The Importance of Plants
Humans need Oxygen to survive. But where do we get Oxygen? The air, of course. But where does the air get it from? Plants and trees. Plants and trees are highly important in maintaining something called the gas balance through gas exchange. The air is made up of many gasses notably for plants carbon dioxide and oxygen for animals – humans included[i]. If we remind ourselves of the word equation for photosynthesis:  Let’s look at it a bit like a recipe for a minute. On the left of the arrow[ii] we have the ingredients and on the right we have the products. Notice that the plant is taking in carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and producing oxygen. Essentially, the plants are taking out the carbon dioxide (which we breathe out) and putting back oxygen which we breathe in. It is so wonderful: we provide plants with the carbon dioxide, which we breathe out, and then they take the carbon dioxide in and give us oxygen, which we breathe in, in return. Perfect. Yet this is not the only thing that plants are important for. They also provide us with raw materials, food stuffs and medicines. A few examples are given below: Raw Materials · Wood (from trees) for construction · Trees for paper · Jute for string Medicines · Poppy for morphine and opium · Foxglove for quinine · Silver fir for antiseptics Food stuffs · Potatoes · Strawberries · Apples Plants are wonderfully useful. With our current technology we are totally dependant on plants – mainly for the gas balance thing. The bottom line is no plants = no humans. On a lighter note – no humans = no bad prime time television[iii]. [i] Many people say that humans are not animals and it makes sense in terms of development. However, in a scientific context and by definition humans are animals. [ii] If you are reading this book upside down then stop being a smartass. [iii] Soaps and reality TV. How boring! Where are all the good documentaries and well written drama with complex plotlines hiding? |
