GREEN PLANTS SOLVE LIFE PROBLEMS 



259 



containing seeds. We remember that the two big prob- 

 lems of living things are food getting and continuing their 

 kind. Let us see if we 

 have any clews as to 

 how a plant may do 

 these things. We will 

 take the production of 

 young plants first, be- 

 cause it is easier to see 

 and understand. 



The Use of the 

 Seed. If you split 

 open a soaked bean 

 seed and remove the 

 tough coat, you will 

 find a tiny plant be- 

 t ween the two 

 " halves" or cotyle- 

 dons. Such a baby 

 plant is called an em- 

 bryo and is found in 

 all kinds of seeds. 

 Evidently seeds pro- 

 vide plants with a 

 means of reproducing 



their kind. The young plant which grows is called a 

 seedling. If you plant bean seeds in sawdust, you will 

 be able to see just how the embryo within the seed de- 

 velops into a plant. 



What the Roots Do. Plants always have roots. These 

 anchor the plant, but they do more than that. Later, 

 when we study biology, we shall find that they are pro- 

 vided with millions of tiny absorbing organs which receive 

 water from the ground and pass it into the inside of 

 the root. Here it passes into woody tubes, which run 



An entire plant. How many structures can you 

 name ? Can you give the use of each structure ? 



