197543 some mysteries about animals and plants

7/30/2019 197543 Some Mysteries About Animals and Plants

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Do animals talk? ............2

Do plants excrete? .........3

Do snakes have heart? . . .4

Do ants have any blood? 5What do animals see? ....6

How large is an

elephants heart? ............7

Why do the eyes of a cat

shine in dark? .................8

Why do birds chirp? .. ....9

Do plants move? ..........10

Can plants communicate?

.....................................11How do birds fly? ........12

How can owls see at

night? ...........................13

Can plants grow in light

other than sunlight? ... ..14

Do fishes breathe? .......15

Can plants eat? .............16

How does a fruit differ

from a vegetable? ........16Do insects also breathe?

.....................................18

How do ants climb on a

vertical wall without

falling? .........................18

Why do plants die? ......22

Are all snakes

poisonous? ...................23

What are amphibians? . 24What killed the

dinosaurs? ....................24

What is a weed? ...........26

Who are Chimpanzees?

.....................................27

How high can birds fly?

.....................................28

Why save tigers? ..........29

Do plants and vegetables

feel? .............................30

What are Penguins? .. .. .31

What do snakes eat? ....32Can snakes hear? .........33

Why do fruits fall down

when they are ripe? ......33

Why are most plants

green? ..........................34

How plants grow? ........35

Why are forests cooler?

.....................................36

Why different fruits tastedifferent? ......................37

How can we tell the age

of a tree? ......................38

Why are flowers colored?

.....................................39

Do all plants grow from

seeds? ...........................39

....................................41

What are Herbs? ..........41Why do some plants

smell good? ..................41

Do plants feel pain? .....43

Which is the oldest tree

in the world? ................44

Why do fireflies

(JUGNU) glow? ...........45

What is Bonsai? ...........46

Why are seeds driedbefore sowing? .............46

How does water rise up

in plants? ......................48

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Do animals

talk?If and when twoanimals talk theymust use a language.To understand whatthey are talking aboutwe must know theirlanguage. Language is

the method by whichinformation isexchanged betweentwo animals. Truelanguage is themeans by whichcommunication canbe possible. Mostanimals communicate,

not through language,but by instinctualbehaviors that conveymessages to others.Animals make a widevariety of sounds,from the musical songof a bird to the howl ofthe wolf, to thecontented purr of acat. While they areunable to talk in thesense that humansdo, they docommunicate withsound in a way that isunderstood only by

other members of

their own species.Still, we have beenunable to translate

individual animalsounds in aframework that canbe called truelanguage.

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Do plantsexcrete?Plants do not needfood like animals.They use light energyto make all theorganic compoundsthey require fromcarbon dioxide, water,and about 14 mineral

nutrients they absorbfrom the soil. Probablythe only metabolicwaste product of mostplants is oxygen,which readily diffusesout of the leaves.Nonphotosyntheticplant parts and

photosynthetic plantparts at night produceexcess carbon dioxidewhich might beconsidered a wasteproduct. However,carbon dioxide isessential to plants forphotosynthesis.Overall plants absorbmuch more carbondioxide than theyexcrete.Certain salt-tolerantplants (calledhalophytes)sometimes

accumulate mineral

nutrients or salts thatthey excrete ontotheir leaves. Many

plants producesecondary substancessuch as caffeine,latex, and nicotinethat were oncethought to be wasteproducts. However, itis now believed thatsecondary compounds

have functions in theplant. Many secondarycompounds deterherbivores.

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Do snakeshave heart?

Yes, snakes do haveheart. Except forcrocodilians whichhave a fourchambered heart allreptiles (under whichsnakes also come)have a three

chambered heart. Itcomprises of two atriaand one ventricle. Thechamber called theright atrium receivesdeoxygenated orimpure bloodreturning from thebody tissue. It then

passes this blood tothe lungs foroxygenation and toother body organs.The oxygenated bloodfrom the lungs returnsto the left atrium andonce again enters the

same ventricle, from

which it is pumpedagain. There is nomixing of oxygenated

and deoxygenatedblood in the ventricle,as there is anincomplete partition inthe ventricle. Innormal fourchambered hearts thispartition is complete.

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Do ants have any blood?

Yes, ants do haveblood. In fact allinsects have blood.But, it's not like ourblood. Our blood isred because it hashemoglobin. The

blood of insects likeants is colorless orslightly green oryellow. Our blood isused to carry oxygento where it is neededin the body; insectsget oxygen from acomplex system of air

tubes that connect tothe outside throughopenings calledspiracles. So insteadof carrying oxygen,their blood carriesnutrients from onepart of the body toanother. Ants do bleed

when they are hurt,and their blood canclot also so that theycan recover fromminor wounds.

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What doanimals see?Many animals can seethings that we cannot.For example, cats cansee at night when it istoo dark for us.However, we do notknow what animalsactually perceive.

There is an importantdifference betweenlight reaching theretina, apart of eyeresponsible for seeing,and actually what isseen.

