Roots gather water for the plant.
The water moves to all parts of the plant.
Water and sunlight are used by the plant to make food.
Plants take water from the soil through their roots. The water contains the nutrients (the food) the plants need to grow. The water moves up through the plant to the leaves, carrying nutrients to all parts of the plant where they are needed.
Small holes on the backs of leaves are called stomata © iStock 2016
Plants then release water vapour into the atmosphere through thousands of small holes (called stomata) on the backs of their leaves. This process is called transpiration.
Stomata also let air get in and out of the plant.
As water evaporates from the leaves, more water is pulled up from the roots.
Plants gain the energy they need through a process called photosynthesis, which is the way plants use water, carbon dioxide and the sun's energy to make food. The rest of the of it goes out into the air as water vapour. Only about 1% of the water taken up by the plant is actually used for photosynthesis.
Did you know?
A big tree can give off about 150 000 litres of water a year. The water vapour released from plants goes into the air and becomes part of the water cycle.