221 Facts Tell Me What

Wine is an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of grapes or other fruit like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. The natural and appropriate quantities of sugar present in grapes make them the most suitable product for wine making. Grapes also have natural wine yeast on their skin that converts sugar into alcohol and carbon […]

The word deciduous literally means, ‘Falling off’. The shrubs and trees that shed their leaves every year at the end of every growing season are known as deciduous plants. They shed all of their leaves to adapt to the changing weather conditions and grow some new leaves when seasons change again. In some parts of

Diatoms are single-celled plants that have transparent cell walls. They are found in both fresh and marine waters. They are very small in size. Each diatom is enclosed in a box-like shell whose edges are held by a girdle. They float over water and attach themselves to rock or large plants with a jelly-like material.

Olive oil is oil obtained from the fruits of olive trees. Earlier, olive oil was obtained by crushing olive fruits between stone rollers. The mashed olive pulp was then squeezed between cloth mats and the oil was filtered. However in modern times, the process is mechanised by using large grinders, hydraulic presses and advanced filtrating

Cacti are usually found in deserts. Cactus spines are modified leaves. They protect the plant from predators. These spines also provide shade to the surface of the cacti by protecting them from the harsh sun. The shade created by the spines also helps to lower the temperature of the surface of cacti, which reduces the

Mushrooms are a type of fungi. They do not contain chlorophyll and hence cannot manufacture their own food. Most mushrooms are edible but there a few varieties that are also poisonous. Toadstools are traditionally poisonous or inedible mushrooms containing a poison which is lethal. However, scientifically, there is no difference between mushrooms and toadstools. Some

Plankton are a floating mass of life formed by billions of tiny living organisms. Some plankton are as big as large jellyfish whereas some are so tiny that they are not visible even under a microscope. Some common plankton are algae, bacteria, protozoan, etc. Two main categories of plankton are plant like, phytoplankton and animal

A vegetable is any part of a plant likes seed, root, tuber, bulb, stem, leaf, bud, fruit or flower, which can be eaten as food. Some common vegetables are beans, eggplant, potato, onion, capsicum, tomato, cauliflower, peas, cucumber, etc. Mushrooms and other edible fungi are also categorised as vegetables but they are not green plants.

A fruit is the fleshy part of the plant that contains a seed or seeds. It is eaten as food. The fleshy part is often covered by a peel. In some fruits, the peel can be eaten while in some it cannot be eaten. Nutritionally, fruits are an important source of vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates

Paprika belongs to the Capsicum family. It is a spice made from the fruit of chilli pepper. It is generally referred to as sweet pepper. It is milder than many other kinds of pepper. The colour of the fruit ranges from orange-red to dark red. Paprika is used for seasoning food. It is native to

Aerial roots are roots that grow above the ground. An aerial root develops from a branch or stem above the surface of earth or water. These roots are found in plants, such as orchids, mangrove trees, banyan trees, ‘pohutukawa’ trees of New Zealand and vines like poison ivy and common ivy. Aerial roots have different

Algae are plant-like living organisms that are found all over the world. They can make food from sunlight by photosynthesis. Algae are aquatic and do not have leaves, roots and other organs-like land plants. Algae are of different types of colours such as red algae, blue-green algae, etc. They grow in clusters. The single cell

Forestry is the science and practice of wisely managing and using natural resources that are associated with forests. These forest resources are plants, wildlife, soil, wood, water, fish, etc. Forests are important for the survival of human beings. They provide us with oxygen, food products such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, medicines, and raw material for

Hybrid corn is a superior quality of corn. It is a combination of the best varieties of corns. About fifty years ago, plant scientists discovered a method of producing hybrid corn. This good quality corn was developed by repeating the process of cross breeding of different varieties of corns and saving only the best plants

Bamboo is a plant of the grass family. It has a hard, woody and hollow stem. It is an evergreen plant which means it stays green round the year. It is a fast-growing plant. Its shoot grows at the rate of 41 cm/day. This plant is used for: • making Chinese medicines.• building houses and