Importance of Plants in Our Life – Short Essay

Look at the picture from Quora, this picture carries a very important message to us. It tells us that plants are a great support to mankind in many ways. I am sure that you will agree with what the picture is saying. Have you ever thought about how many difficulties we may have to face if there were no plants on our planet Earth? In fact in every step of our life we are very much connected with plants.

Let’s start with our basic needs. Our very basic needs are food, cloth and shelter, we know this. It is quite true that these three basic needs cannot be fulfilled without plants. Let’s know more about importance of plants in our life.

Provide Food like Grains, Fruits & Vegetables

First, think about food. Can you imagine any food items which we don’t get from plants? It is impossible. Any vegetables, rice, pulses, lentils, spices, everything we get from plants, even cooking oil, sugar, wheat flour all we get from plants. Sugar is made from sugarcane plant, wheat flour from wheat plant. In breakfast, often we take bread jam. You know that bread is made of wheat flour and jam is also made from fruits. Both are plant products. So it is obvious that all vegetarian food come from plants. Our farmers work hard to grow grains like wheat and rice on farms. We use this food to fill our stomach! Don’t we?

But you may ask what about non-vegetarian food? For non-vegetarian food also we depend on plants. Are you wondering? Let’s see. We know that animals like chicken, goat eat grass or other plants for their survival. Fish also eat algae, moss etc. as food which are also plants. Paneer, we get from milk and we get milk from animals like cow, goat, sheep and others. All these animals depend on plants for their food. So, we can say that for non-vegetarian food also we depend on plants, although indirectly. You can think of many more food items, but almost all food items come from plants directly or indirectly.

Provide Cotton for Clothing

Our next basic need is clothing. There are various types of clothes, which are available in market. For example khadi or handloom clothes, cotton clothes, synthetic clothes etc.

All of us are familiar with the word khadi or handloom. What are these? Khadi or handloom clothes are made of special kind of thread. This thread is produced from jute fibre and this Jute is a plant. There are also other varieties of jute plant which can be consumed as food as well.

It is always comfortable to wear cotton clothes, especially in the summer season. What are the special features of cotton clothes? Unlike synthetic clothes, cotton clothes are made of the natural material which we get from plants. There are some plants, from which we get cotton. Cotton from cotton plants is used to make cotton thread and cotton clothes are made of this cotton thread.

Provide wood for House

In winter we wear woollen clothes. Did you know that wool is made from fleece of sheep? Now, you also know sheep depend on plants for food. So in this case too, we indirectly depend on plants, don’t we?

Another basic need of human beings is shelter. A shelter is a house where we live. Have you ever seen small houses or small huts in rural areas? If not, then surely you have seen the picture of hut, wooden house in your books. Most of these houses are made of wood, dry hay, and very big leaves of plants.

Herbs for Medicine

Besides theses three basic needs, we have many other aspects of our life, where plants are our friend. You can see, in the medical world, many medicines are made from plant products. Especially, if we consider Ayurveda medicines, almost all medicines are made from plants. You know that Ayurveda treatment is being popular day by day and many researches are being held on this field of medicines.   We know that many plants like Neem tree, Goosberry or Amla, Tulsi or basil, Drumstick tree etc. have their medicinal values.

There are many more plants to mention, have medicinal values. Besides Ayurveda medicine, Allopathy medicine is also made from plant products. Moreover plants also take care of our beauty. Many beauty lotions, creams, oils etc. are made of the materials which come from plants.

If you look around your home you will see many other things which are made of plants. Furniture like chairs, tables, beds, book-shelfs etc. is made of wood, which we get from plants.

Plants also serve us in many other ways

Release Oxygen

Plants supply us with our most required thing that is oxygen. We inhale oxygen while breathing. Without oxygen there would be no living organisms on earth. Plants keep us alive by supplying oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. They also absorb carbon-di-oxide gas through the same process, which is harmful for humans and animals. Thus plants save us from air pollution too.

Conserve Soil

You know that soil from the ground erode by strong wind or rain water. But plants like bushy plants, grass help to hold the soil and they don’t allow the soil to erode. Roots of big plants spread out over long distances and go deep down into the ground and thus help to hold the soil.

Bring Rain

Another big contribution of plants is that they also help to bring rain. Plants release water vapour into the air. This process is called transpiration. Millions of plants on the Earth release water vapour through transpiration. This water vapour comes into contact with cold air in the sky and turn into clouds. And thus help to bring rain on the Earth. That is why saving the forest, plantation have become important and environmentalists all over the world are trying so hard to stop deforestation.

Enhance Beauty of Mother Earth

Plants also enhance beauty in our surroundings. Almost in every house a garden is necessary. A flower garden always gives us enormous joy and pleasure. Fruits and vegetables in our kitchen garden make us delighted with fresh fruits and vegetables. Plants make us happy.

Reduce Global Warming

We all know that global warming is a grave problem today and one of the main causes is deforestation. So it is very important to save forests and to plant more plants.

You can find many more reasons to preserve forests and make agriculture sustainable after understanding the importance of plants in our life. Our life is totally dependent on plants.  We know from history that right from the beginning, civilization has always grown around plants and rivers. Because plants and water are prime conditions for the survival of any kind of life. So, save the plants and save life.  Save our Green planet, Earth.

Hope this essay on importance of plants is useful for you. Know more about importance of plants in our life in our another article – How Many Trees Are There?

Trees – Fact File

Activity: Grow indoor plants in your room. Learn here about growing indoor plants.

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