When we think about life and living, what is it we actually mean? Disregarding high-minded concerns like self-fulfillment, security and love, what exactly are the basic requirements for your continued existence? Well, most people can pretty much boil down their fundamental requirements for life to the following: air, water, food and soundness of body. We all depend very heavily on the photosynthesizing plants that blanket the earth and sea to provide every one of these requirements.
Air: Plants breath just like we do. In their respirations they inhale the carbon dioxide that humans and other animals exhale. And as a byproduct of photosynthesis, plants release oxygen into the air, replenishing the atmosphere we all depend upon.
Water: Plants don’t just release oxygen into the atmosphere, they release excess water absorbed from the roots into the air as well. The water stored within plants also gives life to deserts where the animals obtain all of their water requirements from eating leaves, shoots and stems.
Food: Animals, unlike plants, are not able to manufacture all the nutrients required to sustain themselves. Plants are the foundation of the food chain by generating and storing the food materials that make animal life possible.
Health: By providing essential minerals, vitamins, roughage and medicinal compounds that keep our bodies ticking in good order, plants contribute to the soundness of our bodies.
Green plants themselves make up the bulk of all life on Earth and as such contribute to the business of life. Without plants, this planet could do nothing to sustain the diverse and exotic array of life we see now.
