CLASS 6 – CHAPTER 1 – Food – Where Does It Come From ?

Introduction

• Any substance that human beings, animals or plants eat to nourish their body for proper growth and maintenance is called food.
• All living beings require food.
• Food is required by all living beings for four main purposes:
• for proper growth.
• to provide energy for doing work.
• for the repair and replacement of the damaged tissues.
• to impart resistance and protection against diseases from infections.

Sources of Food

• The food that we eat is obtained from chiefly two sources: plants and animals.

Plant source of Food

Parts of the plant used as a source of food:

1. Plant roots, used as food. Example: Carrot, Turnip, Radish, Beetroot.
2. Plant stems, used as food. Example: Potato, Sugarcane, Coriander.
3. Plant leaves, used as food. Example: Spinach, Cabbage, Onion.
4. Flowers from plants, used as food. Example: Rose, Cauliflower and Bauhinia.
5. Fruits on the plant used as food:
6. Pulpy fruits: Grapes, Banana
7. Nuts and dry fruits: almond, Currant
8. Fruits used as vegetables: Brinjal, Tomato, Gourd, Bean
9. Seeds used as food:
10. Cereals (grains) and seeds: maize, paddy, wheat
11. Pulses: Gram, Green gram, pigeon pea.

Animal Source of Food

• Animal products like egg, meat, honey, milk, butter, cheese, and curd are eaten by humans.
• The meat of animals like chicken, goat, fish, and prawns is a commonly eaten food.
• Egg- Hen’s egg is the most common bird egg eaten in the world. It is a good source of proteins and vitamins.
• Honey: Honey is a sweet liquid prepared by bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey is collected from beehives. It is used in cooking food and also has medicinal value.
• Milk: Milk is procured from animals like cows, buffalo, and goats. It is a very nutritious food item and is a rich source of proteins. Milk also contains calcium, which is required for the proper growth of bones and nerve function.

• Products prepared from milk are known as dairy products. Some common dairy products are given as below:
• Paneer (cottage cheese): The most common method of making paneer includes adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk. Then, the liquid portion of milk is drained off and the solid part is used as paneer. This process is called curdling.
• Cheese: Cheese is prepared from curdled milk of cow, goat, sheep, or buffalo.
• Butter: Butter is prepared by churning fresh cream.
• Ghee: Ghee is prepared by gently heating butter and removing the solid matter.
  Curd: The most common method of making curd is by adding a small sample of curd in warm milk. The microorganisms (bacteria) present in the curd sample turns the milk into curd.

What do animals eat?

• Different animals have different feeding habits. On the basis of feeding habits, animals can be divided into three groups: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
• Herbivores: Animals that eat only plants and products of plants. For example Buffalo, Cow, Goat, Sheep, Elephant, Donkey, Giraffe, Deer, Camel etc.
• Carnivores: Animals that eat other animals as food. For example Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Fox, Shark etc.
• Omnivores: Animal that eats both plants and animals as food. For example Dog, Crow, rat, Hens, Pigs, etc.