June 29, 2022
How do plants grow? 🌱
Hello again friends! We are back with our first episode of the new season of Sleep Tight Science. In this episode we are learning all about plants, how they grow, and what they need to grow. Bernice the Bear is going to learn with us as we listen to a story.
Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark
❤️👂🔬
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About Sleep Tight Science
Sleep Tight Science is an engaging bedtime show for the whole family that answers the questions kids have about science. Have an interesting science topic you would like featured? Send us an email at hello@sleeptightscience.com and we may feature it in an upcoming show.
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science.
00:00:23
Speaker 2: Did you know that the strawberry is the only fruit that has seeds on the outside. Hm? Hm, The average strawberry has two hundred seeds. Wow, that's a lot of seeds. Hello, friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers the questions you have about science. Did you know that it's been five hundred and ninety nine days since we last released an episode. What that's a long break, But we are back with a couple episodes over the summer and more starting in September. In this episode, we are going to learn all about how plants grow. We are going to do that by following along with the story of a little bear named Bernice, who if you listen to sleep Tight Stories you might already be familiar with. Bernice has many interests, including science, and Papa Bear and other friends are going to help her learn. Before we continue with our story, let's learn a little about our topic.
00:01:50
Speaker 1: Plants.
00:01:54
Speaker 2: Plants are living organisms that cover much of the land on our planet. You can see them everywhere. They include grass, trees, flowers, bushes, ferns, mosses, and more. Plants are members of the Kingdom plante. In fact, there are more than three hundred thousand different kinds of plants, and the list is growing all the time. This includes plants that live in the ocean like kelp and plants that live in the desert like cactuses. There are super small microscopic plants like.
00:02:38
Speaker 1: Algae, and huge.
00:02:40
Speaker 2: Gigantic plants that can be very very old, like redwood trees. Most plants start life as seeds. As fully grown plants, they make new seeds and the cycle starts all over again. All plants need the same four things to grow. Water, air, sunlight, and nutrients. Let's listen to Bernice and Papa Bear to learn more about this interesting topic. Papa, I am back from playing outside, yelled Bernice as she ran in the front door of their house, dripping wet and feeling a little sad. She took off her boots and her rain jacket and set them on the hanging rack to dry at the front door. I'm in the kitchen taking a break from work, little bear, and I bet I know what you would like right now, said Papa Bear as he reached into the cupboard to get some cocoa for hot chocolate. It's raining cats and dogs outside again today, Bernie said, as she slowly walked into the kitchen with a big frown on her face. You wore your raincoat and rubber boots, didn't you, said her papa, looking at a very wet little bear. You look soaked straight through to the bone, he said with a smile. I did wear it, Papa, but it didn't seem to matter much. I got wet anyway. I guess I shouldn't have splashed in those puddles with Bobby. Bernice said, Well, splashing in puddles is fun, and it's only water.
00:04:59
Speaker 1: Little bear.
00:05:00
Speaker 2: Why don't you go up to your room and put on some dry clothes and come back down for a cup of hot chocolate. Okay, Papa, I'll be right back, said Bernice as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Bernice came back down all dry and sat at the kitchen table, where her papa had set a cup of hot chocolate and some oatmeal cookies for her to have as a snack. This should warm you up a bit, little bear. It feels like it got colder outside with the rain, Thank you, Papa. Drinking her hot chocolate, Bernice asked, can it rain frogs? Papa, Bobby told me that it can rain frogs as well. That sounds kind of yucky. Well, Bobby does like to say silly things sometimes, but in this case it can happen, though it's pretty rare sometimes because frogs are so light, they can get swept up in a storm, travel a great distance and then fall from the sky when it starts to rain. But not dinosaurs, right, he said, it might start raining t rexes. Bernie said with a laugh that Bobby said, Papa Bear.
00:06:26
Speaker 1: With a chuckle.
00:06:29
Speaker 2: After taking a drink of her cocoa, Bernice continued, I feel a little disappointed, Papa, Why, little Bear? Well, I thought we could start planting our garden this afternoon, but we can't when it's raining, right, It's best to wait until it stopped raining.
00:06:50
Speaker 1: But maybe we.
