P5/6 science

Reproduction in Humans and Plants

1. Mary filled two pots with fertile garden soil and planted five balsam seeds in each pot. She placed
the pots in a well-lit garden and watered them regularly. After ten days, shoots grew in pot A but
not in pot B.

(a) Give a possible reason for this occurrence. [2m]

(b) �������������������������������������������������������������������������
Mary observed a shoot in Pot A which looked like the picture shown below.

‘hairs’

(i) What is the function of the tiny ‘hairs’ found on the root? [2m]

(ii) Name part X and state its function. [2m]

(iii) What would happen to part X after a few days? [1m]

(iv) Why do you think this happened? [1m]

Taken from Science Process Skills upper Block 5/6

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Taken from Science Process Skills upper Block 5/6
Answers:  1. (a) The seeds in pot B were boiled seeds.  1. (b) (i) The tiny ‘hairs’ found on the root help to increase the surface area of the root so that more
water can be absorbed by the root.  (ii) X is the seed leaf. It provides the developing seedling with nutrients before its real leaves appear.  (iii)
It would shrivel and drop off.  (iv) Once the real leaves of the young plant grew, the young plant was able to photosynthesize and make food
for itself. It no longer needed the seed leaves to provide it with nutrients.  1. (c) Yes, they will. Peter’s balsam seeds receive sufficient air, water
and warmth for them to germinate. Since the seedlings do not have real leaves, they do not undergo photosynthesis and hence sunlight is not
needed for their growth. (However, if Peter wants his seedlings to develop further into young plants with leaves, he needs to give them sunlight
from then on.)
[2m] Will seedlings grow in Peter’s pot? Explain your answer.
place. He waters the seeds regularly.
with fertile garden soil and plants five balsam seeds. He then places the pot in a warm, dark airy
(c) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Peter wants to grow some balsam shoots to the stage shown in the picture in (b). He fills a pot
Reproduction in Humans and Plants
P5/6 science
 P5/6 science

Reproduction in Humans and Plants

1. Study the table below.

Male and female parts needed for reproduction

In plants In humans

Mrs Jones asked Alan and Betty to complete the above table. When they came to ‘ovary’, the two
students could not agree on where to place it. Alan said that it should be placed in the ‘In plants’
column while Betty insisted that it should be placed in the ‘In humans’ column.

(a) Who is right? [1m]

(b) What is an ovary and what are its functions? (Consider all meanings of ‘ovary’ when answering
this question.) [2m]

Taken from Science Process Skills upper Block 5/6

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Answers:  1. (a) Both are right. The ovary is a part of the reproductive system of a plant and an animal.  1. (b) In plants, the ovary is the female part of the
flower which contains the ovules. Fertilization occurs in the ovary. In humans, the ovary is the female reproductive organ containing the eggs
or ova (the female sex cells). Every month, a ripened ovum is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube.  1. (c) 1 anther; testis  2 pollen
grains; penis  3 filament; oviduct  4 stigma; ovary  5 style; uterus  6 ovary; vagina  7 ovule; ovum (ova)  1. (d) They undergo sexual
reproduction.  1. (e) (i) Name of plant : pineapple plant   How it reproduces : from suckers  (ii) Name of animal : amoeba  How it reproduces : by
cell division (binary fission) (Accept any other reasonable answers.)
How it reproduces:
Name of animal: •
How it reproduces:
Name of plant: •
them reproduces. [2m]
Name one plant and one animal that do not undergo this type of reproduction and state how each of
(d).
(e) There are plants and animals which do not undergo the method of reproduction mentioned in
undergo? [1m]
(d) What type of reproduction do the plants and humans which have the parts specified in the table
[4m]
(c) Complete the table by filling in the parts needed for reproduction in plants and in humans.
Reproduction in Humans and Plants
P5/6 science
 P5/6 science

Water And Changes Of State

The Three States Of Water

There are three states of water – solid, liquid and gas.

Water can change from one state to another by gaining or losing heat.

Freezing

When water is placed in a freezer, it changes to ice. This goes to show that its state has change from a
liquid to a solid.
When water is placed in a freezer, it gradually loses heat. Its temperature drops slowly down to 0°C.
This change in state is called freezing. It is at 0°C that water freezes. Hence, the freezing point of water
is 0°C.

However, if you add salt to water, its freezing point becomes much lower. If, instead of pure
water, we use seawater (which contains salt particles in it), its freezing point is approximately at
–2.2°C!

Melting

When ice is taken out from the freezer and left on the table at room temperature, it slowly melts as it starts
to gain heat from its surroundings.
Melting is the process where a solid changes to a liquid state. The temperature at which ice melts to
change to water is called the melting point of ice.
During melting, the temperature remains constant at 0°C as heat energy is taken in by the ice as it slowly
becomes water.

