6th Class Science Food: Where Does It Come From? Food

     Food

Food is a substance eaten by the living organisms in order to remain alive. Fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and milk etc. are the example of food.

What are the functions of food?

The functions of food are:

It provides energy and enables us to do work

It keeps us fit and healthy

It protects us from the diseases

It gives us strength

It helps our body to grow

         Sources of Food

Plants and animals are two prime sources of our food.

         Plants

Foods like cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables etc. are obtained from the plants.

Plant parts as food: Different types of plants store their food in different parts such as roots, leaves, stem etc. So the part, in which food is stored , is used by us as food. Let us know about this in some detail.

Roots as food: Some plants store food in their roots. Therefore roots of such plants are used as food. For example, carrot, beet, radish, sweet potato etc.

Stems as food: Some plants store food in their stems. Therefore stems of such plants are used as food. For example, turmeric, garlic, ginger, potato, onion etc.

Leaves as food: Some plants store food in their leaves. Therefore their leaves are used as food. For example, cabbage, lettuce, spinach etc.       

Fruits as food: Some plants store food in their fruits. For example, apple, orange, mango etc.

Flowers as food: Flowers of some plants are also used as food. For example, jasmine, sunflower, dandelion etc.

Seeds as food: Some plants store their food in their seeds. So seeds of such plants are used as food. For example, wheat, rice, pulses, peas etc.

       Animals

Food like meat, milk, eggs, honey etc. are obtained from animals.