The ability to

differentiate betweendifferent colors variesenormously in differenttypes of animals.Although color plays agreat role in humanlife, there is, with theexception of certaininsects, still little

evidence about theroles of colorperception in otheranimals. So far we onlyknow that color visionin most animals is verylimited, and probablybears littleresemblance to

humans'.

Nevertheless, it isproven that animalssee some form of color

vision. For example, inthe eyes of honeybee,more than half thevisual cells respondbest to yellow-greenlight; about one fourthrespond maximally toblue light; and the restone fourth respond

best to ultravioletlight, allowing thehoneybee to see mostcolors except the red.


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How large is anelephantsheart?

The heart of anelephant depends onits size, While theheart of the Africanbull elephant canweigh up to 28 kg,which is a size normal

for such a largeanimal, for otherelephants it isnormally about 12 Kgs.Despite its large size,

there is little differencebetween the heart ofan elephant and otheranimals. Except the

fact that elephanthemoglobin has ahigher oxygen affinitythan that of othermammals.

The blood vessels ofthe elephant canachieve lengths of up

to 350 cm, whichrequire a high bloodpressure in order toprevent their collapseif they had thin walls.Something else that isinteresting about theheart of an elephant isthe fact that while thehuman heart beats at

the rate of 70 perminute, the heart of amouse beats 500

times a minute andthe elephant beatsonly 28 times aminute.


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Why do the eyesof a cat shine indark?

Cat eyes don't actuallyglow in the dark. Mostoften, they do appearto be bright green,when they reflect lightfrom another source. A

way of thinking aboutthis is to imagine amirror. It doesn't glowin the dark, either --but if you shine a lighton it, the light isreflected back toyou and you see it as alight coming from the

mirror. Reflectors likeyousee on bicycles areanother example ofsomething that doesn'tactually glow in thedark but that shinesbrightly when it reflectslight.

If you go into a darkroom without a light andlook for your cat, youcan'tfind it by looking for itseyes. This proves thatthey don't have glow alltheir own. It is pretty

easy to find a cat in a

dark room with aflashlight, though. Evenif you can't see the cat

very well, you can seethe reflection from itseyes.


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Why do birdschirp?

Birds use their songs asa means of communication. Eachspecies has a distinctsong. They use theirsongs to warn of danger,as an instinctual

response to somestimuli, say the sunlightafter a dark night.Sometimes birds chirp toattract mates. Mostbirds chirp early in themorning because they'remost active at that time.Daylight works to birds'

advantage: They cansee worms, seeds - andcrickets, which make atasty meal to a bird. Butsome birds chirp at nighttoo. It is difficult to findout the exact reasons.A bird learns its speciessongs at a young age. It

uses this knowledge toselect mates when it isready to breed. If all thebirds had the samesong, they would not beable to find suitablemates.


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Do plants move?

We see a plant almoststationary all the time,we are therefore lead tothe belief that plantscannot move at all. Butthat is strictly not true.In order to stay alive,plants have learned tomove and do so inremarkable fashion, forextraordinary purposesand with high, extra-sensory intelligence.One can perhaps saythat plants can actuallymove but at a muchslower pace thanhumans. A climbingplant that needs a propwill creep toward thenearest support. Shouldthis support be shifted,the vine, within a fewhours, will change itscourse into a newdirection." Plants will

even grow towards asupport thats hiddenfrom view. Somescientists say, "Plantsare capable of intent:they can stretch toward,or seek out, what theywant in ways asmysterious as the most

fantastic creations ofromance." Some

parasitical plants canrecognize the slightesttrace of the odor of their

victim and will overcomeall obstacles to crawl inits direction.


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Can plantscommunicate?

Yes, many scientistsbelieve that in their ownlanguage, plantscommunicate to insects,animals, other parts oftheir own bodies andneighboring plants.

Plants communicate

when they are in danger.They communicatethrough chemicalssecreted by them intoair. For example, wheninsects chew a tomatoplant's leaves, signalsare triggered that tellthe plant to release

chemicals such asmethyl jasmonate.Leaves on the plant thathaven't been devouredproduce thesechemicals, whichinterfere with theinsects' digestivesystems. The chemicals

make the bugs unable tobreak down the proteinsin the plant. When theinsects can't properlydigest, they become sickand die.

Chemicals may alsobe released to attractother insects

predators to the insects

feeding on the plants.Therefore, the plantsissue a twofold defense

system against hungryinsects. Similarly a pinetree can release achemical calledterpene in emergencysituations, such as whena deer might be chewingon its branches. Theterpene doesn't taste

good, and it makes thedeer retreat.


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How do birdsfly?

The fact that birds fly isindeed amazing. Birdsare the ultimate flyingmachines, thoughinsects have been doingit for longer and in manycases are moreversatile. Birds fly far

better than anymachinery mankind hasyet made and like ourmachines they use theirwings and tails in avariety of ways toachieve their expertise.

The flight of a bird isdependent on the shape

of its wings and the waythe bird use them.Generally, flight of a birdcan be divided into twomodes: gliding orsoaring flight, andflapping or poweredflight.

