing.
Leaves make food! Roots absorb water and anchor the plant; the food factory is the leaf.
⬇ Cheat Sheet
- Leaves make food by photosynthesis using sunlight.
- Photosynthesis: water + carbon dioxide + light → sugar + oxygen.
- Roots absorb water and minerals; they don't make food.
- Flowers make seeds via pollination.
📖 Continue Your Journey
Quick summary
- Leaves make food by photosynthesis using energy from sunlight.
- Photosynthesis: water + carbon dioxide + light → sugar + oxygen.
- Roots absorb water and minerals and anchor the plant — they don't make food.
- Flowers make seeds through pollination.
Frequently asked questions
How do plants make food?
In their leaves, by photosynthesis: sunlight provides energy to combine water and carbon dioxide into sugar, releasing oxygen. Plants make their own food rather than eating it.
Do plants eat soil?
No — they absorb water and minerals from soil through their roots, but their food is made in the leaves using sunlight.
What does each plant part do?
Roots absorb water and anchor the plant; leaves make food; the stem carries water and holds the plant up; flowers make seeds for reproduction.
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