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Can learn a little about plants and how they grow, like a science class. Papa, hmmm, something like that. But we will learn together. Will there be homework, Papa, Bernice asked a little bit concerned. Well, when the weather outside improves, your homework will be going outside and planting your garden. Youw that sounds fun. I don't mind doing homework in the summer if I can still be outside. Bernice said, relieved, I'll just go get a couple of books that I borrowed from the library that can help us learn together. Papa went to the living room and brought the books back and sat with Bernice at the kitchen table. Well, as you know, little Bear, I don't have much of a green thumb, so I hope these books can help us learn all about plants and how to help them grow. Papa Bear said, I know, Papa, many of the plants you have in the house don't seem to stay around very long. You are correct, little bear, said Papa with a laugh. I don't take good care of our plants, but I know that with your help, our garden outside will be much much better looking. At the books, Bernice said, this part looks important, Papa, how to plant a garden. Papa, smiling, said, yes, let's have a look at what the book says. According to this book, we need to find a spot to plant with lots and lots of sunlight, prepare the soil, maybe add some fertilizer, and pick the right seeds.
00:08:55
Speaker 1: Then we make.
00:08:56
Speaker 2: Sure the seeds have lots of water to drink, and of course pick the weeds that might grow too, said Papa Bear. Guess what, said Papa Bear.
00:09:07
Speaker 1: What Papa?
00:09:09
Speaker 2: I'm glad we are doing this together because there is quite a bit to do, And as my mama used to say, many hands make light work. Don't worry, Papa, I'm a super hard worker. But I have a question. Bernice said, What's that? Are the seeds that we plant? Like what is on the outside of the dandelions that I like to blow. Yes, that is one kind of seed, and I think the dandelions are grateful that you help them spread their seeds all over the garden, Papa Bear replied, opening one of the books he borrowed from the library. Papa Bear continued, Let's see, there are many different kinds of seeds. Some plants make a lot of seeds, some make only a few. Seeds are often hard and very small, but some are really really large. The coconut is almost as big as your head, little bear, but it contains more than just a seed. Seeds are little packets that contain everything a plant needs to grow in the right conditions, like what we will make outside in our backyard when the ground is not so muddy. Right, Bernice said, that's correct, little Bear. A seed contains a miniature plant called an embryo that can develop into a fully grown plant. The outer shell of a seed, called a seed coat, protects the air embryo inside the seed, a nutritious material provides food to the embryo. Most have leaves that reach outwards to capture sunlight and roots that dig deep in the soil for nutrients and to help keep the plant from falling down. As fully grown plants, they make new seeds and the cycle starts all over again. What's an embryo, Papa looking at the book, Papa Bear replied. In this case, it's the part of the seed that contains the earliest forms of the plant's roots, stems, and leaves. It acts as a sort of starter kit or the plant, or you can think of it as a tiny baby plant. Ohol, Bernice replied, with her mouth full of cookies. Papa Bear continued, it is important that seeds travel away from their parent plant. If the seeds land nearby, they compete with the parent for light and water, and this means that they are less likely to grow. Remember, Bernice, when we plant our garden, we need to give each plant lots of room and need to pull the weeds from around the plants. I will, Papa, Bernice replied, while we are going to plant our seeds in the garden. Other seeds travel in many ways in order to find a place to grow. Some plants have fruits or pods that burst open to scatter the seeds inside. The wind can blow lightweight seeds. Some seeds, such as those of dandelions that you like to blow outside, have fluffy parts that help them to be carried by the air. Some plants drop their seeds in nearby water. These seeds have waterproof coverings that let them float far away. Animals also carry seeds to other places. Seeds with sticky or prickly seed coats stick in the fur of animal. The seeds drop to the ground later, just like all the seeds that get stuck in your fur. When we go out hiking, I sometimes get fluffy seeds in.
00:13:36
Speaker 1: My head, Papa.
