Question

How do plants and animals respond to their environment? Give an example for each.

Answer 1

Plants respond to their environment by changing their growth, controlled by hormones, while animals use their nervous and endocrine systems to move or react differently to stimuli.

Step-by-step explanation:

How Plants and Animals Respond to Their Environment

Plants and animals have evolved various ways to respond to their environments. Plants, being stationary, cannot move towards nutrients or away from threats; instead, they alter their growth patterns. Their responses are governed by hormones, which serve as chemical messengers. For example, plants exhibit tropisms, which are growth movements directed by external stimuli such as light, gravitropism i.e., response to gravity, and thigmotropism i.e., response to touch, like the Venus flytrap snapping shut when prey touches its trigger hairs.

Animals, on the other hand, have the ability to move and have developed complex nervous and endocrine systems to respond to environmental changes. For instance, humans might shiver when cold to generate heat or sweat when hot to cool down, demonstrating a direct response to temperature change.

In summary, while both plants and animals respond to their environment, they do so through different mechanisms suited to their life forms. These adaptations are crucial for survival and allow organisms to thrive in a variety of conditions.

Answer 2

Answer: Plants respond to their environment through various mechanisms. One common way is through tropisms, which are directional growth responses. For example, plants can exhibit phototropism, where they grow towards a source of light. This is achieved by cells on the darker side of the plant elongating more, causing the plant to bend towards the light. Another example is gravitropism, where plants respond to gravity by growing their roots downwards and their shoots upwards. Animals, on the other hand, respond to their environment through behaviors and physiological adaptations. For example, animals can exhibit migration, which is a long-distance movement from one region to another. This response is often triggered by changes in food availability, temperature, or mating patterns. For instance, birds migrate to warmer areas during the winter to find sufficient food and a more favorable climate

Step-by-step explanation: