Animals and Plants (On Grade)_03_Test

As she continues to flip through the pages, she sees pictures of birds, reptiles, and fish. She knows that birds have feathers, while reptiles and fish have scaly skin.

Though they look different, birds, most reptiles, and most fish do not give live birth. Instead, they lay eggs in order to reproduce. Fish are also unique in that their organs are different from those of mammals, reptiles, and birds. Instead of breathing using lungs, they gather oxygen by filtering water through gills. Kelly wonders what some other living things are that she may know about.


She quickly notices the plant near her window. It’s hard to imagine anything more different than a plant and an animal. For starters, plants don’t have backbones or internal organs like animals. They also don’t reproduce like animals. “But plants are living things,” Kelly thought, “so they must have things in common with animals”.

Kelly remembers learning how plants also need air and water, just like animals. But how does a plant take in air and water?  They don’t have lungs or gills like animals. Instead of lungs, plants absorb sunlight and air through their leaves. They take in water and nutrients through their roots. The water and nutrients are carried up to the leaves through the plant’s stem. The plant’s stem is the support for the plant, sort of like an animal’s backbone. A plant’s stem is also like an elevator that carries the nutrients and water to the leaves. Instead of an organ like a stomach to digest food, plants can make their own food through a process called photosynthesis.

The types of plants can also vary as much as the types of animals. One big difference is how they reproduce. Some plants produce fruit that fall from the tree. The seeds in the fruit are what can grow into a new plant. Other plants like ferns don’t reproduce by producing fruit. Instead, they have spores that are carried by animals or wind and then deposited where the spore can grow into a new plant.


Plants also differ in the types of leaves they have. Some plants live in dense forests, so little sunlight can get through. In those areas, some plants can have really large leaves to gather enough sunlight for the plant to survive. In areas such as deserts, there is plenty of sunlight. The cactus species of plants has adapted by having needles instead of leaves. The cactus also can store water in its large trunk. By storing water, the cactus can survive in times of drought. In some ways, this is how certain animals store food in the form of fat.