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Wilting leaves
On warm, sunny days, plants
lose lots of water from their
leaves. If they lose too much
their leaves collapse. This is
called wilting. If plants don’t
get enough water their leaves
will shrivel and die.
How plants work
No, many bacteria also make food by photosynthesis.
Storing food
Spare food is stored for future
use. Plants such as hyacinths
store food in the base of their
leaves. This makes the leaves
swell and form a bulb. The
bulb survives the winter and
in spring it sprouts new leaves.
Fruit acts as a
store of sugar
and water.
Carrot plants
store food in
their roots.
Desert plants
Plants that live in dry
areas such as deserts have
to save their water. Many
have leaves that are thick
and covered in wax to stop
transpiration. Cacti have
spines rather than leaves
and thick stems in which
they can store water.
New growth
Plants use sugar and starch
as fuel. The fuel is transported
to cells where it is burnt to
release energy, which is used
to grow new cells and repair
old ones.
Bulb
Place a stem of celery in a
glass of water coloured with
a few drops of food colouring.
After two hours, cut across the
stem. You will see tiny dots of
colour showing the tubes
that carry the water.
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