Plants follow the same organizational scheme as animals. Plants consist of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.

Plants have two organ systems, the shoot system and the root system. The shoot system is above the ground and includes organs, such as leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits. The roots system is below the ground and includes the roots and modified stem structures, such as rhizomes and tubers.

Each plant system has specialized functions. The graphic below identifies the function of the shoot and root systems of plants.

The root and shoot systems interact to perform the functions of transport, reproduction, and response in plants.