Apart from various differences, plants and animals also have some similarities. Plants and animals both show vital processes like growth, reproduction, respiration and excretion. Both of them require energy to carry out their various functions.

The plant kingdom has various uses in our life like:

• They provide habitat for a variety of organisms.
• They are the major producers of oxygen.
• They provide us with wood, that is a source of fuel and other products.
• They provide us with plants that have medicinal and ornamental importance.

The animal kingdoms is useful to us in various ways. The animals from the animal kingdom can be domesticated for various purposes. There are three categories of useful domesticated animals.

• Milk and Flesh Yielding Animals- These are the animals from which we obtain food products. They include cattle, goat, poultry, pig, sheep, etc.
• Draught Animals- These are the animals used for transportation, ploughing of fields, and other agricultural activities. They are hardy and can lift heavy loads.
• Fibre, Hide, and Skin Yielding Animals- These animals yield useful products such as fibre (wool), hide, etc. They include sheep, goat, cattle, camel, etc.

(a) A fish- Gills
(b) A snake- External nares (they are similar to nose in humans)
(c) A crane- Nostrils
(d) An earthworm- Skin
(e) Man- Nose
(f) A banyan tree- Microscopic pores on leaves
(g) A caterpillar- Tiny holes on their body known as spiracles

(a) The process by which plants make their own food is called photosynthesis.
(b) To inhale oxygen and to exhale carbon dioxide is called respiration.
(c) The elimination of waste substances from the body is called excretion.
(d) The ability to respond to an event is called responsiveness to stimuli.
(e) On completing their lifespan, every living thing dies.

There are so many kinds of plants and animals which we find in our surroundings. These plants and animals can be both useful and harmful to us. The follwoing points support this fact:

Useful plants:

• Plants like tulsi, mint, ashwagandha, neem etc. are called medicinal plants and have various medicinal properties.
• There are many plants which provide us with fruits and vegetables like mango etc.
• Certain plants are used for ornamental purposes like money plant etc.
• There are plants from which we obtain rubber which is used in the manufacture of tiers, tubes, raincoats, belts, sports goods, etc.
• Flowers like rose, jasmine, lavender, champa, saffron etc. are used for extracting sweet smelling oils called perfumes.

Harmful plants:

• Partehnium is a type of plant which can cause pollen allergy to humans.
• White Cedar is a small neem-like tree with attractive yellow fruits. These are lethal if taken by children and cause vomiting, diarrhea and difficulty in breathing in adults.
• Leaves of colocasia and pods of nettle cause itching.
• Datura is an example of poisnous plants.

Useful animals

• Milk and Flesh Yielding Animals- These are the animals from which we obtain food products. They include cattle, goat, poultry, pig, sheep, etc.
• Draught Animals- These are the animals used for transportation, ploughing of fields, and other agricultural activities. They are hardy and can lift heavy loads.
• Fibre, Hide, and Skin Yielding Animals- These animals yield useful products such as fibre (wool), hide, etc. They include sheep, goat, cattle, camel, etc.

Harmful Animals :

All animals and insects are not useful, some of them can cause a lot of harm to our health and also to our crops. Such animals and insects are known as pests.

• Insects, like grasshoppers, beetles etc. cause enormous damage to the agricultural crops and thus affect their yield.
• Animals like tigers, lions etc. can enter human settlement and may kill domestic animals and people.
• Caterpillars or larvae of many insects feed on the leaves on which they live.

Stored grains are also attacked by rodents like rats and rabbits and by many kind of moths, caterpillars and beetles.