A plant is a living organism that belongs to the kingdom Plantae. They are predominantly photosynthetic, meaning they obtain their energy from sunlight using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with cyanobacteria to produce sugars from carbon dioxide and water, using the green pigment chlorophyll. Plants are autotrophs, meaning they make their own food through photosynthesis. They are capable of capturing energy via the green pigment (chlorophyll) inside the chloroplasts. Plants are multicellular organisms that can be distinguished from other living things by a number of characteristics:
- They make their own food.
- Most plants are rooted to one place.
- They have a rigid cell wall.
- They reproduce sexually or asexually.
- They have a life cycle that includes alternation of generations.
Plants are essential for any ecosystem as they provide all the energy for the ecosystem, because they can get energy directly from sunlight.
