Question

Write the answers to the following questions in your own words.
(a) What are the differences between plants and animals ?
(b) What are the similarities between plants and animals ?
(c) How is the plant kingdom useful to us ?
(d) How is the animal kingdom useful to us ?
(e) What makes living things different from non-living things ?

Answer 1

a.

Plants	Animals
They can make their own food by the process of photosynthesis. They are autotrophs.	They cannot make their own food. They are heterotrophs.
They show movement, but cannot show locomotion i.e., they cannot change their position from one place to another.	They show movement as well as locomotion.
They show response to stimuli, but lack sense organs.	They also show response to stimuli and have well-developed sense organs.
They grow throughout their life.	They stop growing once they reach their adult form.

b. Apart from various differences, plants and animals also have some similarities. Plants and animals both show vital processes like growth, reproduction, respiration and excretion. Both of them require energy to carry out their various functions.


c. The plant kingdom has various uses in our life like:

• they provide habitat for a variety of organisms.
• they are the major producers of oxygen.
• they provide us with wood, that is a source of fuel and other products.
• they provide us with plants that have medicinal and ornamental importance.

d. The animal kingdoms is useful to us in various ways. The animals from the animal kingdom can be domesticated for various purposes. There are three categories of useful domesticated animals.

• Milk and Flesh Yielding Animals- These are the animals from which we obtain food products. They include cattle, goat, poultry, pig, sheep, etc.

• Draught Animals- These are the animals used for transportation, ploughing of fields, and other agricultural activities. They are hardy and can lift heavy loads.

• Fibre, Hide, and Skin Yielding Animals- These animals yield useful products such as fibre (wool), hide, etc. They include sheep, goat, cattle, camel, etc.

e.

Living things	Non-living things
They are made up of cells.	They are not made up of cells.
They show movement, but the energy for movement comes from within the organism.	They show movement by taking external force or energy.
They require food.	They do not require food.
Growth in them is irreversible.	Growth is reversible.
Respiration occurs in which food is oxidised to release energy.	They do not require respiration.
Reproduction occurs in living things.	Non-living things do not reproduce.