00:13:38
Speaker 2: When that happens, Bobby teases me, said Bernice. Do birds carry seeds, Papa, I think birds and other animals spread seeds a bit differently, how, asked Bernice. When birds and other animals eat fruit, the seeds pass through their bodies and come out in their poop. Of course, the seeds might then end up far away from where they ate. The fruit, replied Papa Bear. Wait till Bobby hears that he is always talking about stinky things like poop. Papa, yes, little Bear, can I have another cookie? I think it will help me learn faster. These certainly are good cookies, Papa. I'm glad you like them. They are Mama Bear's recipe. I have another question, Papa. Okay, what is your question, little bear? What do the plants in our garden need to grow? Well, let me look in one of our books, Papa Bear said, as he leafed through the largest of the books he got from the library. Well, according to our book, all plants need the same four things to grow. Water, air, sunlight, and nutrients. Water is necessary for the growth of all living things, including plants. Most plants use their roots to get water from the soil, at least all that we will grow. But some plants can also use their leaves to get water. This is why our houseplants don't seem to last very long. I always forget to water them, said Papa Bear with a sigh. Don't worry, Papa, I won't forget to make sure our garden plants have lots to drink. Papa Bear continued reading. Plants also need air to breathe, just like we do, bernice, but they do it very differently. The air around us is a mixture of different molecules that have names like oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Humans and animals breathe in the oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants do the opposite. During the daytime. They breathe in the carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen cool so they are like oxygen machines. Papa Bear laughed and said something like that, little Bear. Trees and forests, which are plants, and collections of plants, are pretty essential for us.
00:16:47
Speaker 1: Do we feed the plants, Papa? Is it just water that they eat?
00:16:54
Speaker 2: Plants use sunlight to make their own food, little Bear. This complicated process is called photosynthesis and is something that humans and animals can't do. Instead, we need to get all our energy from the food we eat, like pizza. Right, that's right, little Bear. In fact, photosynthesis is necessary for life on Earth. Without it, there would be no green plants, and without green plants, there would be no animals, said Papa Bear, continuing to read.
00:17:32
Speaker 1: From the book.
00:17:35
Speaker 2: Photosynthesis requires sunlight, chlorophyll, water, and carbon dioxide gas. Chlorophyll is a substance in all green plants, especially in the leaves. Plants take in water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air. Photosynthesis starts when chlorophy fill absorbs energy from sunlight. Green plants use this light energy to change water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and nutrients called sugar. They use those sugars as food, along with other nutrients that they usually get from the soil. Then the oxygen is released into the air. So photosynthesis is also important because of the oxygen it produces. Humans and other animals need to breathe oxygen in order to survive. Plants are really important, Papa said Bernice. They certainly are. But Papa, I don't understand how plants grow. Let me see, little bear. Okay, all living things are made of cells. Cells are much larger than molecules, but you still need a microscope to see them. In plants, the cells are like millions and millions of tiny compartments stuck together, a bit like legos. When plants have the right balance of water, air, sunlight, and nutrients, their cells grow and divide. And the whole plant gets bigger and bigger, And that's how plants grow. Whenever I go over to Bobby's house, we often play legos. Now I can explain to him how plants grow by using his legos.
00:19:40
Speaker 1: Good idea, little Bear.
00:19:43
Speaker 2: But Papa, why are the.
00:19:45
Speaker 1: Leaves of plants green?
00:19:48
Speaker 2: Well, little Bear, every plant appears green because of the presence of chlorophyll that we read about earlier. Chlorophyll is a pigment in a plant cell that performs chemical reactions in plants, and it is especially known for making plants appear green. Chlorophyll is a chemical molecule found in cells of plants called chloroplasts, which absorb light from the sun to convert into sugars. This process we read about is called photosynthesis. The excess sugar created is changed into starch and stored within the cells for future use. It absorbs red light and reflects green light, which gives the leaf its color. But some of your plants had different colored leaves, Papa, that's right. While all leaves contain chlorophyll, sometimes not all of the leaf.
00:20:57
Speaker 1: Has chlorophyll in it.