The wings of a bird are

not flat they areconcave. The air thatmoves over the wing hasto go farther get acrossthe wing, thus it speedsup. This causes thepressure to dropbecause the sameamount of air is exerting

its pressure over a

greater area. Therefore,any given pointexperiences less

pressure. This effectivelysucks the wing up.Meanwhile the air goingbelow the wingexperiences theopposite effect. It slowsdown, generates morepressure and effectivelypushes the wing up.

Hence a bird with airmoving over its wings ispulled up from aboveand pushed up frombelow.


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How can owls see at night?

As most owls areactive at night, theireyes must be veryefficient at collectingand processing light.

This starts with a largecornea (thetransparent outercoating of the eye) and

pupil (the opening atthe centre of the eye).When the pupil islarger, more lightpasses through thelens and onto the largeretina (light sensitivetissue on which theimage is formed). The

retina of an owl's eyehas an abundance oflight-sensitive, cells.

These cells are verysensitive to light andmovement, they donot react well tocolour. Owls thereforesee in limited colour orin monochrome.

Since Owls haveextraordinary nightvision, it is oftenthought that they areblind in strong light.

This is not true,because their pupils

have a wide range ofadjustment, allowingthe right amount oflight to strike theretina. Some speciesof Owls can actuallysee better thanhumans in bright light.


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Can plantsgrow in lightother thansunlight?Light is electromagneticradiation in a certainfrequency range. It issimilar whether it is fromthe Sun or an electriclamp. Lights from

different sources differfrom each other in theirintensity and thedistribution of wavelengths in theirspectrum (colourcomposition of itsspectrum).Photosynthesis canindeed take place in the

light emitted by anelectric lamp if hasenough intensity of redand blue light. This is sobecause it is only thelight havingwavelengths/frequencycorresponding to blueand red colors, whichparticipates actively inthe photosynthesis. Infact plants are grown insome laboratories undersynthetic conditions, thatis, conditions that arenot natural. Often plantsare grown ingreenhouses that havearrangement for artificial

lighting. People alsokeep plants indoors

where very little if anysunlight is available.


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Do fishesbreathe?

The water surroundinga fish contains a smallpercentage of dissolved oxygen. Inthe surface watersthere can be about 5ml. of oxygen per literof water. Because thisis much less than the210 ml. of oxygenpresent in one liter ofair, the fish must use aspecial system forconcentrating theoxygen in the water tolive.

Although, some fisheshave lungs just like inour body to breatheair, but most fishesbreathe through gills.Gills are made up ofthin sheets of tissuerichly supplied with

blood vessels. Aswater passes overthem dissolved oxygenis absorbed into theblood and wasteproducts such ascarbon dioxide passout into the water.Few fishes (e.g. eel)

can breathe for some

time through skin indamp grass.


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Can plants eat?Yes! There are over

600 types of carnivorous plants!Carnivorous plants arelike other plants usephotosynthesis tomake most of theirown food. But, theyare carnivorous for areason. Mostcarnivorous plants livein swampy wetlands.

This environment doesnot provide enough ofthe nutrients thatplants need, especiallynitrogen. So theseplants have adapted totheir environment bydeveloping ways tocatch insects for theextra nutrition thatthey need. It is asurvival tool. They eatinsects instead of thereverse. Each of theseplants passively, but

cleverly, lures its prey,captures its kill withease, digests its mealby using its plant

juices, and thenprepares for its nextunsuspecting victim.For example the VenusFlytrap, a plant that

grows naturally in onlyNorth Carolina, USA,

catches bugs whenthey brush againstlittle hairs on theedges of a leaf. Whenthis happens, theFlytrap snaps shut,trapping the fly inside.If you hold a VenusFlytrap up to the light,you can see it

digesting its dinner,but, it takes eight toten days to fully digesta meal! There areother meat-eatingplants say sundew,pitcher plant, andbladderwort.

How does afruit differfrom avegetable?

The term fruit incommon parlance has adifferent connotation

than the strict botanicalterm. In a branch ofscience called botany inwhich scientists studyplants, fruit means thatpart of a flower, whichdevelops further andusually contains seedsfor further propagationof its plant. Thustomatoes, peas and


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beans are really fruits.Strictly speaking, weshould reserve the wordvegetable for edibleparts of a plant notderived from the pistil.

Thus a potato or anartichoke is a vegetablebecause they are tubersthe underground partsof the stem. Lettuce,cabbage and spinach arevegetable because they

are leaves of plants.


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Do insects also breathe?Yes, insects do breathe

in air, because theyneed oxygen to live

just as we do eventhough they do nothave lungs and bloodto circulate oxygen intheir body. Unlikemuscle in our body themuscles onside aninsects body nevergets tired. If an insectcould eat enough food,it could keep runningor flying for days! Wecan't do this becausewe can't supplyoxygen to our musclesfast enough. Withoutoxygen, the musclesget tired. But insectscan breathe oxygendirectly through manytiny holes calledspiracles, locatedalong the sides of theirbodies. They can

supply oxygen to theirbody constantly, and

so their muscles don't

get tired.Scientists have beenable to see how thesepipes through X-rays.

