Plants are living organisms. Cactus and normal plants are two varieties of plants. The cactus is adaptable and is a desert plant. Normal plants are nothing but living in normal conditions.
They have many differences and some similarities. But both the plants are coming under the same kingdom Plantae with different families.
Key Takeaways
- Cacti store water in their thick stems, allowing them to survive in arid environments, while normal plants rely on roots for water absorption.
- Cacti have adapted to minimize water loss with reduced leaves or spines, whereas normal plants have larger leaves for photosynthesis.
- Cacti reproduce through specialized structures called areoles, while normal plants use various reproductive structures like flowers, cones, or spores.
Cactus vs Normal Plant
The difference between the cactus and the normal plant is that the cactus have few leaves or no leaves. Photosynthesis has happened through the stem. On the other hand, normal plants have more leaves. Photosynthesis has happened through the leaves of normal plants.
Cactus is a plant that belongs to the family Cactaceae. The Cactaceae family has one hundred twenty-seven genera and one thousand seven hundred fifty species are available.
The term cactus comes from Latin. Various ranges of sizes and shapes are available for the cactus plant. Most of the species are subject to dried and drought areas.
Even many species live in extreme drought conditions. One of the driest places on earth called Atacama deserts has many cactus species. Cactus has many characteristics and properties to conserve eaters.
Plants are living organisms. The plants belong to the kingdom Plantae. Except for the animals, algae, and fungi, all the plants are comes under the Plantae kingdom.
The plants are nothing but photosynthetic eukaryotes. The photosynthetic eukaryotes mean they produce their food and are independent of anything for the food.
By photosynthesis, they can produce their food and give food to other living organisms. The flower and fruit are used as food by animals and human beings. Most of the plants are green in color.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | Cactus | Normal Plant |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Absent in cactus | Present in normal plants |
| Areoles | Present in cactus | Absent in normal plants |
| Photosynthetic part | The photosynthetic part of the cactus is the stem | The photosynthetic part in normal plants is the leaves |
| Flowers | Flowers are from the aerosols | Flowers are from branches |
| Heavy climate | Cactus handle heavy climate | The normal plant cannot handle heavy climate |
What is Cactus?
The cactus is a plant with extremely adaptable conditions. Most of the cacti are succulents. The succulents mean nothing but a thick fleshy part of the plant that will store the water.
The stem of the cacti is the only succulent feature when compared to other succulents. Most species of cactus have no leaves or fewer leaves. It is only retained with spines.
The spines present in the cactus are modified leaves. The spines help the plans to reduce water loss and provide shade. In the cactus, the stem will carry out photosynthesis is unlike other plants.
Cactus are aboriginal to America. Cactus are desert plants. It grows well and is found abundant in deserts. Areoles in the cactus help to highly reduced branches, which is an identifying feature of the cactus.
Most species of cactus will react to rainfall. Cactus have shallowed root system to absorb enough water. The stems of the cactus are ribbed which helps the plant to absorb the water.
Crassulacean acid metabolism is nothing but a carbon fixation pathway, which is a special mechanism employed in the cactus plant.
Cactus have different growth habitats. It cannot be classified since it has numerous and distinct growth habitats. Some growth habitats are Arborescent, Columnar, and Globular.
Cactus has many psychoactive agents and is mainly used in food. It is also used as an ornamental plant.
What is a Normal Plant?
Plants are the source of oxygen. The plants inhale the carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere and exhale oxygen during the daytime. There are many kinds of plants are available on the earth.
They are flowering plants, coniferous, ferns, and fruit-producing plants. The green color of leaves helps in photosynthesis.
The green pigment which contains chlorophyll produces the food needed for the plant. Most plants are multicellular organisms.
The parasitic and myotropic plants are unable to produce enough food through the leaves.
By sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction, the plants are characterized by many. Most of the plants produce seeds. The seeds are pollinated by insects, birds, human beings.
Due to the pollination process, the plants spread everywhere. World molecular oxygen depends on green plants. Various changes in the lifestyle of human beings affect plants.
Many species are extinct due to the change in the environment. The plants are used for many purposes other than food.
Botany is the name used for the study of plants which is a branch of biology. The primary purpose of the plants is to provide food. It is also used in medicine, ornaments, fragrance, etc.
Many varieties of plants are used for different purposes. Plants are the source that cleans the air and provides fresh air. They are also responsible for the rain cycle system. Most living beings depend on plants for survival.
Main Differences Between Cactus and Normal plant
- Cactus have areoles in their stem, whereas normal plant does not have areoles in the stem.
- Cactus can handle heavy light exposure, whereas normal plants cannot handle heavy light exposure
- Cactus flowers are bloom on the stems, whereas normal plants flowers are bloomed on the branches.
- Cactus have modified branches, whereas normal plants have original branches.
- When compared to cacti, normal plants need more water.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196399905827
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0367326X00002872
Last Updated : 19 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