00:21:00
Speaker 2: Some leaves have green and white or green and yellow stripes or spots. Only the green bits have chlorophyll, and only those bits can make food by photosynthesis. My brain feels full, Papa, My brain feels full too. How but we take a break for today, would that be okay? Papa Bear said with a smile. Okay, Papa, let's take a break. I don't want your brain to overflow with knowledge. I think I am ready for bed, Papa, and I have something to read for you tonight. Great, I can't wait to listen. But first, did you get squeaky clean in your bath? I did, Papa, And like always, I washed behind my ears, and I put on fresh pajamas, brushed my teeth and did some stretches. Wow, you really are growing up. You did all that all by yourself.
00:22:15
Speaker 1: Yes, Papa.
00:22:16
Speaker 2: Soon I am going to be bigger than you too, I know, Papa Bear said with a sigh.
00:22:22
Speaker 1: So what did you want to read for me?
00:22:27
Speaker 2: Holding up a big book, she said, I was reading some amazing facts about plants. Would you like to hear some I would love to. According to this book, bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: There are over one.
00:22:45
Speaker 2: Thousand, five hundred species of bamboo that are native to Asia, Australia, and other parts of the world.
00:22:54
Speaker 1: This book says.
00:22:55
Speaker 2: Bamboo can grow about one meter every day. Wow, that's super fast. This book also says that in the sixteen hundreds, tulips in Holland were so valuable that their bulbs were often worth more than gold. I love tulips, Papa Bear said, But that's pretty crazy, Not as crazy as this, Papa. The book also says that more than one hundred billion bananas are eaten every year in the world, and bananas contain a natural chemical that makes people feel happy. We certainly love bananas. How about one more fact before.
00:23:43
Speaker 1: We turn out the lights for sleep. Okay.
00:23:47
Speaker 2: Elephant grass found in Africa is named elephant grass because it can grow up to four point five meters, which is high enough to hide an elephant in it.
00:24:00
Speaker 1: Wow.
00:24:01
Speaker 2: If we played hide and seek in that grass, little Bear, we would get lost and never find one another, Papa Bear said, with a smile. Turning out the light, Papa Bear said, now it's time for you to go to sleep. It's getting late and you need your sleep so you can have the best day tomorrow. Okay, Papa Bernice said, reaching up to give Papa Bear a great, big hug, close your eyes, think of yourself safe under your blankets, and dream about all of the plants that can grow in your garden. I'm going to dream about growing bananas, bamboo, strawberries, and some cookies, Bernice said as she closed her eyes. Love you, Papa, Love you too, little bear. And that's the end of this story. Good night, sleep tight.
Speaker 1: You're listening to sleep Tight Science.
00:00:23
Speaker 2: Did you know that the strawberry is the only fruit that has seeds on the outside. Hm? Hm, The average strawberry has two hundred seeds. Wow, that's a lot of seeds. Hello, friends, and welcome back to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers the questions you have about science. Did you know that it's been five hundred and ninety nine days since we last released an episode. What that's a long break, But we are back with a couple episodes over the summer and more starting in September. In this episode, we are going to learn all about how plants grow. We are going to do that by following along with the story of a little bear named Bernice, who if you listen to sleep Tight Stories you might already be familiar with. Bernice has many interests, including science, and Papa Bear and other friends are going to help her learn. Before we continue with our story, let's learn a little about our topic.
00:01:50
Speaker 1: Plants.
00:01:54
Speaker 2: Plants are living organisms that cover much of the land on our planet. You can see them everywhere. They include grass, trees, flowers, bushes, ferns, mosses, and more. Plants are members of the Kingdom plante. In fact, there are more than three hundred thousand different kinds of plants, and the list is growing all the time. This includes plants that live in the ocean like kelp and plants that live in the desert like cactuses. There are super small microscopic plants like.
00:02:38
Speaker 1: Algae, and huge.
00:02:40
Speaker 2: Gigantic plants that can be very very old, like redwood trees. Most plants start life as seeds. As fully grown plants, they make new seeds and the cycle starts all over again. All plants need the same four things to grow. Water, air, sunlight, and nutrients. Let's listen to Bernice and Papa Bear to learn more about this interesting topic. Papa, I am back from playing outside, yelled Bernice as she ran in the front door of their house, dripping wet and feeling a little sad. She took off her boots and her rain jacket and set them on the hanging rack to dry at the front door. I'm in the kitchen taking a break from work, little bear, and I bet I know what you would like right now, said Papa Bear as he reached into the cupboard to get some cocoa for hot chocolate. It's raining cats and dogs outside again today, Bernie said, as she slowly walked into the kitchen with a big frown on her face. You wore your raincoat and rubber boots, didn't you, said her papa, looking at a very wet little bear. You look soaked straight through to the bone, he said with a smile. I did wear it, Papa, but it didn't seem to matter much. I got wet anyway. I guess I shouldn't have splashed in those puddles with Bobby. Bernice said, Well, splashing in puddles is fun, and it's only water.
