gases with the air; and stalks support leaves
and connect them with roots. Plants are
essentially stationary chemical factories,
made up of chambers for carbohydrate
synthesis and carbohydrate storage, and tubes
to transfer chemicals from one part of the
factory to another, with structural
reinforcement — also mainly carbohydrates
— to provide mechanical rigidity and
strength. Parasitic animals, by contrast, must
find and feed on other organisms, so they are
constructed mainly of muscle proteins that
transform chemical energy into physical
motion (p. 121).
Why Plants Have Strong Flavors and
Effects Animals can also use their mobility to
avoid becoming another creature’s meal, by
fleeing or fighting. But stationary plants?
They compensate for their immobility with a
remarkable ability for chemical synthesis.
These master alchemists produce thousands of