Comparison of Processes in Plants and Animals

Classification of Living Organisms

• The highest category in the traditional Linnaean system of classification is the kingdom, which distinguishes organisms based on cellular organization and methods of nutrition.
• Plants and animals are macroscopic and easy to differentiate.

Reproduction in Organisms

• Simple organisms reproduce through asexual reproduction, producing offspring with identical genes, referred to as "clones".
• Sexual reproduction in animals involves the production of new living organisms by combining two gametes from different organisms.

Plant Reproduction

• Plants can reproduce through either sexual or asexual reproduction.
• Flowering plants reproduce sexually through pollination, which involves the transfer of pollen from one flower to another.

Pollination Process

• Pollination can occur through self-pollination or cross-pollination.
• The flowers contain male sex organs called stamens and female sex organs called pistils.
• The pedicel is the stalk that attaches an individual flower to the main axis of the inflorescence.
• The peduncle is the stalk that joins the base of an inflorescence to the main stem.
• The petiole is the stalk that attaches a leaf blade to the main stem.
• Sepals are the outer parts of a flower that enclose and protect the unopened flower bud, collectively referred to as the calyx.
• Petals are the second whorl of the flower, sterile floral parts that attract insects for pollination and protect the reproductive organs.

Plant Reproductive Organs

• Stamens are the male reproductive parts of the flower, consisting of the anthers and filaments.
• Anthers produce and hold pollen, while filaments support the anthers and bring them into contact with pollinators.
• The pistil is the female reproductive part of a flower, consisting of the ovary, style, and stigma.

Asexual Reproduction in Plants

• Asexual reproduction in plants includes vegetative propagation and fragmentation.
• Vegetative propagation involves offspring growing from a part of the parent plant, such as true bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, and stolons.
• Fragmentation involves new plants growing from small parts of the parent plant that fall to the ground.

Explore the differences between plants and animals in terms of cellular organization, methods of nutrition, and food consumption. Learn about the distinctions based on the Linnaean system of classification.