00:04:59
Speaker 1: Little bear.
00:05:00
Speaker 2: Why don't you go up to your room and put on some dry clothes and come back down for a cup of hot chocolate. Okay, Papa, I'll be right back, said Bernice as she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Bernice came back down all dry and sat at the kitchen table, where her papa had set a cup of hot chocolate and some oatmeal cookies for her to have as a snack. This should warm you up a bit, little bear. It feels like it got colder outside with the rain, Thank you, Papa. Drinking her hot chocolate, Bernice asked, can it rain frogs? Papa, Bobby told me that it can rain frogs as well. That sounds kind of yucky. Well, Bobby does like to say silly things sometimes, but in this case it can happen, though it's pretty rare sometimes because frogs are so light, they can get swept up in a storm, travel a great distance and then fall from the sky when it starts to rain. But not dinosaurs, right, he said, it might start raining t rexes. Bernie said with a laugh that Bobby said, Papa Bear.
00:06:26
Speaker 1: With a chuckle.
00:06:29
Speaker 2: After taking a drink of her cocoa, Bernice continued, I feel a little disappointed, Papa, Why, little Bear? Well, I thought we could start planting our garden this afternoon, but we can't when it's raining, right, It's best to wait until it stopped raining.
00:06:50
Speaker 1: But maybe we.
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Can learn a little about plants and how they grow, like a science class. Papa, hmmm, something like that. But we will learn together. Will there be homework, Papa, Bernice asked a little bit concerned. Well, when the weather outside improves, your homework will be going outside and planting your garden. Youw that sounds fun. I don't mind doing homework in the summer if I can still be outside. Bernice said, relieved, I'll just go get a couple of books that I borrowed from the library that can help us learn together. Papa went to the living room and brought the books back and sat with Bernice at the kitchen table. Well, as you know, little Bear, I don't have much of a green thumb, so I hope these books can help us learn all about plants and how to help them grow. Papa Bear said, I know, Papa, many of the plants you have in the house don't seem to stay around very long. You are correct, little bear, said Papa with a laugh. I don't take good care of our plants, but I know that with your help, our garden outside will be much much better looking. At the books, Bernice said, this part looks important, Papa, how to plant a garden. Papa, smiling, said, yes, let's have a look at what the book says. According to this book, we need to find a spot to plant with lots and lots of sunlight, prepare the soil, maybe add some fertilizer, and pick the right seeds.
00:08:55
Speaker 1: Then we make.
00:08:56
Speaker 2: Sure the seeds have lots of water to drink, and of course pick the weeds that might grow too, said Papa Bear. Guess what, said Papa Bear.
00:09:07
Speaker 1: What Papa?
