| Having fun with plants. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plant me don't kill me!! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Photosynthesis is the chemical reaction that involves the following: 6CO2+6H2O=C6H12O6. This is the source of the oxygen we breathe, and thus, a significant factor in the concerns about deforestation. Photosynthesis(photo=light; syn=with, together;thesis=an arranging) is the process of converting light energy to chemical energy and storing it in the bonds of sugar. This process occurs in plants and some algae (Kingdom Protista). Plants need only light energy, carbon dioxide and water to make sugar. The process of photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts (chloro= green; plasti=formed, molded), specifically using chlorophyll (phyll=leaf), the green pigment involved in photosynthesis. Photosynthesis takes place primarily in plant leaves and little to none occurs in stems. The parts of a typical leaf include the upper and lower epidermis (epi=upon, over; derm=skin), the mesophyll (meso=middle), the vascular bundles(s) (veins), and the stomates (stoma=mouth). The upper and lower epidermal cells do not have chloroplasts, thus photosynthesis does not occur there. They serve primarily and are for air exchange: They let CO2 in and O2 out. The vascular bundles or veins in a leaf are part of the plant's transportation system, moving water and nutrients around the plants as needed. The mesophyll cells have chloroplasts and this is where photosynthesis occurs. Chlorophyll looks green because it absorbs red and blue light, making these colors unavailable to be seen by our eyes. It is the green light which is NOT absorbed that finally reaches our eyes, making chlorophyll appear green. However, it is the energy from the red and blue light that are absorbed that is, there by, able to be used to do photosynthesis. The green light we can see is not/cannot be absorbed by the plant, and thus cannot be used to do photosynthesis. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| CARNIVOROUS PLANTS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Insectivorous plants, also carnivorous plants, plants that gain some of their nutrition from animals, especially insects, captured by the plants themselves. Most occur in bogs where the soil is acid and poor in available nitrogen; capturing insects is one way of getting nitrogenous compounds without manufacturing them. At the same time, the green leaves of these plants manufacture carbohydrates. The trapping mechanism of insectivorous plants is relatively small. Therefore, prey is almost inevitably limited to small insects. Insectivorous plants are diverse and represent members of three orders of dicots: Nepenthales, Scrophulariales, and Rosales. A majoriy are in the Nepenthales, including the pitcher plant, sundews and the Venus-flytrap, and East Indian pitcher plants. Others include the bladderworts, butterworts, and the Australian pitcher plant. SUNDEWS The sundews include about 90-100 species of mainly perennial herbs. Found worldwide, they are among the most common of insectivorous plants. The small white, pink, or purple flowers grow alone or in one-sided clusters. The leaves form small rosettes on the ground in bog areas; the upper surfaces of each leaf is covered with prominent, gland-tipped, green to reddish hairs. The glands excrete a clear, sticky fluid that clings to them like dewdropps; the name sundew is taken from these drops, as they are not dried up by the sunlight. If a small insect alights on the leaf or brushes past it, it is held fast by the sticky hairs, which curve inward and press the victim down onto the surface of the blade, where it is digested. BLADDERWORTS The bladderworts make up about five genera of widely distributed herbs. The most widespread genus contains about 275 species found in temperate and tropical regions throughout the world. Some species of this genus are aquatic and others terrestrial. Several tropical species are air plants resembling orchids. Among the aquatic bladderworts, some root in the mud; others, such as the common bladderwort, are rootless, floating freely in ponds. The common and scientific names of the genus refer to the many utricles, or bladders, borne on the leaves of the common bladderwort. The bladders of the common bladderwort range up to 0.5cm in diameter. Each has an orifice that is guarded by bristles. When tiny aquatic insects or other animals, including minute fish, touch these bristles, the bladder suddenly dilates, sucking in trapping the animal. By digesting its prey, the bladderwort obtains the food that plants normally get through a root system. I will be moving my belongings in shortly. In the meantime why not check out the link below to get your own 20MB of free webspace? | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION OF A ROSE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Rose is the most popular garden flower. Highly valued for its form, fragrance and endless variety of color. Tremendous progress has been made in raising new varieties by crossbreeding and selection. New types have arisen; the season of blooming has been prolonged to such and extent that many modern varieties bloom intermittently or in some instances continously throughout the summer and autumn months. Only a severe frost puts an end to their blooming season. The species of wild Roses are classed under Rosa and a few hybrids that resemble wild kinds, but for garden purposes, the remaining types are grouped in various ways: according to their habits of growth; according to their ancestry; according to the manner in which they are grafted, budded or trained; and in a number of other ways. These groups are not always clear. They often overlap, but are generally convenient and practical. It's important that the person interested in Roses be familiar with the different types of Roses even though he may not be able, at sight, to place any given Rose in a specific category. | My interests:
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