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www.GOALias.blogspot.com1Nutrition in PlantsIn Class VI you learnt that food isessential for all living organisms.You also learnt that carbohydrates,proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals arecomponents of food. These componentsof food are necessary for our body andare called nutrients.All living organisms require food.Plants can make their food themselvesbut animals including humans cannot.They get it from plants or animals thateat plants. Thus, humans and animalsare directly or indirectly dependent onplants.1.1 MBoojho wants to knowhow plants preparetheir own food.1.1 MODEOF NUTRITIONIN PLANTSPlants are the only organisms that canprepare food for themselves by usingwater, carbon dioxide and minerals. Theraw materials are present in theirsurroundings.The nutrients enable livingorganisms to build their bodies, to grow,to repair damaged parts of their bodiesand provide the energy to carry out lifeprocesses. Nutrition is the mode oftaking food by an organism and itsutilisation by the body. The mode ofnutrition in which organisms make foodthemselves from simple substances iscalled autotrophic (auto = self; trophos= nourishment) nutrition. Therefore,plants are called autotrophs. Animalsand most other organisms take in readymade food prepared by the plants. Theyare called heterotrophs (heteros =other).Now we may ask where the foodfactories of plants are located: whetherfood is made in all parts of a plant oronly in certain parts? How do plantsobtain the raw materials from thesurroundings? How do they transportthem to the food factories of the plants?1.2.2Paheli wants to know whyour body cannot make foodfrom carbon dioxide, waterand minerals like plants do..2 PHOTOSYNTHESIS— FOODMAKINGPROCESSIN PLANTSLeaves are the food factories of plants.The synthesis of food in plants occursin leaves. Therefore, all the rawmaterials must reach there. Water andminerals present in the soil are absorbedby the roots and transported to the