Leaves are the plants' food factory

A leaf is a flat, thin plant organ that uses the sun to make its own food. In general leaves are green and use the chemical called chlorophyll to trap energy from the sun. This process is known as Photosynthesis.

The energy is used to combine water from the soil and carbon dioxide gas from the air to make sugar.

Oxygen is released during this process called respiration. The leaf acts almost like a solar panel for attracting energy from the sun. Leaves are prominent in the human diet as leafy vegetables such as lettuce. You may not realise it but we eat some form of leaf almost every day.

Different types of leaves

Most leaves are flat to increase the absorption from the sun although this is not always the case. The main flat area is called the blade or lamina. Not all leaves are flat but most are. A simple leaf has an undivided blade. A compound leaf has a fully subdivided blade which is separated by a main or secondary vein.

What is a plant?

A living thing that usually can produce its own food, reproduce, and is rarely able to move by itself. Many (although not all) plants are green and are part of our ecosystem. A plant is what the leaf is attached to.

The parts of a plant

The plant is made up of three parts.The leaves are basically a food making machine.

The stems are the plant's support system. Stems hold up leaves to the light and keep fruits and flowers attached.

They grow straight up, trail along the ground, climb fences and trees or stay underground.

The roots are the plants' anchor and hold the plant firmly to the ground. Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil. They also store minerals.