The Birth of a Plant   A plant seed has a soft inner core covered with a hard outer shell. When a seed is allowed to remain in contact with water for some time, the water seeps into the inner core through the outer shell and the process of germination begins. The seed swells and the hard outer coat cracks open, as time goes by a small root, also called a...

Flowers Flowers are one of nature’s most beautiful gifts to man and it would not be wrong to say that the blooming of a flower in itself symbolises life. plants produce flowers because they contain the male and female reproductive organs. Like human beings plants also need to transfer Pollen from the male reproductive organs to the female ones. Unlike human beings and animals, plants cannot move so they need to...

Lowly Plants Much before the first flowering plants came into being, we had the lowly plants. These plants did not produce flowers and they have not changed much in shape for millions of years, though they may have developed some new species. They are called lowly plants because they don’t have supporting fibre inside them and as such they can’t grow much in size. However one exception to this rule is...

Scattering of Seeds   For maintaining it’s balance, nature has its own unique way of ensuring that plants constantly multiply. Plants produce seeds, which help them in reproduction. It is important that these seeds get the right environment, including moisture, oxygen and warmth so that they can grow. Nature has provided plants with seeds having different features and shapes, some have spines or barbs on their outer covering which allow them...

The First Plants There was a time when there were no plants on earth. As millions of years passed, tiny specs of protoplasm were formed. The formation of protoplasm was probably the first step towards the formation of plants. Today protoplasm is found both in animals and plants. These specks of protoplasm then developed thick walls and began to fix themselves in one place. Next came the development of Chlorophyll, which...

Plants around Us As we look around we would be able to identify almost everything, from food to clothes to furniture, which originated from plants. This proves how important plants are for us. Like the animal kingdom, the kingdom of plants too has over half a million species in it. Though they are found in great variety and in all shapes and sizes, they have three things in common, i.e. all...

Hunter and the Hunted Life is constantly evolving and one living organism or animal is dependent upon another. Every plant and animal is eaten by another living being or animal. Herbivores (plant eating animals) eat plants and they are then eaten by the carnivores (meat or flesh eating animals). Some of the smaller carnivores are then eaten by other bigger carnivores. The illustration on this page shows how a rabbit eats...

Life in the Rain Forests The rain forests of the world are found in the hot and humid regions around the Equator and the largest rain forest is in the Amazon basin of South America. The abundance of warmth, sunlight and rain in these areas ensures the thriving of the greatest variety of wildlife and vegetation. Below the canopy of the tall trees and closer to the ground we have various...