Adding salt to ice can lower the melting point of ice. Thus, the ice will melt faster.

The freezing and melting point of water are the same. It is 0°C.

Condensation
When you pour yourself a cup of iced water, water droplets appear on the external surface of the cup
after a while. This is because the warm water vapour in the surrounding air comes into contact with the
cold surface of the cup and loses its heat. The warm water vapour condenses on the cold surface of the
cup which you see as water droplets. This is known as condensation when water changes from a gas to
a liquid.
In the kitchen, condensation is also evident when you boil a pot of soup on the stove. The steam leaves
the surface of the boiling soup. It loses heat and cools down. A visible white ‘cloud’ appears to hover
above the pot. This white ‘cloud’ is actually the water droplets floating in the air.

Taken from Science Partner: A Complete Guide To Upper Block Science

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 P5/6 science

Water And Changes Of State

Just before covering the pot with a dry and clean metal lid, you will notice that some water droplets have
condensed on it. The steam from the pot of hot soup has condensed on the cool surface of the metal lid.
The steam has lost heat to its surroundings and has changed from a gaseous state to a liquid state.

Boiling And Evaporation

Both boiling and evaporation refer to a change from the liquid state to the gaseous state. However, there
are some differences between boiling and evaporation.

Boiling Evaporation
• Takes place only at the boiling point of the liquid (for • Takes place at any temperature above
water, the boiling point is 100°C) melting point
• During boiling, the temperature of the substance will
remain at the boiling point until all the substance has
changed into the gaseous state.

• Bubbles can be seen in the liquid during boiling. • Bubbles cannot be seen in the liquid
during boiling

• Boiling takes place throughout the whole liquid. • The liquid which is exposed at the
• Bubbles form at the bottom of the beaker and rise to the surface evaporates first.
surface during boiling.

Taken from Science Partner: A Complete Guide To Upper Block Science

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 P5/6 science

Water And Changes Of State

Freezing Melting
liquid → solid solid → liquid
solid (ice)
When liquid water loses When solid ice at 0°C
heat, it freezes to become is heated, it gains heat
solid ice. and melts to form liquid
water.

Boiling (at 100°C)

liquid (water)
liquid → gas
When liquid water is
heated until it reaches
Condensation a temperature of 100°C,
it boils to form gaseous
gas → liquid steam.
When steam or water
vapour loses heat, it
condenses to form liquid Evaporation
water. (below 100°C)
liquid → gas
When liquid water gains
gas heat, it evaporates to form
(water vapour) gaseous vapour.
Evaporation can take
place at any temperature
above melting point,
but the higher the
temperature, the faster the
rate of evaporation.

Water and changes of state

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 P5/6 science

Water And Changes Of State

Heat gain /
Change of state Examples
Heat loss
Water placed in the freezer changes into ice.
Freezing Water droplets high up in the sky freeze and fall as snowflakes in
Heat loss
(liquid → solid) cold countries during winter.
Lakes and rivers become frozen during winter in cold countries.

Melting An ice cube left outside in the open melts into a liquid.
Heat gain
(solid → liquid) Frozen rivers and lakes melt in spring.

Wet clothes hung on poles outside become dry after some time.
Evaporation
Heat gain Puddles of water formed on the road after a rain dry up after a
(liquid → gas)
while.

Droplets of dew can be found on the surfaces of leaves or on vehicles

parked overnight in the open early in the morning.
A layer of mist forms on our spectacle lenses when we come out of
an air-conditioned place.
This is because in an air-conditioned room, the lower temperature
causes the surfaces of the lenses to become cold. When we step
outside to a hotter place, the water vapour in the surrounding air
condenses into water droplets when it comes into contact with
the colder surface of our lenses, forming a layer of mist which
blurs our vision.
When we open the lid of a pot of boiling hot soup, we notice that the
Condensation underside of the lid is wet.
(gas → liquid) Heat loss This is because the lid is at a higher temperature than the
surrounding air. When the pot is opened, the hot underside of
the lid is exposed to the cooler air in the surroundings. The water
vapour in the air comes into contact with the surface of the lid
and condenses into water droplets.
Water droplets can be seen on the outside surface of a glass of drink
with ice cubes inside it.
This is because the ice cools the drink and the glass. When the water
vapour in the air outside (which is at a higher temperature) comes
into contact with the cooler outer surface of the glass, it condenses
into water droplets. The same explanation applies to water droplets
seen on the surface of fruit soon after they are taken out of the
refrigerator.

Boiling When water reaches 100°C, it starts to boil and change into steam.
Heat gain
(liquid → gas) This is called the boiling point of water.

Taken from Science Partner: A Complete Guide To Upper Block Science

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