Parts of Plants and Animals Class 8 (1)

Parts of Plants
Plants are one of the most essential living organisms on

earth. They are immensely beneficial to both animals
and human beings. They produce oxygen which is
crucial for the survival of living organisms. Trees provide
shelter to animals and are also known for their medicinal
benefits. Overall, different parts of plants have different
roles to perform. They act as a source of food and
oxygen and maintain the ecological balance.
A plant has many parts. Different parts perform different
functionalities. The part of the plant that appears above
the ground level is called the shoot system while the part
of the plant which lies underneath the soil is called
the root system.
For better understanding, we need to know in detail
about the different parts of plants and their functions.
Let’s have a glance at the structure of different plant
parts and how they are beneficial to the environment.
Plants are one of the most essential living organisms on
earth. They are immensely beneficial to both animals
and human beings. They produce oxygen which is
crucial for the survival of living organisms. Trees provide
shelter to animals and are also known for their medicinal
benefits. Overall, different parts of plants have different
roles to perform. They act as a source of food and
oxygen and maintain the ecological balance.
A plant has many parts. Different parts perform different
functionalities. The part of the plant that appears above
the ground level is called the shoot system while the part
of the plant which lies underneath the soil is called
the root system.
For better understanding, we need to know in detail
about the different parts of plants and their functions.
Let’s have a glance at the structure of different plant
parts and how they are beneficial to the environment.
Parts Of Plants
The main parts of a plant include:
• Roots
• Stem
• Leaves
• Flowers
• Fruits
Roots
Roots are the most important and underground part of a plant,
which are collectively called the root system. They are the
major part that anchors the plant firmly in the soil. They absorb
water and minerals from the soil, synthesise plant growth
regulators, and store reserve food material. The apical part of
the root is covered by the root cap that protects the root apex.
The direct elongation of radicle leads to the formation of
primary roots that grow inside the soil in dicots. It bears lateral
roots that are known as secondary and tertiary roots.
In monocots, the primary root is replaced by a large number of
roots because it is short-lived. In some plants such as Banyan
tree, the roots arise from the parts of the plant and not from the
radical. Such roots are known as adventitious roots.
A few plants that grow in swampy areas have roots growing
vertically upwards to get oxygen for respiration. Such roots are
known as pneumatophores.
Stem
The stem is the part of the plant which is found above the
ground. The bark of trees are brown in colour and younger
stems are green in colour. It forms the basis of the shoot
system and bears leaves, fruits and flowers. The region where
the leaves arise is known as the node and the region between
the nodes is known as the internode.
Stems arise from the plumule, vertically upwards to the ground.
Initially, stems are usually weak and cannot stand straight. It
eventually grows to become the toughest part of the plant
called the trunk. The trunk is covered by a thick outer covering
known as the bark. Overall stem provides a definite framework
and structure to a plant, which later develops into a tree.
The stem provides support to the plant. They also protect the
plant and help in vegetative propagation. A few underground
stems such as potato and ginger are modified to store food.
The important functions of a stem include:
• A stem carries out a number of functions essential for

various processes such as photosynthesis.
• Provides a definite framework and structure to a plant which
later develops into a tree.
• Support: Primary function of the stem is to hold up buds,
flowers, leaves, and fruits to the plant. Along with the roots,
a stem anchors the plants and helps them to stand upright
and perpendicular to the ground.
• Transportation: It is the part which transports water and
minerals from the root and prepared food from leaves to
other parts of the plant.
• Storage: Stems are one of the storerooms of plants where
the prepared food is stored in the form of starch. The stems
of a few plants in the desert areas, such as Opuntia, get
modified into thick, fleshy structures that store food and
prevent excessive water loss due to transpiration.
• Reproduction: A few stems help in reproduction through
vegetative propagation and also help to bear flowers and to
produce fruits.
• Guards: Protects Xylem and phloem allowing them to
perform their functions. The stem tendrils are spirally coiled
and help the plant to climb support. The axillary buds also
get modified into thorns that protect the plant from grazing
animals.
• The stems of a few plants in the desert areas, such as
Opuntia, get modified into thick, fleshy structures that store
food and prevent excessive water loss due to transpiration.
Leaves
Leaves are the most important part of a plant. They contain
chlorophyll that helps the plants to prepare their food using
sunlight, carbon dioxide and water. A leaf consists of three
main parts- petiole, leaf base and lamina.
1. The petiole keeps the leaf blade exposed to wind and

cools the leaf.
2. The leaf base is a protruding part of a leaf.
3. The lamina of the leaf contains veins and veinlets that
provide rigidity to the leaf blade and help in the transport
of mineral nutrients.
Primarily, leaves have three main functions:
• Photosynthesis: Green leaves prepare food for plants by

using water and carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight.
This process is called photosynthesis.
• Transpiration: Other than photosynthesis, leaves play a
crucial role in the removal of excess of water from plants
through tiny pores called stomata. This is the process of
transpiration.
• Reproduction: Leaves of some plants helps in
reproduction also. For e.g. leaves of Bryophyllum give rise
to a new Bryophyllum plant.
Other Parts of Plants
The other parts of a plant include flowers and fruits.
Flowers
Flowers are the most beautiful and colourful part of a plant.
They are the reproductive part of a plant. A flower has four
major parts, namely,
• Petals: It is the colourful part of a flower which attracts