The insect to maintaina constant and highflow of air in its bodycan squeeze thesepipes.

How do ants climb on a verticalwall without falling?
http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/brock/brock98-04a.jpg


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Have you ever seensomeone rock

climbing. Most oftenthe rocks people climbare steep. How does arock climber climb asteep slope? Byholding on the smallsupports available onthe climb.Ants are able to climb

up a wall just as like amountain/wall climberscales a steep slope ona mountain. The limbsof an ant being muchthinner can clench onto much smallersupports available.

Thus although a

surface may appearvery smooth to us, foran ant the smallvariations aresufficient as support.Also, ants weigh muchless then otheranimals, so they arenot pulled down by the

force of gravity asmuch as a humanbeing climbing a rock. Exploring

Ants


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Ants can beanywhere. Exploringabout them can be

very very interesting?You too can do it!

Here are a fewobservations to makeand a questions toanswer :

1. Watch a single antfor as long as youcan. Write down whatit does.

2. Turn over somestones or boards in agarden, you may findan ant colony. The rice

shaped white objectsin the colony arepupae. What does thecolony do with thesewhen you disturb thecolony by lifting thestone or board up?Can you find smaller

white eggs? Whatdoes the colony dowith these? Make sureyou put back all rocksand boards the waythey were.

3. How many differentsizes and colors ofants can you find?

Each one of these is adifferent species. Tryto identify the variouskinds of ants that youfind, to get pictures ofvarious kinds of antsvisit this website.http://www.earthlife.net/insects/image

s/hymenop/thumbs/hy-thumbs0.html
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/images/hymenop/thumbs/hy-thumbs0.htmlhttp://www.earthlife.net/insects/images/hymenop/thumbs/hy-thumbs0.htmlhttp://www.earthlife.net/insects/images/hymenop/thumbs/hy-thumbs0.htmlhttp://www.earthlife.net/insects/images/hymenop/thumbs/hy-thumbs0.html


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4. Are there anyanimals that live inyour area and eat

ants?

5. Look at the flowersand flower buds. Doyou find any ants onthem?

6. If there is somesandy soil around,look for small pits inthe sand shaped alittle like the inside ofa funnel. These aremade by antlions.Look up antlions andfind out what they eatand how they get their

food.

7. How do antsmanage to move in aque?

8. Bend a wire coathanger into a ring.Toss it out onto alawn. Can you findany ants inside thecircle of the coathanger? Try it again.How often do you"lasso an ant?"

9. Can you make upsome jokes about antslike: Why do you find

so many ants and sofew uncles? Find ormake up some ant

jokes.

10. By now you wouldhave answers formany questions about

ants? To find answersto these questions,visit the followingwebsites.http://www.infowest.com/life/aants.htmhttp://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/ant.htmlhttp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/

explore/ants.htm
http://www.antlionpit.com/http://www.infowest.com/life/aants.htmhttp://www.infowest.com/life/aants.htmhttp://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/ant.htmlhttp://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/ant.htmlhttp://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/ant.htmlhttp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/ants.htmhttp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/ants.htmhttp://www.antlionpit.com/http://www.infowest.com/life/aants.htmhttp://www.infowest.com/life/aants.htmhttp://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/ant.htmlhttp://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/ant.htmlhttp://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/animals/ant.htmlhttp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/ants.htmhttp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/ants.htm


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Why do plantsdie?

Not all plants die!There are some treeslike the redwoods inCalifornia, USA, thatare extremely old andsome plants in the

desert are really oldtoo. Some plants inareas where theclimate has both hotand cold weatherAppear to be dead inthe winter, but theyare just resting untilthe spring. Tulips, for

instance, don't actuallydie, the bulb lives inthe ground, and thegreen part of the plantcomes up each spring.But, some plantsactually do die, notbecause it is their timeto die, such as after

reproducing, butbecause of disease,lack of water or food,or due to pests. Plantscan get weak byanimals eating them orinsects damagingthem. Plants competewith one another for

survival, therefore

they can also be killedby other plants makingthe place where they

grow too shaded, ortaking all the nutrientsor water.


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Are all snakes poisonous?

No, most snakes arenot poisonous! In factabout three fourthkinds of snakes arenon poisonous. But,that does not meanthat one can becareless if bitten by asnake. One must be

experienced enough todifferentiate betweena non-poisonous snakeand a poisonoussnake. Often one cantell it from its fangs orthe shape of its head.A snakes fangs are aspecial kind of modified teeth. Allsnakes have teeth, butonly poisonous snakeshave fangs. Fangs areactually hollow teethwith a tiny hole at thebottom. When afanged snake bites an

animal, the venom isforced through thefangs into the victim. Apoisonous snake bitessmall animals in orderto kill them for food. Asnake bites people andother large animalsonly if it is scared and

wants to protect itself.

Poisonous snakes

should be respectedand left alone. Mostare not aggressive anddo not attack peopleunless provoked.However, anyonetrying to harm apoisonous snake,trying to catch it oraccidentally steppingon it may be bitten.Many people are bittentrying to kill a snakebecause they are tooclose to it.


