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Eukaryotes are multicellular organisms that include plants and trees. The plant is the primary stage of a fully grown tree. Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera are the five kingdoms that consist of all the living things in the world. Plants and trees are both members of the kingdom Plantae. Grass, herbs, shrubs, vines, bushes, mosses, ferns, green algae, and trees are all members of this kingdom. For transferring food and water, they both have stems, leaves, roots, and a vascular system.
Key Terms: Plant, Tree, Eukaryotes, Photosynthesis, Oxygen, Air, Sunlight, Phloem, Xylem, Carbon Dioxide
What is Plant?
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Plants belong to the Plantae kingdom and are multicellular eukaryotes. Plants usually grow in permanent places and use their roots to absorb water and nutrients. Many plants get their energy from the sun using the process of photosynthesis.
Plants
Plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) from the air and soil during photosynthesis. Water is converted to oxygen, and carbon dioxide is converted to glucose. The plant then releases the oxygen back into the atmosphere while storing energy within the glucose molecules. This process is known as Photosynthesis. It is carried out by green plants which are directly or indirectly responsible for both forms of energy absorbed by living organisms. Chlorophyll is a pigment found in green plants that gives them their distinctive green color.
- According to studies, there are approximately 390,900 plant species that are found throughout the world. They provide life support and energy to other living organism in multiple ways.
- Plants have a well-structured vascular system that facilitates the transfer of water and nutrients throughout the body. They range in size from a few millimetres (duckweed) to more than 90 meters (giant sequoias).
- There are many different types of plants that can be found in different parts of the world like in the dry zone, cold zone, underwater, and many more.
- Plants give us food, shelter, clothing, and many other necessities of life, either directly or indirectly. Plants play an important role in the existence of humans and animals on the planet Earth. Plants are essential for the survival of humanity.
What is Tree?
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Tree can be termed as a type of plant. It is a woody plant (perennial) with a single stem or trunk that can grow to be quite tall. Trees (Plantae) have only one trunk that supports their weight, woody tissues in the trunk, and secondary limbs or branches produced by the trunk. Height is an adaptive response that can be seen in various plant species, taller trees receive more sunlight than other plants. When compared to other plants, trees have a longer life span as the term perennial implies.
Tree
- A tree's leaves are supported by a single trunk with woody tissues and branches. They also incorporate dead cells that aid in the support of the weight of the treetops. The xylem and phloem are visible inside the tissue band and help in the movement of food and water from the roots to other parts of the tree. Xylem is found inside the cambium, while phloem is found outside the tissue.
- A trunk of a tree contains both woody and vascular tissue, which serve to strengthen the trunk and transfer materials from one part of the tree to another. The bark is the outermost layer of the trunk that forms a protective barrier. The roots of the tree serve as an anchor, absorbing water and minerals from the soil.
- The tree produces two rings per year: one in the summer known as summerwood (a dense layer), and the other in the spring known as springwood types (a thin and vast layer).
- Trees have the greatest and most foundational distinctiveness on the planet. The biosphere is completely reliant on the tree's activity like digestion, photosynthesis, and recycling including its products that are pulp, fruit, leaves, flowers, wood, and many more. The world's total number of old trees is estimated to be around 3 trillion.
Difference Between Plant and Tree
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Plants and trees are all part of the Plantae Kingdom, which is one of the five major kingdoms. While all trees are plants, not all plants can be trees. Grass, herbs, shrubs, vines, bushes, mosses, ferns, green algae, and trees are all members of the Plantae kingdom.
| Plant | Tree |
|---|---|
| Plants are members of the Plantae kingdom. | Trees are tall woody-tissue trees. |
| They can be as short as a few inches or as long as shrubs, depending on how close to the ground they are. | Trees are commonly taller than plants. They can be a few feet tall or as tall as 300 feet, as in the case of coast redwood. |
| The stem of a tree is a single, hard woody stem known as a trunk. | Plants typically have multiple stems that are softer than those of trees. |
| Some plants are composed entirely of leaves, while others have leaves that are closer to the ground. | The lower sections of the body of a tree have few leaves or branches. |
| Plants come in a variety of shapes, from scrambling vines to clumps and thickets. | Trees come in a variety of shapes, from columnar to triangular and rounded. |
| Plants are vulnerable to environmental changes. | Trees can withstand drastic, unfavourable changes in the environment. |
| Plants have short lives and are only active during certain seasons. However, under perfect conditions, some plants can live for 50 to 100 years. | Under optimal circumstances, trees can live for 100 years and even for more than 300 years. |
| Plants are used to make beautiful gardens and parks and to bring life to interiors and are also used by researchers, manufacturers, chefs, and scientists to make medicines, remedies, and food and beverages. | Trees can be used to make different products like paper, furniture, fuel for keeping us warm, and wood for building houses for shelter. |
| The majority of plants are autotrophic, but some, such as Sundews and pitcher plants, are not. | All trees are autotrophic. |
| Plants survive less in unfavourable conditions. | Trees, as compared to plants, survive better and for long in unfavourable conditions. |
| Plants grow faster than trees and attain their increased height and size earlier. | Trees are made up of plants that continue to grow. Depending on the species, trees grow at different rates. |
| Plants grow in close proximity to the ground and remain even closer to the soil. | As they continue to grow, trees stretch towards the sky. Their trunks are tall and solid, which provides them with the required amount of support and stability. |
| Plants need less water as compared to trees to survive. | A tree can soak up to 100 gallons of water from the ground per day. |
Things to Remember
- The plant is the primary stage of a fully grown tree, we can say that a plant can grow into a tree but a tree cannot be grown into a plant. Plants and trees are both members of the kingdom Plantae. Grass, herbs, shrubs, vines, bushes, mosses, ferns, green algae, and trees are all members of this kingdom.
