Plants and animals

An article about plants and animals for Key Stage 2 level 4 - 5

Just like human beings, plants also have reproductive organs. Flowers are the reproductive organs of most plants.

The flower does not only contain the necessary parts for reproduction, but they even act as the roadside advertising signs which have a rich supply of pollen and nectar to attract the insects, birds, and bats that are needed to transfer pollen grains to the stigma from the anther. This process is known as pollination. After the germination of the pollen grains on the stigma, they are sent down via a pollen tube, which then discharges the cells for the fertilization of the ovules. The ovules then undergo a transformation into seeds and the walls of the ovary develop into the fruit. The seeds when sown given the correct conditions develop into a new plant.

The different parts of a flower

Sepals: they are the green leaf like structures protecting the bud before it blooms into a flower.

Petals: they are the thin colorful structures surrounding the reproductive parts of the flower helping to attract the pollinators with their luring bright colors and sweet scent.

Nectarines: the tissue of the flower that secretes nectar is known as the nectarines.

Anther: The anther is supported by a filament or stalk and is placed at the top. They are the sacs of bright yellow color, which produces and holds the pollen grains. Pollen grains are the fine particles that contain the masculine cells known as the gametes. They even act as a nutritious food source for insects such as bees.

Stamen: Male reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the female elements are known as the pistil, the top of which is known as the stigma, a sultry surface amenable to pollens. The ovary is placed at the bottom of the pistil and the style is the tapering part in between. The ovary is the foundation of the flower’s female portion that contains the ovules, which after fertilization become seeds.

Animal Grouping

Living being present on earth constitutes both animals and plants. Each of them possess individual characteristics and can be generally differentiated by their physical attributes. In simple words without going into much depth an animal is any living organism which can move. But actually this statement is not completely true because there are many other kinds of living organism which can also move.

How to differentiate among all animals?

There are many different kinds of animals that live in many different types of habitat. All animals are endorsed with special parts to adjust with there living environment and protect them from their enemies like teeth, sharp horns, claws and many more. Animals generally make their home in ground, water, trees, or they may even live with us as pets. The entire group can be segregated under six main categories which can be segregated further.

The six main categories are:

1. Amphibian: This group generally consists of toads, frogs, salamanders and newts. They are characterized under vertebrates or in simple terms they have back bones. They are cold-blooded animals and spend part of their life under water and the other part on land. Amphibians breathe through gills or lungs and have vey moist skin. They sometimes lay eggs in a jelly covered mass in water.
2. Birds: Animals with feathers are generally characterized as birds. They have beaks and lay eggs. Birds have a strong respiratory system and are warm-blooded animals. There are millions of different varieties of birds living on the planet earth. Their size may vary from a small hummingbird to the largest bird an Ostrich.
3. Fish: Generally anything that lives under water is termed a fish but this is not entirely true because whales, dolphins & seals although they live in water are mammals. Animals with scales, fins and that use gills to breathe are termed as fish. They are cold-blooded animals and lay eggs in water.
4. Insects: The commonest insects we observe are dragonflies, ants, crickets, butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, flies, moths and bees. They are the leading group of animals on this earth. Insects are all over the place on earth and lay eggs in water or land. There are many insects which are very useful to us like bees. Few insects are harmful to humans.
5. Reptile: Air-breathing vertebrates that include snakes, turtles, alligators, crocodiles lizards & tortoises. Even prehistoric animals like dinosaurs are grouped under reptile. All reptiles have dry and scaly skin, short legs and backbone and are usually referred to as cold-blooded. They generally lay eggs.
6. Mammals: These are the most intellectual animals on the planet and have adapted to any living condition and climate. Some of these are wild, tame, large or small. Humans fall in this group of animals. The main characteristics of a mammal are that they have body hair; a backbone, four limbs and the babies feed on their mother’s milk.

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