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What are amphibians?Amphibians are

animals that can liveboth in water and inair. They are the lastsurvivors of the trueland vertebrates(animals withbackbones). The veryfirst amphibians livedabout 350 millionyears ago. Frogs andtoads are the mostcommon amphibiansand they account foralmost 80% of allamphibian species. Allfrogs and toads havefour limbs with thehind limbs typicallybeing longer than theforelimbs. There aremany different kinds offrogs, for example, onekind of frog called the

clawed frog of Africa

has claws on its backfeet. Many frogs arenot content to live onland; they climb treesand leap from branchto branch.Another kind of amphibians are calledCaecilians. They arelegless amphibiansthat appear to havesegmented bodiesmuch like worms.Most amphibians laytheir eggs in water.

The eggs hatch intotadpoles.

What killed thedinosaurs?

The name 'dinosaur'means 'most fearsomelizard'. Dinosaurs were

not lizards, thoughrelated to them. They

were the mostextraordinarycreatures thatdominated the Earthfor over 150 millionyears. Some dinosaurswere as tall as a five-

storey building, and


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there were others nobigger than a chicken.Many children have

enjoyed a movie theJurassic Park aboutthem. But, the end ofDinosaurs has alwaysbeen a riddle.Paleontologists, thescientists who studythe history of animals,say that these great

beasts disappearedabout 65 million yearsago. Several theorieshave been suggestedto explain theirdisappearance. Onesuch theory suggeststhat the dinosaurswere killed by a

climatic change thatoccurred at that time.

Another theorysuggests that someegg eating animals

that had evolved bythat time may be thecause. Still other

groups of scientiststhink that certaingerms (harmfulbacteria) might havebeen responsible foran epidemic that

wiped off thedinosaurs from theface of the Earth.


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What is a weed?A weed is a plant that

is growing where it isnot wanted. Weedscan be a nuisance aswell as a hazard. Theycan cause injury toman and animals, suchas poison ivy or poisonhemlock. Theycompete withcultivated plants forsoil nutrients, light andwater. They can alsoharbor insect anddisease pests. Theyoften produce largeamounts of seeds orare capable of quickreproduction. Weedsare generally aproblem where thedesired crop is doingpoorly or the soil hasbeen disturbed.It is very importantcontrol the growth ofweeds in a field or

garden because they

reduce the yield ofcrops in three ways: bycompeting with thecrop for water, lightand nutrients, byinterfering with cropharvest, and bycontaminatingharvested productswith weed seeds andtoxins. Weeds canreduce yield up to 50%and are responsible formillions of Rupees incrop losses each year.However, what isconsidered a weed inone area may not be aweed in another.


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Who are Chimpanzees?Chimpanzees are one

of four great apes. Inaddition to thecommon chimpanzee,gorillas, bonobos andthe orangutan allbelong to a class ofanimals called thegreat apes.Chimpanzees are ourclosest relatives. Only1.6% of our geneticmaterial, the so-calledDNA, differs betweenour chimpanzeecousins and us. Fivemillion years ago, thelast common ancestorof humans andchimpanzees lived anddied somewhere inAfrica, and so we sharethe same inheritancewith the chimpanzees.Chimpanzees live inlarge communities inthe tropical forests of

Africa. Thecommunities consist ofseveral adult malesand females with theiroffspring. The totalnumber of memberscan vary betweencommunities from 12to 150. Chimpanzees

are very social. Theytravel, feed and rest

together, and when

resting they may playwith each other orgroom partners.Grooming is a termused whenchimpanzees cleanparasites and dirt froma partners fur, it is aproof of friendship.


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How high can birds fly?Some birds fly low;

some fly high andsome can fly both highor low! Birds that flylow are the migratoryducks and otherwaterfowls, they flyless than 200 feetabove the waves.When these birds flyinto the wind, theykeep within 5 to 7 feetfrom the water surface-- because there isvirtually no wind in thetroughs between thewaves.Birds that fly high are:Bar-headed Geese andDemoiselle Cranes.

They can fly at heightsof up to almost 5miles above sea level!Because, to get totheir destinations, theyhave to cross theHimalayas!! Migrant

birds can fly eitherhigh or low dependingon the direction ofprevailing winds. Ifthey into the wind, thefly low -- maybe sothey can land quickly ifnecessary since flyinginto the wind is hard

work? But if the windis behind them they fly

high up where the

wind helps them to gofast. Another reasonthat birds fly high is tokeep cool. Birds burna lot of fat while flying;this produces a lot ofwater that must beexpired. The air in theupper atmosphere ismore dry and coolthan lower down. Thismakes it easier for theexpired water toevaporate and keepthe birds cool.


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Why savetigers?

The Tiger is a beautifulanimal. But that is notthe only reason weshould save it. Tiger issymbol of wildernessand well being of theecosystem. By

conserving and savingtigers the entirewilderness ecosystemis conserved. Innature, barring humanbeings and theirdomesticates, rest ofthe ecosystem is wild.Hence conserving

wilderness is importantand crucial to maintainthe life supportsystem. So savingtiger amounts tosaving the ecosystem,which is crucial forman's own survival.

The Tiger cannot livein places where treeshave vanished. In suchplaces, the rainbecomes a flood,killing people anddestroying homes. Ittakes away theprecious soil, leaving

behind a wasteland.

The soil jams up ourlakes and dams,reducing their ability

to store water. Bydestroying the Tigers'home, we not onlyharm Tigers, but alsoourselves. By savingtiger forests, weprotect our rivers andrecharge groundwatersources.


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Do plants andvegetablesfeel?

Plants do respond toinjury. When wounded,their respiration rateincreases just as itdoes initially whenhumans are injured.

However, the increaseis due to an increase inthe use of stored foodreserves in an attemptto repair the damageor to grow new cells. Ifthe injury is toosevere, the naturalprocesses that help it

use food are disruptedand death occurs.Often humanrespiration ratesincrease as a result ofthe minds influenceon perceivedconsequences from aninjury or a potential

injury. Thus far, no onehas been able toidentify a singlestructure or organ in aplant that can beequated with thehuman brain, theorganism responsiblefor human thought.


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What are Penguins?

Penguins are flightlesssea birds found in thesouth temperate andAntarctic regions.Penguins are over 45million years old.William Clayton, afamous explorer,described theseanimals when he firstdiscovered them in theFalkland Islands. Hesaid, These creatureslive primarily in thesea. They have shortwings that serve asflippers, and they arecovered with shortthick feathers.Penguins can't fly.

They are flightless seabirds, Flightless meanswithout flight. Noflying for penguins.

They can only swim.Penguins are known

for their swimming anddiving abilities. Manyscientists believe that,penguins are the bestdivers and swimmersin the animal kingdom.Emperor Penguins areprobably the best at it.

They can dive as deep

as 250 meters andswim as fast as nine

miles per hour. Theycan even hold theirbreath up to eighteenminutes. We often seeon the television thatpenguins play or fight.But in facts penguinsdo not evenunderstand themeaning of play.


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What dosnakes eat?Snakes eat a widevariety of food. Snakeseat worms, insects,lizards, smallmammals, birds, eggs,frogs, fish and othersnakes. All snakes arecarnivores. What they

eat depends wherethey live, and how bigthey are. A watersnake, for instance,can easily catch andswallow frogs and fish.

Tree snakes often slylycapture a young birdfrom its nest. Most of

the larger land-dwelling snakes eatrats, this makes themvery valuable animals.With their strong,muscular bodies andlarge size, pythons cantackle a wide varietyof animal prey. At the

Snake Park they arefed chickens andbandicoot rats, but inthe wild they have amore interesting diet.A large python canoverpower leopardsand sambar.Snakes do not chew

their food. They

swallow their preywhole. We can see asnake catch a frog or

rat than seems far toobig for it to handle. Butthe snake can open itsmouth much widerthan you imagine. Itsneck stretches like atight socks, and slowlybut surely the foodtravels down the

snake's throat, theinward-pointing teethhelp to push it down.


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Can snakeshear?One can often see asnake swaying to thesnake charmer's flute.

This often leads to thebelief that snakes canhear and even respondto the music. Peoplethink that the snake is

dancing to the music.This is certainly nottrue. In actual fact, thecobra is terrified of thegiant man with hisstrange instrument,and is keeping an eyeon his movements.Although it has been

found that snakes dosense some airbornesounds through theirlungs, but they mostlyrespond to vibrations.Snakes rely very littleon their slight sense ofhearing.

Why do fruitsfall down when

they are ripe?Fruits help a plant todisperse its seeds fartheraway. This is desirablefor the propagation of aparticular plant species,as it preventsheightened competitionfor space, light, waterand soil nutrients thatwould result if the seedssprouted in theimmediate vicinity of theparent plant. Thus it isessential that a fruitmust separate from itsparent plant. The naturalfalling of a ripe fruit froma tree is just this part of

the grand design. Oftenthe seeds are embeddedin a thick coat of flesh ofthe fruit. The seedsinside such fruits tosprout need externalhelp. This help isprovided by birds,humans and animalswho consume these

fruits and help indispersing the seeds.Fruits become sweeteron ripening to makethem more inviting forits potential friends, thebirds.


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Why are most plants green?

All plants are notgreen, only leaves ofmost plants are green.Leaves can be calledthe food factories orperhaps even thepower plants forplants. Its in theleaves that most

photosynthesis takesplace. Photosynthesisis the process by whichthe tree is able to uselight (photo) energyto make (synthesis)food in the form ofcarbohydrates.Carbohydrates can be

considered as storedenergy and are used toprovide the energy forgrowth and thesynthesis of othercompounds and plantprocesses.

Leaves are greenbecause they containchlorophyll, a pigmentthat plays animportant role inphotosynthesis.

The green colour ofthe leaves is due tothe fact that

chlorophyll present inthem absorbs allcolours forphotosynthesis, exceptgreen, which it reflectsoutward.


