Honeybees eat pollen, a powdery substance present in flowers and drink nectar which is a sweet liquid produced in flowers. Baby honeybees are fed lots of pollen as it is rich in protein and enables them to maintain their healthy growth. The nectar present in flowers is used by worker bees to make honey. In […]
A shell is the hard outer covering of a living thing. It provides protection to the organism. It is either made by the creature itself or by its parent. Shells are composed of calcium carbonate (lime) and silica or lignin (woody material). Most common shells are eggshells, shells around the body of a crab or
Once, there was a beautiful kingdom around a lake. In summer days, there was no rain and the lake dried up. People grew anxious and went to the King. The King decided to go in search of water. After several days, he reached the Iced Cold Mountain. There, he saw an old woman. The King
The common features of insects are a segmented body which means their bodies are divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen, jointed legs which can be six or more. Insects also have an exoskeleton which is the hard covering over their bodies. Insects are both harmful and useful. Harmful insects include beetles, mosquitoes, houseflies,
Zoology is the study of animals. It can be sub-divided into many disciplines, such as ornithology, the study of birds; primatology, the study of primates; ichthyology, the study of fish and entomology, the study of insects, etc. It gives us an in-depth knowledge to understand wildlife, animals, the environment and ourselves. It studies the way
A cunning old crane lived by the side of a pond. One day, he sadly stood by the pond. The fish asked him, “Why do you look so sad?” “I have heard that this pond is going to fill up with mud soon.” “All the fish will die!” the crane started crying. The fish got
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Vegetable oils are oils extracted from plant seeds. Some common sources are corn, mustard, soybean, sunflower and coconut. These oils are extracted by pressing the seeds between rollers or by treating the seeds with chemicals. They can be used for edible or inedible purposes. For example, corn and olive oil are used in salads and
A raisin is a dried grape. It may be eaten raw or can be used in cooking, baking and brewing. Traditionally, grapes are dried in the sun, but they are sometimes also water-dipped and artificially dehydrated. Raisin varieties depend on the kinds of grapes. They can be differentiated on the basis of size, colour and
Stems are the part of a plant that grows above the ground. Certain stems show modifications. These stems are unique as they grow differently and have special functions. There are different kinds of modified stems. Some grow horizontally underground near the soil surface such as potatoes. A strawberry grows horizontally above the ground, along the
A hungry jackal set off in search of food. He accidentally wandered into a village. A group of dogs attacked him. The jackal ran for his life and entered the house of a washerman. He came across a large container filled with blue dye. He jumped into the container to hide. The jackal turned blue
Nutmeg is a popular fragrant spice. There are at least 80 types of nutmeg. The most common one grows on a striking evergreen tree which has a 7-metre high straight trunk. The tree bears fruit after 8 years of growth. The fruit is pear-shaped and golden yellow in colour. The fruit opens in halves. The
Moss is a small flowerless green plant. It has no true roots. It absorbs water and minerals from the soil. It forms low green carpets on the surface of the ground in damp habitats such as rainforests and woodlands. It also grows on moist rocks. As the rocks dry, the moss also dries up, but
Once, there lived a poor woodcutter. One day, while cutting a tree on a river-bank, his axe fell into the river. Mercury, one of the gods from heaven, came to help him. Mercury dived into the river and came out with a gold axe. But the woodcutter said, “that’s not my axe.’’ Mercury dived again
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Mildew is a parasitic fungus. It grows in moist, hot air and is found on cloth, fibre, leather goods, strawberry, etc. For example, if strawberry is left in a warm and moist place for many hours, it gets covered with a net of cobweb like threads and blackish powder-like substance. This is mildew. Mildew can
Osmosis is the passage of water and dissolved substances through a semi-permeable membrane. This membrane allows transfer of selective particles only. In plants, osmosis can be observed between roots and soil where water and nutrients from soil pass into roots through root hair. In animals, osmosis can be observed in the small intestine where nutrients