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==Etymology==
[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] plante, from [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English], from [[Latin]] planta
*Date: before [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Century 12th century]
==Definitions==
1 a : a young tree, vine, shrub, or herb planted or suitable for planting
:b : any of a kingdom (Plantae) of multicellular eukaryotic mostly [[Photosynthesis|photosynthetic]] [[organisms]] typically lacking locomotive movement or obvious [[Nervous system|nervous]] or sensory organs and possessing cellulose cell walls
2 a : the land, buildings, [[machine]]ry, apparatus, and fixtures employed in carrying on a trade or an industrial [[business]]
:b : a factory or workshop for the [[manufacture]] of a particular product; also : [[power]] plant
:c : the total facilities available for production or [[service]]
:d : the buildings and other [[physical]] equipment of an [[institution]]
3 : an act of planting
4 : something or someone planted
==Description==
'''Plants''' are living [[organisms]] belonging to the kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree trees], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb herbs], bushes, grasses, vines, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern ferns], mosses, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_algae green algae]. The [[scientific]] [[study]] of plants, known as [[botany]], has identified about 350,000 extant species of plants, defined as seed plants, bryophytes, ferns and fern allies. As of 2004, some 287,655 species had been identified, of which 258,650 are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering flowering] and 18,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryophyte bryophytes] (see table below). Green plants, sometimes called Viridiplantae, obtain most of their energy from [[sunlight]] via a [[process]] called [[photosynthesis]].
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle Aristotle] divided all living [[things]] between plants (which generally do not move), and [[animals]] (which often are mobile to catch their [[food]]). In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus Linnaeus]' system, these became the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_(biology) Kingdoms] Vegetabilia (later Metaphyta or Plantae) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animalia Animalia] (also called Metazoa). Since then, it has become clear that the Plantae as originally defined included several unrelated groups, and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus fungi] and several groups of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae algae] were removed to new kingdoms. However, these are still often considered plants in many [[contexts]], both [[technical]] and popular.
About 350,000 [[species]] of plants, defined as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_plant seed plants], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryophyte bryophytes], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern ferns] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern_allies fern allies], are estimated to exist currently. As of 2004, some 287,655 species had been identified, of which 258,650 are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant flowering plants], 16,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryophyte bryophytes], 11,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern ferns] and 8,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_algae green algae]
[[File:Plant_divisions.jpg|center|frame]]
The [[photosynthesis]] conducted by land plants and algae is the [[ultimate]] [[source]] of [[energy]] and [[organic]] [[material]] in nearly all [[ecosystems]]. Photosynthesis [[radically]] changed the [[composition]] of the early [[Earth]]'s [[atmosphere]], which as a result is now 21% [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen oxygen]. [[Animals]] and most other [[organisms]] are aerobic, relying on oxygen; those that do not are confined to [[relatively]] rare anaerobic [[environments]]. Plants are the primary producers in [[most]] [[terrestrial]] [[ecosystems]] and form the basis of the [[food]] web in those ecosystems. Many [[animals]] rely on plants for shelter as well as oxygen and food.
Land plants are key components of the [[water]] [[cycle]] and several other biogeochemical cycles. Some plants have co-evolved with nitrogen fixing bacteria, making plants an important part of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle nitrogen cycle]. Plant [[roots]] play an [[essential]] role in [[soil]] [[development]] and prevention of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_erosion soil erosion].
Plants are [[distributed]] worldwide in varying [[numbers]]. While they inhabit a multitude of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biome biomes] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoregion ecoregions], few can be found beyond the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra tundras] at the northernmost regions of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_shelf continental shelves]. At the southern extremes, plants have adapted tenaciously to the prevailing conditions. (See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_flora Antarctic flora].)