insects and birds.
• Sepals: Sepals are green leafy parts present under petals
and protect the flower buds from damage.
• Stamens: This is the male part of the flower consisting of
anther and filament.
• Pistil: This is the female part of the flower consisting of
stigma, style and ovary.
Fruits
Fruits are the main features of a flowering plant. It is a matured
ovary that develops after fertilisation. Some fruits are
developed without fertilization and are known as parthenocarpic
fruits and the process is known as Parthenocarpy.
Thus, we see how different parts of a plant help in the growth
and development of a plant. All the plant parts are beneficial
and work in coordination with each other.
Body Parts of Animals

Introduction
Do you know some interesting facts about animals?
Hummingbirds are the only birds that fly backwards. Another one
is the coconut crab which has the strongest gripping claws and
the last one is Platypus turtles also have beaks but are not birds.
Animals are living organisms just like us and a part of our planet.
The body parts of animals include beaks, claws, tails, legs, etc.
Animals use these parts to perform multiple actions. They can
use these body parts for catching prey, eating food or just for
movement.
Animal Body Parts and Functions
Legs
• These are very important and can vary in great numbers
from one animal to another. Animals like dogs, zebras, lions
etc., have 4 legs whereas spiders have 8 and some insects
have 6.
• The leg strength varies a lot among various animals.
Cheetahs use their legs to run very fast at about 80-128
km/h. Whereas, the legs of elephants are extremely heavy
and are used to crush branches and stems as they eat
them.
• The insect legs often have small hairy structures which
allow them to walk upright on walls or any vertical surface.
You must have seen spiders on ceilings and ants walking
in a line on walls.
Tails
• These are long muscular parts in many animals that arise
from the rear part of the body, mostly the lower back.
• Tails are used by land animals for balance while walking
and running. They also use it to brush off flies or insects
that bite them. Tails in monkeys are used to move from one
tree to another and also maintain balance while jumping.
• In many cases, animals have detaching tails such as
lizards. It helps them to escape from the predators, when
the predator gets hold of them, their tails break and allows
them to escape the grasp of their predators. Some animals
have sharp quills that can cause serious injury to their
predators and thus can save themselves.
• Some animals like rattlesnakes have tails that can make a
distinct sound and keep their predators away or distract
them while they escape.
Claws
• Claws in animals are of immense variety among various
animals. They have many uses depending on animals such
as catching prey, climbing, and self-defense.
• Carnivorous animals use their claws to injure their prey and
slow them down to bite and kill for them to consume. They
have a special type of claw that has retractable nails, i.e.
the nails hide under their paws when not needed and that
allows them to stay sharp and strong and not get damaged
unnecessarily.
• Animals like monkeys and lizards use claws to grip the
surfaces they are climbing on. These claws are just like the
nails that we humans have but a lot sharper and pointed
allowing them to attach to tree trunks or walls.
• Claws can be a useful tool for digging soil. Animals like
Armadillo dig soil to find insects and fruits inside the soil.
Various reptiles dig up soil to lay eggs and incubate them
for them to hatch.
• The right claws as seen in other animals are absent among
humans as they are not needed for movement. The
presence of hands that can grip anything and legs that can
firmly place them on the ground allows them to move freely.
Beak
• Beaks are a special mouth adaptation mostly in birds.
These are of many types based on the needs of that bird.
• Eagles, Hawks, and Owls generally have a hook-shaped
beak that allows them to tear flesh as they are meat-eating
birds. The hook acts like the canines in carnivorous
animals.
• Birds like canaries and sparrows have cone-shaped beaks
that are useful in breaking seeds and nuts and eating their
contents.
• Then there are short and curved beaks which are
commonly seen among parrots and macaws as they allow
them to rip apart hard fruits and nuts.
• Long and narrow beaks are also seen among some birds
that drink nectar from flowers and juices from fruits, it also
allows them to eat insects from the gaps and holes in tree
trunks and flowers. e.g. Hummingbird, Robin.
• There are also birds with large and heavy beaks such as
pelicans and seagulls that eat fish from the sea. Their wide
and strong beaks allow them to capture fish in them and not
let them escape.
External Parts of the Body

• The external body parts of animals include the eyes, nose,
mouth, legs, and tail.
• These parts of the body are used as sense organs by the
animals and thus are of high importance.
• Most animals have a very wide vision to look out for
predators in the wild.
• They also showcase a very keen sense of smell allowing
them to find food.
Summary
Animal body parts are of specific use against specific functions.
External organs of importance change from animal to animal.
Claws are an important feature in most animals. Beaks are very
specific to birds and tail length varies for every other animal.

Parts of Plants and Animals Class 8 (1)

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Parts of Plants

Plants are one of the most essential living organisms on

• A stem carries out a number of functions essential for

1. The petiole keeps the leaf blade exposed to wind and

• Photosynthesis: Green leaves prepare food for plants by

• Petals: It is the colourful part of a flower which attracts

Body Parts of Animals

Animal Body Parts and Functions

External Parts of the Body

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