Quickie Questions - Alive and Living

Quickie Questions - Alive and Living - Plants

Date Answered Questioner (age, location) Question Answer

March 11, 2008 Jib (age 13, Ohio/United stayes) What do animals need nitrogen for? All plants and animals need nitrogen to make amino acids.

July 6, 2007 Jojo (age 13, WI) How do Tsunamis affect Plants?
Respond ASAP!!!!!
Tsunamis can be a very aggressive natural phenomenon. Both fauna and flora suffer when the waves reach inland. Trees can be uprooted by the waves, salty water can also damage them, sediments could have many effects, etc. For a more extensive description, visit the United Nations webpage Impact of Tsunamis on Ecosystems.

November 30, 2006 Marissa (age 15, Florida) What are some examples (organisms) of Autotrophs? Examples of autotrophs are plants and algae. More information about autotrophs is available at our page Autotrophs

June 27, 2002 Amir (age 14, Singapore) Why is a leaf green? A leaf is green because it's a part of a plant and plants have special cells! Their cells contain green stuff called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll(located within the chloroplast part of a plant cell) is what lets a plant get its energy from the sun through photosynthesis. We humans get our energy from food, but most plants don't need to eat food like we do, their chloroplasts use the sun's energy to make a special sort of food within their cells.

June 26, 2000 Ryan (age 16, California, USA ) Do trees affect the temperature of the earth?
Probably not enough to measure. Although trees themselves fluctuate in temperature according to the weather, very little if any heat is transferred to the ground by the trees themselves.

June 15, 2000 Andjie (age 9, Washington, USA ) What is transpiration process on water cycle? When plants give off water, we call that transpiration. Water is absorbed by a plant's roots. The water moves through the plant and can actually come out of the plant through tiny pores on the underside of the plant's leaves. Transpiration is a small part of the water cycle compared to say evaporation of water from the oceans.

June 1, 1999 Sunday (age 16, Michigan, USA) How is it that the sun can give people energy? The sun can give people energy in a couple ways. When sunshine warms your body it is giving you some heat energy through radiation. The most important way the sun gives us energy is through the food we eat. Plants can convert the suns energy into food for itself, which we can eat. In fact, all the food we eat relies somehow on the sun. Kinda makes me hungry.

April 23, 1999 Bill (age 51, Tennessee, USA) Is it true that a seed before planting is truly dead or is there a sign of life in it? In order for seeds to sprout, they must be alive, even though they look dead. The seeds you plant which never sprout are really dead.

March 14, 1999 Alexis (age 9) Is it possible to grow plants in space? Are there any plans to grow plants on the International Space Station? Without gravity, how will the plants know which way to grow up? Experiments have been done which show it is possible to grow plants in space. Since there is very little gravity in space, the plants grow in any and every direction. The ISS will have a Plant Research Unit on board which will maintain small plants for different experiments.

March 17, 1998 Brad (age 15, Ohio, USA) What roles can plants play in recovering carbon dioxide, water, and other nutrients from the waste products generated in an Advance Life Support environment? Plants play a big role in recycling carbonates, nitrates, phosphates, and other salts, even from waste products which might be generated in a Life Support environment. Plants extract certain forms of nitrogen from soils, and plants recycle certain forms of carbon in the respiration/transpiration process.

Date Answered	Questioner (age, location)	Question	Answer

March 11, 2008	Jib (age 13, Ohio/United stayes)	What do animals need nitrogen for?	All plants and animals need nitrogen to make amino acids.
July 6, 2007	Jojo (age 13, WI)	How do Tsunamis affect Plants? Respond ASAP!!!!!	Tsunamis can be a very aggressive natural phenomenon. Both fauna and flora suffer when the waves reach inland. Trees can be uprooted by the waves, salty water can also damage them, sediments could have many effects, etc. For a more extensive description, visit the United Nations webpage Impact of Tsunamis on Ecosystems.
November 30, 2006	Marissa (age 15, Florida)	What are some examples (organisms) of Autotrophs?	Examples of autotrophs are plants and algae. More information about autotrophs is available at our page Autotrophs
June 27, 2002	Amir (age 14, Singapore)	Why is a leaf green?	A leaf is green because it's a part of a plant and plants have special cells! Their cells contain green stuff called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll(located within the chloroplast part of a plant cell) is what lets a plant get its energy from the sun through photosynthesis. We humans get our energy from food, but most plants don't need to eat food like we do, their chloroplasts use the sun's energy to make a special sort of food within their cells.
June 26, 2000	Ryan (age 16, California, USA )	Do trees affect the temperature of the earth?	Probably not enough to measure. Although trees themselves fluctuate in temperature according to the weather, very little if any heat is transferred to the ground by the trees themselves.
June 15, 2000	Andjie (age 9, Washington, USA )	What is transpiration process on water cycle?	When plants give off water, we call that transpiration. Water is absorbed by a plant's roots. The water moves through the plant and can actually come out of the plant through tiny pores on the underside of the plant's leaves. Transpiration is a small part of the water cycle compared to say evaporation of water from the oceans.
June 1, 1999	Sunday (age 16, Michigan, USA)	How is it that the sun can give people energy?	The sun can give people energy in a couple ways. When sunshine warms your body it is giving you some heat energy through radiation. The most important way the sun gives us energy is through the food we eat. Plants can convert the suns energy into food for itself, which we can eat. In fact, all the food we eat relies somehow on the sun. Kinda makes me hungry.
April 23, 1999	Bill (age 51, Tennessee, USA)	Is it true that a seed before planting is truly dead or is there a sign of life in it?	In order for seeds to sprout, they must be alive, even though they look dead. The seeds you plant which never sprout are really dead.
March 14, 1999	Alexis (age 9)	Is it possible to grow plants in space? Are there any plans to grow plants on the International Space Station? Without gravity, how will the plants know which way to grow up?	Experiments have been done which show it is possible to grow plants in space. Since there is very little gravity in space, the plants grow in any and every direction. The ISS will have a Plant Research Unit on board which will maintain small plants for different experiments.
March 17, 1998	Brad (age 15, Ohio, USA)	What roles can plants play in recovering carbon dioxide, water, and other nutrients from the waste products generated in an Advance Life Support environment?	Plants play a big role in recycling carbonates, nitrates, phosphates, and other salts, even from waste products which might be generated in a Life Support environment. Plants extract certain forms of nitrogen from soils, and plants recycle certain forms of carbon in the respiration/transpiration process.

Last modified February 21, 2008 by Eduardo Araujo-Pradere.
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