Plant+Cells+-+AO

=To Start With..= toc The sun scorches on a glossy, beautiful day. Solar panels catch the light and use it to provide energy in someone's home. This process is like plant cells performing photosynthesis. We may not realize the immense quest plant cells have. We don’t have the knowledge or understanding of the unique cells that strive to make the food they deserve. The green organelle has the power of food making. This organelle is called chloroplasts. Plant illnesses-Burls, which is plant cancer, and fungi, which is causes plant diseases. This will shorten the life of the plants. The last question is, what more can we learn about these cells?

**Power of Photosynthesis...** The way plant cells get their food is a whole different way than most cells. It’s like walking into a new world. The process is called photosynthesis. According to the texbook, Cronkite, Donald, Cells and Heredity. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007, Photosynthesis is a process where a cell takes energy from the sun, and uses the energy to make food. There are several steps to Photosynthesis. Plants use their roots to absorb the water from the soil. While this is happening, the leaves collect carbon dioxide from the air. These cells from the carbon dioxide and the water contain chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are an interesting green organelle that absorbs sunlight. However, Chloroplast doesn’t just have a special green tool. Their green color comes from pigments, which is chlorophyll. Photosynthesis is very important for a Plant Cell. animal cells have a tool called cellular respiration. This is when they break down their food molecules. animal cells are able to do this because of their ability to digest food. Plant Cells however, don’t digest food as well as animal cells. That is the importance of photosynthesis. Once the chloroplasts trap the energy from the sun, they turn it into a nutrients for the plant cell to feed off of (“Photosynthesis”- Brainpop). Photosynthesis doesn’t just magically happen, chloroplast plays a big role in it. (“Plant Cell”) This is a plant cell. You can see the layers of the plant. = = =Like a Solar Panel...= Like a solar panel, chloroplast absorbs the sunlight. It gets the strong, shimmering, glossy energy from the sun, and turns it into something useful. In a plant's eyes, it turns it into food. According to the textbook, Cronkite, Donald, Cells and Heredity. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007, chloroplasts are a green organelle in a plant cell. The green color comes from pigments which are “A colored chemical compound that absorbs light.” This is a photosynthetic cell. In addition, there’s the cell wall. The cell wall keeps the cells connected. I like to think of the cell wall comparable our body. Our body protects from harm, and supports us as we grow. As cells grow, the cell wall keeps them healthy and supported. Furthermore, chloroplasts absorb the sunlight from their green color that makes them a chloroplast. This green color comes from pigments. Chlorophyll, however, is the main photosynthetic pigment (“Cell's” page 46). A photosynthetic pigment is, “Responsible for the capture of light during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis” (encyclopedia.com.) At the moment, it sounds like a plant cell has a process that keeps it healthy. Plants cells aren’t perfect. Results say even plants can get sick! (“Chloroplasts”) This a picture of a chloroplast. The main cell in photosynthesis. = = =**Plant Diseases, Yay or Nay?**= Plant Cancer. Sound familiar? If not, it happens. Ever seen a tree that has a big glob of brown. That’s plant cancer! These brown globs are called burls. Burls are a knot or lump (“Burls”) According to the video, “Do Plants Get Cancer?”,the cell has an “uncontrolled cell division,” causing the burls to appear. This is called plant cancer. One effect of plant cancer, is that the plants just live with the burls for their life span. Another result of plant cancer is automatically dying. This is because the cells in the plant aren’t working the way they’re supposed to. There is another plant disease caused by fungi. Fungi is looking for the plant’s food. It gets the food by attaching to the plant. To find out more about fungi, go to [|__http://www.pklifescience.com/article/307?search=fungi__] The problem of fungi is that it suffocates to death the plant because it’s trapping their breathing holes (“Plant Pathology.”) Plant cells are a wild part of our lives. Something we can’t relate to. Like a whole new journey.



(“Burls” This is a burl on a normal tree in the forest. This tree has Plant Cancer.

= = =To End With...= Plant cells have many attributes helping them tackle their jobs. The mitochondria uses oxygen to process food for energy. The nucleus contains information a cell needs to function. Lastly, the vacuole stores water for other cells (“Plant Cells.”) Plant cells do much more than many people think. Have you ever thought about what life would be like without plants? I believe it would be a very ugly and boring place. “Always do your best, what you plant now, you will harvest later” (brainyquote.com;) but that is just one thing a plant teaches us.

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= Works Cited =

“All About Fungi.” Mycolog.com, Mycologue Publications, mycolog.com/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017.

“Burls.” Wikipedia, www.google.com. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.

“Cells.” PowerKnowledge Life Science, Rosen Publishing, www.pklifescience.com/article/489/cells. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017.

“Chloroplasts.” Wikipedia, www.google.com/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.

Cronkite, Donald L., and Thomas R. Wellnitz. Cells and Heredity. Boston, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.

“Do Plants Get Cancer?” YouTube, uploaded by SciShow, SciShow, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqkQry_T4yc&app=desktop. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017.

“Phtosynthesis.” BrainPOP, www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/photosynthesis/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017.

“Plant Cell.” Wikipedia.org, www.google.com. Accessed 3 Feb. 2017.

“Science.” Classzone.com, McDougal Littell, www.classzone.com/cz/index.htm%20science. Accessed 30 Jan. 2017.