Plants are often the [[dominant]] [[physical]] and [[structural]] component of [[habitats]] where they occur. Many of the [[Earth]]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biome biomes] are named for the [[type]] of vegetation because plants are the dominant [[organisms]] in those biomes, such as grasslands and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest forests].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant]
[[Category: Botany]]
==Etymology==
[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] plante, from [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English], from [[Latin]] planta
*Date: before [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Century 12th century]
==Definitions==
1 a : a young tree, vine, shrub, or herb planted or suitable for planting
:b : any of a kingdom (Plantae) of multicellular eukaryotic mostly [[Photosynthesis|photosynthetic]] [[organisms]] typically lacking locomotive movement or obvious [[Nervous system|nervous]] or sensory organs and possessing cellulose cell walls
2 a : the land, buildings, [[machine]]ry, apparatus, and fixtures employed in carrying on a trade or an industrial [[business]]
:b : a factory or workshop for the [[manufacture]] of a particular product; also : [[power]] plant
:c : the total facilities available for production or [[service]]
:d : the buildings and other [[physical]] equipment of an [[institution]]
3 : an act of planting
4 : something or someone planted
==Description==
'''Plants''' are living [[organisms]] belonging to the kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree trees], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb herbs], bushes, grasses, vines, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern ferns], mosses, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_algae green algae]. The [[scientific]] [[study]] of plants, known as [[botany]], has identified about 350,000 extant species of plants, defined as seed plants, bryophytes, ferns and fern allies. As of 2004, some 287,655 species had been identified, of which 258,650 are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering flowering] and 18,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryophyte bryophytes] (see table below). Green plants, sometimes called Viridiplantae, obtain most of their energy from [[sunlight]] via a [[process]] called [[photosynthesis]].
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle Aristotle] divided all living [[things]] between plants (which generally do not move), and [[animals]] (which often are mobile to catch their [[food]]). In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus Linnaeus]' system, these became the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_(biology) Kingdoms] Vegetabilia (later Metaphyta or Plantae) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animalia Animalia] (also called Metazoa). Since then, it has become clear that the Plantae as originally defined included several unrelated groups, and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus fungi] and several groups of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae algae] were removed to new kingdoms. However, these are still often considered plants in many [[contexts]], both [[technical]] and popular.
About 350,000 [[species]] of plants, defined as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_plant seed plants], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryophyte bryophytes], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern ferns] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern_allies fern allies], are estimated to exist currently. As of 2004, some 287,655 species had been identified, of which 258,650 are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant flowering plants], 16,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryophyte bryophytes], 11,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern ferns] and 8,000 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_algae green algae]
[[File:Plant_divisions.jpg|center|frame]]
The [[photosynthesis]] conducted by land plants and algae is the [[ultimate]] [[source]] of [[energy]] and [[organic]] [[material]] in nearly all [[ecosystems]]. Photosynthesis [[radically]] changed the [[composition]] of the early [[Earth]]'s [[atmosphere]], which as a result is now 21% [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen oxygen]. [[Animals]] and most other [[organisms]] are aerobic, relying on oxygen; those that do not are confined to [[relatively]] rare anaerobic [[environments]]. Plants are the primary producers in [[most]] [[terrestrial]] [[ecosystems]] and form the basis of the [[food]] web in those ecosystems. Many [[animals]] rely on plants for shelter as well as oxygen and food.
Land plants are key components of the [[water]] [[cycle]] and several other biogeochemical cycles. Some plants have co-evolved with nitrogen fixing bacteria, making plants an important part of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle nitrogen cycle]. Plant [[roots]] play an [[essential]] role in [[soil]] [[development]] and prevention of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_erosion soil erosion].
Plants are [[distributed]] worldwide in varying [[numbers]]. While they inhabit a multitude of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biome biomes] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoregion ecoregions], few can be found beyond the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra tundras] at the northernmost regions of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_shelf continental shelves]. At the southern extremes, plants have adapted tenaciously to the prevailing conditions. (See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_flora Antarctic flora].)
Plants are often the [[dominant]] [[physical]] and [[structural]] component of [[habitats]] where they occur. Many of the [[Earth]]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biome biomes] are named for the [[type]] of vegetation because plants are the dominant [[organisms]] in those biomes, such as grasslands and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest forests].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant]
[[Category: Botany]]