- Trees and plants are highly beneficial for us as they help us by cleaning the air, providing oxygen, maintaining atmospheric temperature, conserving energy, preventing soil erosion and deforestation, and providing food and medicine. Hence, we can conclude by saying that plants and trees are extremely important to living things and the environment.
- Water is converted to oxygen, and carbon dioxide is converted to glucose. The plant then releases the oxygen back into the atmosphere while storing energy within the glucose molecules. This process is known as Photosynthesis.
- According to studies, there are approximately 390,900 plant species that are found throughout the world. They provide life support and energy to another living organism in multiple ways.
- Plants give us food, shelter, clothing, and many other necessities of life, either directly or indirectly. Plants play an important role in the existence of humans and animals on the planet Earth.
- A tree is a woody plant (perennial) with a single stem or trunk that can grow to be quite tall. Trees (Plantae) have only one trunk that supports their weight, woody tissues in the trunk, and secondary limbs or branches produced by the trunk.
- Trees incorporate the dead cells that aid in the support of the weight of the treetops. The xylem and phloem are visible inside the tissue band and help in the movement of food and water from the roots to other parts of the tree. Xylem is found inside the cambium, while phloem is found outside the tissue.
- Trees have the greatest and most foundational distinctiveness on the planet. The biosphere is completely reliant on the tree's activities like digestion, photosynthesis, and recycling. The world's total number of old trees is estimated to be around 3 trillion.
Sample Questions
Ques. Define Plants. (2 Marks)
Ans. Plants are primarily multicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes that belong to the kingdom Plantae. Plants were traditionally classified as among two kingdoms, one of which included all non-animal living organisms, and the other of which included algae and fungi. Some of the common examples of plants are trees, flowers, mosses, grasses, algae, and many more.
Ques. Define Trees. (2 Marks)
Ans. A tree is a woody perennial plant with a single stem or trunk that grows to a significant height and carries oblique branches that are spaced apart from the ground. Trees belong to the vascular plant family, which consists of all other types of plants which means they have xylem and phloem, which are vascular tissues. Some of the common examples of trees are Mango, Neem, Banyan (Peepal), Jamun, Palm, Teak, Oak, Sandalwood, and Coconut.
Ques. What are the five kingdoms that consist of all the living things in the world? (2 Marks)
Ans. Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Monera are the five kingdoms that consist of all the living things in the world. Plants and trees are both members of the kingdom Plantae. Grass, herbs, shrubs, vines, bushes, mosses, ferns, green algae, and trees are all members of this kingdom.
Ques. Is there a difference between plants and trees? (2 Marks)
Ans. They have many similarities in terms of botany, such as the presence of a vascular structure with stems and roots. The similarities, however, end there. Plants are shorter and are annuals. Trees, on the other hand, live for a longer duration and are considered perennials.
Ques. Which process is used by plants for respiration? (2 Marks)
Ans. In plants, the process of respiration involves combining the sugars generated during photosynthesis with oxygen to create energy for plant growth. In the presence of oxygen, respiration takes place in the mitochondria of the cell, which is referred to as "aerobic respiration."
Ques. For how long can a plant and a tree live? (2 Marks)
Ans. Plants have short lives and are only active during certain seasons. However, under perfect conditions, some plants can live for 50 to 100 years; whereas, under optimal circumstances, trees can live for 100 years and even for more than 300 years.
Ques. What are the uses of plants and trees? (2 Marks)
Ans. Plants are used to make beautiful gardens and parks and to bring life to interiors and are also used by researchers, manufacturers, chefs, and scientists to make medicines, remedies, and food and beverages; whereas, trees can be used to make different products like paper, furniture, fuel for keeping us warm, and wood for building houses to provide shelter.
Ques. What is the common visible difference between a plant and a tree? (2 Marks)
Ans. The common visible difference between a plant and a tree is their height. Plants can be as short as a few inches or as long as shrubs, depending on how close to the ground they are; whereas, trees are commonly taller than plants, they can be a few feet tall or as tall as 300 feet, as in the case of coast redwood.
Ques. Why do trees and plants play an important role in human life? (2 Marks)
Ans. Trees and plants are highly beneficial for us as they help us by cleaning the air, providing oxygen, maintaining atmospheric temperature, conserving energy, preventing soil erosion and deforestation, and providing food and medicine. Hence, we can conclude by saying that plants and trees are extremely important to living things and the environment.
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