Unit 1

Science Booklet For The Third Semester2023-

2024
For Grade 8

Name:……………………………………………………………………………………

Class:……………………………………………………………………………………
Unit 1

1. Taxonomy: The science of organizing and categorizing organisms

into hierarchical groups based on their shared characteristics.
2. Kingdom: The highest taxonomic rank in the classification of
organisms. Plants belong to the kingdom Plantae.
3. Division/Phylum: A taxonomic rank below the kingdom,
representing major groups of plants. Examples include Bryophyta
(mosses), Pteridophyta (ferns), and Coniferophyta (conifers).
4. Class: A taxonomic rank below the division/phylum, further dividing
plants based on shared characteristics. Examples include
Magnoliopsida (flowering plants) and Pinopsida (conifers).
5. Order: A taxonomic rank below the class, grouping plants based on
shared characteristics. Examples include Rosales (roses, apples)
and Poales (grasses, lilies).
6. Family: A taxonomic rank below the order, representing a group of
closely related plants. Examples include Rosaceae (roses,
strawberries) and Poaceae (grasses).
7. Genus: A taxonomic rank below the family, grouping closely related
species. It is written with a capital letter and italicized or
underlined. For example, Rosa is the genus for roses.
8. Species: The most specific taxonomic rank, representing a group of
individuals that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. It is
written with a lowercase letter and italicized or underlined. For
example, Rosa canina refers to the species of dog rose.
9. Morphology: The study of the form and structure of organisms,
including plants. It involves the examination of characteristics such
as leaves, stems, flowers, and roots.
10. Reproduction: The process by which plants produce offspring. It
can be sexual, involving the fusion of gametes (pollen and ovules),
or asexual, involving the production of new individuals without
gamete fusion.
11. Vascular Plants: Plants that have specialized tissues (xylem and
phloem) for the transport of water, nutrients, and sugars.
12. Non-Vascular Plants: Simple plants that lack specialized tissues for
water and nutrient transportation. They include mosses and
liverworts.
13. Gymnosperms: A group of seed plants that produce naked seeds
(not enclosed within a fruit), such as conifers.
14. Angiosperms: The largest group of plants that produce seeds
enclosed within a fruit. They include flowering plants.
15. Spores: Reproductive structures produced by some plants (e.g.,
mosses, ferns) that can develop into new individuals without the
need for fertilization.
1. Non-Vascular Plants:
• Examples: Mosses and liverworts.
• Characteristics: Non-vascular plants, also known as bryophytes, are
small, simple plants that lack specialized tissues for the transport
of water and nutrients. They are typically found in damp
environments, such as forests, swamps, and rocky areas. Non-
vascular plants have a low, creeping growth form and reproduce
through spores. They have rhizoids instead of true roots to anchor
themselves and absorb water from the environment.
 2. Vascular Plants:
Vascular plants have specialized tissues called xylem and phloem, which
allow for the transport of water, nutrients, and sugars throughout the
plant. Vascular plants can be further classified into two main groups:

Vascular Tissues

The vascular tissues for which these plants are named are specialized to
transport fluid. They consist of long, narrow cells arranged end-to-end, forming
tubes. There are two different types of vascular tissues, called xylem and
phloem. Both are shown in Figure below.

• Xylem is vascular tissue that transports water and dissolved minerals

from roots to stems and leaves. This type of tissue consists of dead cells
that lack end walls between adjacent cells. The side walls are thick and
reinforced with lignin, which makes them stiff and water proof.
• Phloem is vascular tissue that transports food (sugar dissolved in water)
from photosynthetic cells to other parts of the plant for growth or
storage. This type of tissue consists of living cells that are separated by
end walls with tiny perforations, or holes.
Xylem and phloem are the two types of vascular tissues in vascular plants.

a. Seedless Vascular Plants:

• Examples: Ferns and horsetails.

• Characteristics: Seedless vascular plants, also known as pteridophytes,
reproduce through spores and do not produce seeds. They have well-
developed leaves, stems, and roots. Ferns are the most common group of
seedless vascular plants and can be found in various habitats, including
forests, swamps, and tropical regions. Horsetails are another group of
seedless vascular plants characterized by their jointed stems and slender,
hollow leaves.
b. Seed Plants:
Seed plants are further divided into two subgroups:

i. Gymnosperms:
- Examples: Conifers like pine trees, spruces, and cedars.
- Characteristics: Gymnosperms are plants that produce seeds that are
not enclosed within a fruit. They are typically woody and have needle-like
or scale-like leaves. Gymnosperms include a diverse range of trees and
shrubs and are often found in cold or temperate regions. They are known
for their adaptation to harsh environmental conditions and can retain
their leaves throughout the year, making them evergreen plants.
ii. Angiosperms:
- Examples: Flowering plants such as roses, daisies, and sunflowers.
- Characteristics: Angiosperms are the most advanced and diverse group
of plants. They produce seeds that are enclosed within a fruit, which
develops from the ovary after pollination. Angiosperms have various
structures and adaptations for reproduction, including flowers, which are
the reproductive organs. They also have well-developed leaves, stems,
and roots. Angiosperms are found in nearly every habitat on Earth and
exhibit a wide range of forms, sizes, and colors. They play a crucial role in
ecosystems as they provide food, shelter, and oxygen for many
organisms.
 Seed Plants • Divided into two categories: • Angiosperms- “Flowering plants”
• Gymnosperms- “Nonflowering plants”