00:09:09
Speaker 2: I'm glad we are doing this together because there is quite a bit to do, And as my mama used to say, many hands make light work. Don't worry, Papa, I'm a super hard worker. But I have a question. Bernice said, What's that? Are the seeds that we plant? Like what is on the outside of the dandelions that I like to blow. Yes, that is one kind of seed, and I think the dandelions are grateful that you help them spread their seeds all over the garden, Papa Bear replied, opening one of the books he borrowed from the library. Papa Bear continued, Let's see, there are many different kinds of seeds. Some plants make a lot of seeds, some make only a few. Seeds are often hard and very small, but some are really really large. The coconut is almost as big as your head, little bear, but it contains more than just a seed. Seeds are little packets that contain everything a plant needs to grow in the right conditions, like what we will make outside in our backyard when the ground is not so muddy. Right, Bernice said, that's correct, little Bear. A seed contains a miniature plant called an embryo that can develop into a fully grown plant. The outer shell of a seed, called a seed coat, protects the air embryo inside the seed, a nutritious material provides food to the embryo. Most have leaves that reach outwards to capture sunlight and roots that dig deep in the soil for nutrients and to help keep the plant from falling down. As fully grown plants, they make new seeds and the cycle starts all over again. What's an embryo, Papa looking at the book, Papa Bear replied. In this case, it's the part of the seed that contains the earliest forms of the plant's roots, stems, and leaves. It acts as a sort of starter kit or the plant, or you can think of it as a tiny baby plant. Ohol, Bernice replied, with her mouth full of cookies. Papa Bear continued, it is important that seeds travel away from their parent plant. If the seeds land nearby, they compete with the parent for light and water, and this means that they are less likely to grow. Remember, Bernice, when we plant our garden, we need to give each plant lots of room and need to pull the weeds from around the plants. I will, Papa, Bernice replied, while we are going to plant our seeds in the garden. Other seeds travel in many ways in order to find a place to grow. Some plants have fruits or pods that burst open to scatter the seeds inside. The wind can blow lightweight seeds. Some seeds, such as those of dandelions that you like to blow outside, have fluffy parts that help them to be carried by the air. Some plants drop their seeds in nearby water. These seeds have waterproof coverings that let them float far away. Animals also carry seeds to other places. Seeds with sticky or prickly seed coats stick in the fur of animal. The seeds drop to the ground later, just like all the seeds that get stuck in your fur. When we go out hiking, I sometimes get fluffy seeds in.
00:13:36
Speaker 1: My head, Papa.
00:13:38
Speaker 2: When that happens, Bobby teases me, said Bernice. Do birds carry seeds, Papa, I think birds and other animals spread seeds a bit differently, how, asked Bernice. When birds and other animals eat fruit, the seeds pass through their bodies and come out in their poop. Of course, the seeds might then end up far away from where they ate. The fruit, replied Papa Bear. Wait till Bobby hears that he is always talking about stinky things like poop. Papa, yes, little Bear, can I have another cookie? I think it will help me learn faster. These certainly are good cookies, Papa. I'm glad you like them. They are Mama Bear's recipe. I have another question, Papa. Okay, what is your question, little bear? What do the plants in our garden need to grow? Well, let me look in one of our books, Papa Bear said, as he leafed through the largest of the books he got from the library. Well, according to our book, all plants need the same four things to grow. Water, air, sunlight, and nutrients. Water is necessary for the growth of all living things, including plants. Most plants use their roots to get water from the soil, at least all that we will grow. But some plants can also use their leaves to get water. This is why our houseplants don't seem to last very long. I always forget to water them, said Papa Bear with a sigh. Don't worry, Papa, I won't forget to make sure our garden plants have lots to drink. Papa Bear continued reading. Plants also need air to breathe, just like we do, bernice, but they do it very differently. The air around us is a mixture of different molecules that have names like oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Humans and animals breathe in the oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants do the opposite. During the daytime. They breathe in the carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen cool so they are like oxygen machines. Papa Bear laughed and said something like that, little Bear. Trees and forests, which are plants, and collections of plants, are pretty essential for us.
00:16:47
Speaker 1: Do we feed the plants, Papa? Is it just water that they eat?
00:16:54
Speaker 2: Plants use sunlight to make their own food, little Bear. This complicated process is called photosynthesis and is something that humans and animals can't do. Instead, we need to get all our energy from the food we eat, like pizza. Right, that's right, little Bear. In fact, photosynthesis is necessary for life on Earth. Without it, there would be no green plants, and without green plants, there would be no animals, said Papa Bear, continuing to read.
00:17:32
Speaker 1: From the book.
00:17:35
Speaker 2: Photosynthesis requires sunlight, chlorophyll, water, and carbon dioxide gas. Chlorophyll is a substance in all green plants, especially in the leaves. Plants take in water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air. Photosynthesis starts when chlorophy fill absorbs energy from sunlight. Green plants use this light energy to change water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and nutrients called sugar. They use those sugars as food, along with other nutrients that they usually get from the soil. Then the oxygen is released into the air. So photosynthesis is also important because of the oxygen it produces. Humans and other animals need to breathe oxygen in order to survive. Plants are really important, Papa said Bernice. They certainly are. But Papa, I don't understand how plants grow. Let me see, little bear. Okay, all living things are made of cells. Cells are much larger than molecules, but you still need a microscope to see them. In plants, the cells are like millions and millions of tiny compartments stuck together, a bit like legos. When plants have the right balance of water, air, sunlight, and nutrients, their cells grow and divide. And the whole plant gets bigger and bigger, And that's how plants grow. Whenever I go over to Bobby's house, we often play legos. Now I can explain to him how plants grow by using his legos.
00:19:40
Speaker 1: Good idea, little Bear.
00:19:43
Speaker 2: But Papa, why are the.
00:19:45
Speaker 1: Leaves of plants green?
00:19:48
Speaker 2: Well, little Bear, every plant appears green because of the presence of chlorophyll that we read about earlier. Chlorophyll is a pigment in a plant cell that performs chemical reactions in plants, and it is especially known for making plants appear green. Chlorophyll is a chemical molecule found in cells of plants called chloroplasts, which absorb light from the sun to convert into sugars. This process we read about is called photosynthesis. The excess sugar created is changed into starch and stored within the cells for future use. It absorbs red light and reflects green light, which gives the leaf its color. But some of your plants had different colored leaves, Papa, that's right. While all leaves contain chlorophyll, sometimes not all of the leaf.
00:20:57
Speaker 1: Has chlorophyll in it.
00:21:00
Speaker 2: Some leaves have green and white or green and yellow stripes or spots. Only the green bits have chlorophyll, and only those bits can make food by photosynthesis. My brain feels full, Papa, My brain feels full too. How but we take a break for today, would that be okay? Papa Bear said with a smile. Okay, Papa, let's take a break. I don't want your brain to overflow with knowledge. I think I am ready for bed, Papa, and I have something to read for you tonight. Great, I can't wait to listen. But first, did you get squeaky clean in your bath? I did, Papa, And like always, I washed behind my ears, and I put on fresh pajamas, brushed my teeth and did some stretches. Wow, you really are growing up. You did all that all by yourself.
00:22:15
Speaker 1: Yes, Papa.
00:22:16
Speaker 2: Soon I am going to be bigger than you too, I know, Papa Bear said with a sigh.
00:22:22
Speaker 1: So what did you want to read for me?
00:22:27
Speaker 2: Holding up a big book, she said, I was reading some amazing facts about plants. Would you like to hear some I would love to. According to this book, bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: There are over one.
00:22:45
Speaker 2: Thousand, five hundred species of bamboo that are native to Asia, Australia, and other parts of the world.
00:22:54
Speaker 1: This book says.
00:22:55
Speaker 2: Bamboo can grow about one meter every day. Wow, that's super fast. This book also says that in the sixteen hundreds, tulips in Holland were so valuable that their bulbs were often worth more than gold. I love tulips, Papa Bear said, But that's pretty crazy, Not as crazy as this, Papa. The book also says that more than one hundred billion bananas are eaten every year in the world, and bananas contain a natural chemical that makes people feel happy. We certainly love bananas. How about one more fact before.
00:23:43
Speaker 1: We turn out the lights for sleep. Okay.
00:23:47
Speaker 2: Elephant grass found in Africa is named elephant grass because it can grow up to four point five meters, which is high enough to hide an elephant in it.
00:24:00
Speaker 1: Wow.
00:24:01
Speaker 2: If we played hide and seek in that grass, little Bear, we would get lost and never find one another, Papa Bear said, with a smile. Turning out the light, Papa Bear said, now it's time for you to go to sleep. It's getting late and you need your sleep so you can have the best day tomorrow. Okay, Papa Bernice said, reaching up to give Papa Bear a great, big hug, close your eyes, think of yourself safe under your blankets, and dream about all of the plants that can grow in your garden. I'm going to dream about growing bananas, bamboo, strawberries, and some cookies, Bernice said as she closed her eyes. Love you, Papa, Love you too, little bear. And that's the end of this story. Good night, sleep tight.