Plants are the backbone of life on Earth and an essential resource for human well-being. They play a key role in maintaining basic ecosystem functions and are essential for the survival of the world's fish and wildlife. Additionally, plants are vital to our well-being. Just think about how our everyday lives depend on plants.
Food: Everything we eat comes directly or indirectly from plants. Throughout human history, approximately 7,000 different plant species have been used as food by people.
Air: Remember when you first learned about the miracle of photosynthesis? Plants produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, and thus provide us with life.
Water: We rely on plants to regulate the water cycle. They help distribute and purify the planet's water. They also help move water from the soil to the atmosphere through a process called transpiration.
Habitat: Of course, aside from humans' myriad uses, plants make up the backbone of all habitats. Other species depend on plants as well for their food and shelter needs.
Medicine: One-quarter of all prescription drugs come directly from or are derivatives of plants. Additionally, four out of five people around the world today rely on plants for medicine.
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