Chapter: Transportation in Animals and Plants
1. Transportation in Animals
Circulatory System: The circulatory system transports substances throughout the
body and consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels.
Blood Components:
Red Blood Cells (RBCs): Carry oxygen to cells.
White Blood Cells (WBCs): Help fight infections.
Platelets: Aid in blood clotting.
Plasma: The liquid part of blood that transports nutrients, hormones, and waste
products.
Heart: A muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body. It has four chambers
– two atria (upper chambers) and two ventricles (lower chambers).
Heartbeat: The regular contraction and relaxation of the heart that pumps blood.
Blood Vessels:
Arteries: Carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart.
Veins: Carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart.
Capillaries: Thin-walled vessels that exchange materials between blood and body
tissues.
2. Excretion in Animals
Excretory System: Helps remove waste products from the body.
Kidneys: Filter blood and remove waste, producing urine.
Ureter: Carries urine from kidneys to the bladder.
Urinary Bladder: Stores urine until it is excreted.
Urethra: Tube through which urine exits the body.
3. Transportation in Plants
Water and Nutrient Transportation: Plants use xylem and phloem tissues to transport
water, minerals, and food.
Xylem: Transports water and minerals from roots to other parts of the plant.
Phloem: Carries food produced in leaves (by photosynthesis) to other parts of the
plant.
Transpiration: The process of water evaporation from the leaf surface, which helps
pull water up from the roots through the xylem.
Role of Stomata: Small openings on the leaf surface that allow gas exchange and
water vapor to escape.
Importance of Transpiration:
Helps in nutrient transport within plants.
Maintains temperature by cooling the plant through water loss.
4. Key Concepts
Double Circulation (in animals): Blood flows twice through the heart – once to get
oxygenated in the lungs and then to distribute oxygen throughout the body.
Root Hairs (in plants): Absorb water and minerals from the soil, aiding in plant
growth and development.
Important Terms
Transpiration: Loss of water vapor from plant leaves.
Excretion: Removal of waste products from the body.
Circulation: Movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels.
Diagrams to Practice
Structure of the human heart.
Xylem and phloem in plants.
Structure of the excretory system in humans.