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How plants grow?

Plants grow just as wedo, by consumingfood. The food of plants is different.Green plants are theonly living things thatcreate their own food.Animals, includinghumans, depend on

green plants as thesource of all foodenergy. In order togrow, a plant needs:sunlight; carbondioxide and oxygenfrom the atmosphere;some chemicalelements and waterfrom the soil.A process essential forplant growth is calledPhotosynthesis.Carbon dioxide andwater in thepresence of asubstance called

chlorophyll that ispresent in the greenleaves of a plant -- andlight energy areconverted into othersubstances necessaryfor the growth of aplant. Thus plantsconsume carbon

dioxide, but unlike ourbody that needs

oxygen for growth,

oxygen is given off asa by-product from aplant. Generally, assunlight increases inintensity,photosynthesisincreases. This meansgreater foodproduction within theplant.


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Why are forests cooler?

Entering a forest isalways a specialexperience. One feelscool as soon as oneenters a deep forestfrom a highway. Ingeneral the air in theinterior of the forest iscooler and more humid

than aloft duringdaytime. This effect ismore pronounced for adense forest.Major towns and citiescontain little of thenatural environment.In the heart of the cityit is rare to see anytrees, and thecommercialenvironment consistsmainly of concrete.Concrete absorbs heatand re-radiates itslowly much like anelectric storage heater.

In rural areas the treesuse heat in the processof transpiration.

Transpiration is adaytime process wherewater evaporates fromthe leaves duringphotosynthesis andcools the air.


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Why different fruits tastedifferent?

The taste of any fooditem depends on itschemical composition.A food item isinvariably made up ofa number of chemicalcompounds. Different

food items, e.g.,different kinds offruits, or water fromdifferent locations --have differentchemical compositionsand hence tastedifferently. Some ofthe constituents of a

food item canstimulate the sweettaste buds, somesour taste buds orbitter taste buds. Thetaste we experience isa result of all thesestimulations. Forexample, if you mix a

pinch of salt to ahandful of sugar andtaste the mixture it willstill taste sweetish.Similarly even thougha plant leaf may havesome glucose presentin it, it will taste bitterif the proportion of

substances, which

elicit bitter taste, ismuch more.


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How can we tell the age of a tree?

Yes, indeed one cantell the age of a treebut not by just lookingat it. When the trunkof a tree is cutsideways, the numberof annular rings in itstrunk indicates its age.

These rings are formeddue to uneven growthof the trunk indifferent seasons fromsummer to winter. But,to count these rings it

is not necessary to cutthe trunk. A smallcylindrical section canbe obtained with thehelp of certain kind ofdrilling machines.

The age of such veryold trees is determined

by radio carbon datingmethod.


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Why are flowers colored?

Flowers have a specialfunction for thepropagation of plants.

It is in the flowers thatfertilization takes placethrough pollination.Plants cannotreproduce withoutfertilization. Manyplant species dependon an interaction withinsects for pollination.

The reproductive cellsof such plants arelocated in a particular

part of a flower knownas anther. The pollens

in the anthers are infact the male spermcells. These cells haveto combine with theovules present at thebase of another flowerorgan known as pistil --for fertilization in aplant. When an insectmoves from one flowerto another, it cantransport pollen on itslimbs and thus helpfertilization. This kindof fertilization is known

as cross pollinationthat has severaladvantages for theevolution of thegenetic pool of a plantover self pollination.Bright colours areadvantageous for aplant to attract insects

towards its flowers.

Do all plants grow from seeds?

No, not all plants comefrom seeds. Whilemany plants doproduce seeds, there

are many that do not.

Also, the seeds fromsome plants take along time or needcertain conditions tosprout making them

difficult to grow. Also,


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some plants that doproduce seeds, areeasier to grow without

seeds. Here are someexamples...

There is a really easyway to grow a newplant. Just cut a stemoff and put the end ina glass of water. Rootswill grow in just a fewdays!

Potato plants areanother example. Apotato plant flowersand produces seed,but one can alsopotatoes from a chunkof potato! Lillies,tulips, and otherflowers also grow from

bulbs.In fact, one can usetiny pieces of rootsand leaves to growwhole new plants, intest tubes! Thismethod is calledmicropropagation andallows us to get a

whole bunch of plantsreally fast.


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What are Herbs?

Herbs are short-stemmed plants thatare valued for theirflavour, fragrance orcurative properties.

The valuable part maybe the leaf, flower,seed, stem, root orentire plant.

Theyareused as

additives to tasty food,to improve ourappearance,medicinal, decorativeor fragrance-emittingpurposes. Different

parts of various herbs

are used such as theleaves, seeds, stemsand roots.Herbs such as basil(Tulsi), and chamomilehave medicinalproperties. Herbs suchas mint (Pudina),lemon balm or anisehyssop can be steepedand used as teas. Theleaves of many herbsis the part that is used.

These can be boughtfresh or dried. Withsome herbs, such as

dill, coriander (Dhania)and anise, the seedsare dried and used asflavouring. Herbs havebeen used forcenturies to curedisease, particularly inSouth America, Chinaand India, almost all

over the world.

