Characteristics of Plants and Animals

CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Taking a few main characteristics from many we shall now compare plants with animals.

1.        Size and shape: Plants have no definite size and shape while animals havedefinite size and shape.

2.        Life Time: Life time is not limited for plants and under suitable conditionsthey live for a long period. But animals live up to a certain length of time under suitable conditions.

3.        Growth: In suitable environment growth of many plants continue for a longperiod. Growth in animals takes place up to a certain stage of life and growth ceases after that.

4.        Movement: Most land plants remain fixed in soil with the help of roots as aresult they cannot move. But some organs of plants may show some movement. A few animals (Such as Sponge) are not capable of movement. Most of the animals can move freely.

5.        Nature of Food: Plants cannot take solid food Animals can take solid andliquid type of food.

6.        Nutrition: Plants are autotrophic, it can prepare food throughphotosynthesis. Animals cannot prepare their own food. For foods they are to depend on plants and other animals.

7.        Structure of Cell: A Plant cell has dead cell wall. Most of the mature cellshave a large vacuole and plastids. The animal cell has no cell wall and it contains small vacuoles and centrioles.

8.        Reproduction: Plants reproduce by vegetative, asexual and sexualmethods. Reproduction in animals mainly takes place by sexual method.Vegetative and asexual reproduction may be found in some animals.

9.        There are different systems in animal body. But plants have no body system.