Nutrition

 

Photosynthesis

     Like many other plants, poison hemlock produces its own food, making it an

 autotrophic organism. Autotrophs are at the bottom of the food chain and serve as

 primary producers. This plant obtains its food from the process of photosynthesis,

 which occurs in the leaves. The plant takes in carbon dioxide through stomata on

the underside of the leaves, draws up water through its xylem near the roots and

 obtains its energy from the rays of the sun. The products of this reaction include

 oxygen and glucose. Glucose is used as an energy source for the plant and support

 offspring being produced in the seed. The storage of sugar within in the seeds gives

 the offspring time to obtain its energy from the sugar sink, before photosynthesizing

 on its own.

+ Learn more about how humans utilize the interactions of photosynthesis.

 

Photosynthesis Equation

 

The Xylem

     The xylem is an arrangement of  tubes and transport cells that help to move water

 and break down minerals within the plant. The roots contain xylem which help in

the absorption of water. The xylem also contains connected vessels that increase the

 movement of water from the roots of the plant, all the way to the leaves. The xylem

 structure and containment of water also aid in support for the plant's structure.

 

The Phloem

     The phloem is a system of vascular tissue that helps to bring sugars and other

 commodities of the plant's leaves, downward.  After the plant photosynthesizes and

 makes sugar, it must then distribute that sugar to all of the other cells within the

 plant for energy. A few different parts that help in this process include companion

 cells, sieve-tube members and phloem parenchyma. Much of the sugar is stored

 within the sieve-tube members and those sieve-tube members are supported by

 companion cells. The high sugar concentration within the sieve-tube members

 makes water from the xylem diffuse into the phloem. From there, the companion

 cells help to create ATP to move the sugar. The sugar then travels down

 throughout the plant.

 

 

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