Angiosperms • Plants that produce flowers and produce seeds inside fruit. •
Sperm is located inside pollen grains. • Eggs develop into embryos • Flower-
reproductive structure • Fruit-ripened ovary of an angiosperm, encloses the
seed.
Monocots vs. Dicots • Angiosperms are divided into monocots and dicots • As
the zygote grows into the embryo, the first leaves of the young plant develop
and are called as cotyledons (seed leaves). • Monocots have one cotyledon
(corn, lily, etc). • Dicots have two cotyledons (bean, oak, etc).
Comparing Monocots and Dicots
 Summary: Monocots vs. Dicots

Flowers • Male & female parts on same OR separate flower. • Parts of a

flower: • Sepals- leaf-like structures that enclose the flower before opening. •
Petals- surround pistil, attract animals for pollination • Stamen- male part
(produces sperm) • Pistil- female part (produces eggs) • Stigma = sticky tip of
the pistil • Style = tube connecting stigma to ovary • Ovary = contains the
eggs
 The Structure of a Flower

Seeds • When plant eggs are fertilized with sperm, a seed forms. • Seeds
contain a young, developing plant embryo. • Inside is stored food that the
young plant uses as it begins to sprout or germinate.
Seed Structure Example:
Reproduction of Angiosperms: Pollination = Pollen falls on a stigma when
wind, bees, or bats carry it. Fertilization = sperm & egg join together in the
flower’s ovule (inside ovary), later forming seed. A fruit is formed around the
seed. Dispersal – animals eat the fruit and the seeds come out the other end,
where they will grow into mature plants that produce more seeds.
Gymnosperms • Means “naked” seed. • Seeds are not enclosed in fruits. • Do
not produce flowers • Examples of gymnosperms: conifers (pine/cedar
trees), cycads, ginkgo biloba trees, juniper
 Conifers • Conifers are adapted to temperate to cold regions • Narrow
leaves (needles) help to conserve water • Covered by resins – for protection
from predators, fire, etc.
Reproduction of Gymnosperms Pollen is produced by male cones, and
pollen are tiny cells that later become sperm cells. Ovule is a structure
containing an egg cell. Pollination= transfer of pollen from male part to
female part. (Pollen falls from a male cone to a female cone and fertilizes
an ovule, which develops into a seed, with the zygote as the embryo part of
the seed. It can take two years for seeds to mature, then the cones open &
wind carries the seeds off.)

Exercise

1. Which kingdom do plants belong to?

a) Animalia
b) Fungi
c) Plantae
d) Protista
2. Which of the following is a non-vascular plant?
a) Fern
b) Conifer
c) Moss
d) Sunflower
3. Seedless vascular plants reproduce through:
a) Seeds
b) Flowers
c) Spores
d) Pollen
4. Which of the following is a gymnosperm?
a) Rose
b) Oak
c) Pine
d) Lily
5. The class Magnoliopsida includes:
a) Mosses
b) Ferns
c) Conifers
d) Flowering plants
6. Which taxonomic rank is below the order?
a) Family
 b) Genus
c) Division
d) Phylum
7. The scientific name of an organism consists of:
a) Genus only
b) Species only
c) Order and family
d) Genus and species

Exercise 2
1. Which of the following is a characteristic of non-vascular plants?
a) They have specialized tissues for water transport.
b) They produce seeds.
c) They reproduce through spores.
d) They have flowers for reproduction.
2. Which division/phylum includes ferns?
a) Bryophyta
b) Pteridophyta
 c) Coniferophyta
d) Magnoliophyta
3. The class Pinopsida includes:
a) Mosses
b) Ferns
c) Conifers
d) Flowering plants
4. Which of the following is an example of an angiosperm?
a) Pine tree
b) Tulip
c) Fern
d) Horsetail
5. The family Rosaceae includes:
a) Roses
b) Orchids
c) Sunflowers
d) Cacti
6. The scientific name for a dog rose is:
a) Rosa canina
b) Rosa grandiflora
c) Rosa officinalis
d) Rosa sylvestris
7. Which taxonomic rank is above the division/phylum?
a) Order
b) Class
c) Kingdom
d) Family