L4 Plant & Animal Digestive System and Nutrition

• Plants have a unique way of obtaining nutrients through a process called photosynthesis.
• Plants use their leaves to capture sunlight and convert it into energy.
• Plant Digestive System and Nutrition: Photosynthesis, Roots, Stromata, and Transportation
• Photosynthesis: Plants use chlorophyll, a pigment found in their leaves, to capture sunlight.
• Photosynthesis: through this, they convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a type of sugar) and oxygen.
• Glucose: used as a source of energy for the plant
• Roots: absorb water and minerals from the soil.
• Roots (cont.): These minerals, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, are essential for plant growth and development.
• Stromata: tiny openings on plant leaves
• Stromata: allows the exchange of gases, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, with the environment.
• Transportation: Plants have a vascular system that transports water, nutrients, and sugars throughout the plant.
• Transportation: xylem vessels and phloem vessels
• Xylem Vessels: transport water and minerals from the roots to the leaves.
• Phloem Vessels: transport sugars from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
• Animals have a more complex digestive system compared to plants.
• Animals consume food and break it down into smaller molecules that can be absorbed and used by their bodies.
• Animal Digestive System and Nutrition: Ingestion, Digestion, Absorption, and Elimination
• Ingestion: Animals consume food through their mouths.
• Ingestion: Different animals have different feeding habits, such as herbivores (plant-eaters), carnivores (meat-eaters), and omnivores (eat both plants and animals).
• Digestion: Animals have specialized organs for digestion, such as the stomach and intestines.
• Digestion: Food is broken down into smaller molecules through mechanical and chemical processes.
• Digestion (cont.): Enzymes play a crucial role in breaking down complex molecules into simpler ones.
• Absorption: After digestion, nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the small intestine.
• Absorption: The bloodstream then transports these nutrients to different parts of the body, where they are used for energy, growth, and repair.
• Elimination: Waste products, such as undigested food and other indigestible materials, are eliminated from the body through the rectum and anus in the form of feces.
• Energy Source: Plants obtain energy through photosynthesis, while animals obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
• Organs and Structures: Plants have leaves, roots, and stomata, while animals have mouths, stomachs, and intestines
• Nutrient Absorption: Plants absorb nutrients through their roots and transport them through the vascular system. Animals absorb nutrients through the walls of their intestines and transport them through the bloodstream.
• Feeding Habits: Plants are autotrophs and produce their own food, while animals are heterotrophs and rely on other organisms for food.
• Digestive Processes: Plants do not have a true digestive system like animals. They convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis. Animals have specialized organs and enzymes for digestion.
• Waste Elimination: Plants do not produce solid waste like animals. Animals eliminate waste through the rectum and anus.
• Plants use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy, while animals consume food and break it down through digestion.