Why do some plants smell good?

Flowers and certaininsects have asymbiotic relationship.Flowers need insects

for pollination, a

process that isessential for thepropagation of aparticular species ofplants. Without such amechanism a


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particular species ofplant may vanish veryquickly. Insects on the

other hand getnutrition from thenectar of flowers.

Through the process ofevolution those plantswhich can attractinsects through thecolourful petals andaroma survive better

as do the insectswhich can sense thesecharacteristics. Theassociation of goodor bad with aparticular smell is acharacteristic of ourevolution. What mayappear a repelling

smell to us may in factbe attractive to aparticular species ofinsects.


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Do plants feel pain?

It is difficult to answerthis question before wecan understand the termpain. Pain is defined inmedicine as the physicalsensation of discomfortor distress caused by

injury or illness. Theability to experience painor irritation has beenobserved in most multi-cellular organisms.Plants do not feel painthe same way as we do,but they do sense injuryto their body and cancommunicate it to other

plants by releasingcertain chemicals, whichthe other plants caninterpret as a message.

Thus plants do feelinjuries and can talk with

other plants but theirmedium of communication is notsound waves it isthrough chemicals likeour sense of smell.


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Which is the oldest tree in theworld?

Bristlecone pine treesare known to be thelongest living trees. Itis a stunted andknurled plant whichflourishes on the windswept,

rock-strewn slopes ofWhite Mountains, inwestern United States.

The oldest such tree isthe Methuselah Tree:more then 4600 yearsold, it was already asapling whenEgyptians startedbuilding the pyramids.

Sri Maha Bodhi is abanyan tree growing in

Sri Lanka.

It is the oldest tree inthe world that has arecorded history - ofmore than 23centuries. More than2,000 people worshipit every day because itis believed to be asapling from theoriginal tree, in India,under which Buddhatook shelter over2,500 years ago.

Thousands of peopleworship this sacredtree every day.


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Why do fireflies (JUGNU) glow?One reason that fireflies glow is to attract a mate.

Males and females of the same species will flashsignals back and forth as a way of communicating.Each firefly species has its own particular pattern.For example, the fireflies of one species will flyaround in the night sky and dive steeply just as theflash begins and turn upward to make a distinctive J-shaped pattern of light. Female fireflies hang out ona tree branch or in the grass while the males flyaround showing off their best flashes. When afemale recognizes the flash from a male of thesame species, she will answer with her best flash.Another reason that fireflies glow is to avoidpredators. Fireflies are filled with a nasty tastingchemical called lucibufagens, and after a predatorgets a mouthful, it quickly learns to associate thefirefly's glow with this bad taste! So not only doesthe flashing help attract a mate, but it also warnspredators to stay away.


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What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is the art ofgrowing miniaturetrees or other plants ina tray or othercontainer. Most bonsaitrees range in heightfrom 5 cm. to 95 cm.

The art of bonsairequires much skill,time and patience. Thetrees are kept small by

pruning the roots and

branches andrepotting the trees.

The size of thecontainer also partlydetermines the finalsize of a bonsai tree.Pinching off the newgrowth, wiring thebranches, carefulwatering and fertilizingcan also control thesize and shape of abonsai. Some trees arebetter suited forbonsai than others.Popular trees used forbonsai include cherry,plum, bamboo andmaple.

Why are seedsdried beforesowing?

The journey from aseed to a plant isarduous, to say the

least. Most often a

fertilized seed doesnot germinate for along time afterseparation from itsmother plant. Oftenseeds are storedbefore being sown. Ifduring this period ithas sufficient moisture

it can easily fall prey


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to many insects andbacteria. It is preventsuch infestations that

seeds are normallydried. The normaldrying process doesnot remove all thewater from the cells ofa seed. Thus cells in aseed can remain aliveeven after drying. Theseed coat also helps

prevent insectinfestations. But it maynot be always true thata seed without a seedcoat cannotgerminate. In fact,many times externalassistance isnecessary to break the

seed coat.


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How doeswater rise upin plants?Water does indeed riseup the body of a plantregardless of itsheight. Themechanism of thisphenomenon hasengaged the attention

of scientists for verymany years. However,there seems to besome consensus onthis issue now. Thewater in a plant ispushed up by the rootpressure and is alsopulled up due to

transpiration(evaporation of waterfrom its leaves). Aplant has an intricatenetwork of veinletsthrough which water istransported from thesoil through the rootsto its body. Water is

absorbed by the rootsbecause of osmosis.Cells in the roots of aplant accumulatemany organiccompounds andinorganic ions as theygrow; this leads to the

t f t

due to osmoticpressure. As some ofthe synthesized food

moves up the body ofa plant, a pressuregradient for water isgenerated within theplant body, whichpushes the water up.Concurrently as a plantloses water to theatmosphere from its

leaves due totranspiration, and asthe chloroplastssynthesizes moreglucose molecules,water is pulled up tothe leaves, branchesand fruits due tocapillary action.

197543 some mysteries about animals and plants

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