Plants and animals can easily be differentiated but it is slighlty difficult to differentiate lower plants and animals. For example Euglena, volvox etx. Botanists keep them under Botany and zoologists keep them under zoology.
The main difference between plants and animals are as follows:
(i) Growth:
The growth in plants is because of special tissues called as meristematic tissues. The meristematic tissues at the tip of stems and root cause apical growth and the lateral meristem causes diameter growth of root and stem. The animals lack such tissues.
Hence, the growth in plants is localised where as growth in animals is diffused.The growth in plants takes place continuously in the whole life where as in animals, growth occurs only up to a age except regeneration. The growth in plants takes place till death where as in animals it stops well before the death.
(ii ) Movements:
Animals are able to locomotes but the plants except unicellular plants are unable to locomote i.e plants remain fixed in the earth with the help of roots.
(iii) Photosynthesis:
The plants have chlorophyll. Hence, they synthesize their own food by the process of photosynthesis. They synthesize organic food using water, CO2 and Sun light. The animals lack chlorophyll, hence are unable to perform photosynthesis. The animals obtain food from plants.
The plants are autotrophs whereas the animals are heterotrophs.
(iv) Absorption of mineral salts:
The mineral salts are required in various metabolic activities. The plants absorb mineral salts in the soluble form the soil with the help of roots. The animals get the mineral salts as food through the mouth.
(v) Centrosome – Centrosome is a cell orgenelle which participates in cell division. The animal cell have a centrosome situated near the nucleus. The centrosome is absent in higher plants
