What is a pitcher plant?
Q: What is a pitcher plant?
A: A pitcher plant is a type of carnivorous or insectivorous plant that eats insects and other small animals.
Q: Why do carnivorous plants grow in soil that has little nitrogen?
A: All living things require nitrogen, and carnivorous plants obtain nitrogen from the insects they catch and consume. To compensate for the lack of nitrogen in the soil, carnivorous plants have adapted to catch and eat insects.
Q: What is the pitcher of a pitcher plant?
A: The pitcher of a pitcher plant is a modified leaf, with the lid always at the apex or top of the leaf.
Q: How do pitcher plants catch insects?
A: Pitcher plants catch insects by using a cup of liquid (often containing nectar) that attracts insects to the pitch of the plant. Once an insect lands on the wall of the cup, it falls down into the liquid, from which it cannot escape due to the smooth and slippery walls and the presence of hairs pointing down at the walls.
Q: How do pitcher plants obtain nitrogen?
A: Pitcher plants obtain nitrogen by consuming and subsequently decomposing insects that they catch in their cups of liquid. The decomposing insect releases nitrogen into the liquid, which the plant then absorbs.
Q: What is the purpose of the nectar in the cup of a pitcher plant?
A: The nectar in the cup of a pitcher plant helps to attract insects to the plant, increasing the chances of the plant catching and consuming insects for nitrogen.
Q: Why do carnivorous plants need nitrogen?
A: All living things require nitrogen in order to grow and function properly, and carnivorous plants obtain the nitrogen they need from consuming insects and other small animals.
