CLASS: VII

SUB: SCIENCE (BIO)

Chapter 1​ ​Nutrition in Plants

Question 1:

Why do organisms take food?

ANSWER:
Living organism eat food to get energy, which is essential for performing
growth and maintenance of their body.
Question 2:

Distinguish between a parasite and a saprotroph.

ANSWER:
Parasite
The organism that grows on the body of
another organism and derives nutrients
from it is known as a parasite.
Examples of parasites are ​Cuscuta​ and
orchids.
Saprotroph
The organism that obtains nutrients
from the dead or decaying organic
matter is called saprotroph.
Examples of saprotrophs are fungi
and some bacteria.

Question 3:

How would you test the presence of starch in leaves?

ANSWER:

Experiment to test the presence of starch in leaves:

● Take two healthy green potted plants of the same type.

● Keep one potted plant in a dark room for one or two days in order to
remove all the starch from the leaves.
● Keep the other plant in sunlight.
 ● Now, take one leaf from each potted plant and put a few drops of iodine
solution on them. Then note down the observation.

No blue black colour will be observed on the leaves of the plant kept in the dark
room. This indicates the absence of starch.

Blue black colour will be observed on the leaves of the plant kept in sunlight.
This indicates the presence of starch.

Question 4:

Give a brief description of the process of synthesis of food in green plants.

ANSWER:

Photosynthesis is defined as the process in which the chlorophyll-containing

plant cells synthesise food in the form of carbohydrates, using carbon dioxide
and water in the presence of solar energy.

Photosynthesis

Sources of raw materials required for photosynthesis:

(a) Water is taken in from the roots of the plant and is transported to the leaves.

(b) Carbon dioxide from the air enters the leaves through the tiny pores called
stomata and diffuses to the cells containing chlorophyll.

(c) Solar energy is used to break water into hydrogen and oxygen. This
hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide to form food for the plants, which is
ultimately used by the animals as well.

Thus, photosynthesis can be represented by the following equation.

Question 5:

Show with the help of a sketch that the plants are the ultimate source of
food.
ANSWER:

Photosynthesis

6.What are the different types of Heterotrophic nutrition?

1. ​Parasitic mode of nutrition
2. Insectivorous mode of nutrition
 3. saprotrophic mode of nutrition
4. Symbiotic mode of nutrition

7. What is parasitic nutrition?

​i) It is a type of heterotrophic nutrition in which one organism
obtains their food from other organism by harming them but not killing.

ii) The organism that obtains food is called parasite and other
organism is called host.
Eg. ​Cuscuta

8. What is Symbiotic mode of nutrition?

Organisms that live together and share their shelter and nutrients are said to be
in a symbiotic relationship.

● It is the relationship between two organisms in which both organisms

get benefited from each other.
● Symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi is called lichen.
● Another most common example is of ​Rhizobium bacteria.
● They reside in the root nodules of leguminous plants.
● The bacteria provide a plant with nitrogen that they fix and in turn,
they get shelter and food from the plant​.

9. What is Nitrogen Fixation?

● Nitrogen is an important nutrient required for soil and for plants.

● However, nitrogen in the atmosphere is not easily accessible.

The process by which nitrogen is converted into a form that can be used by
plants and other living organisms is called ​nitrogen fixation.
10.What is ​Saprotrophic mode of nutrition?

● Mode of nutrition in which organisms or plants that obtain their

nutrition from dead and decaying organic matter is called
Saprophytic mode of nutrition.

● The plants which exhibit saprotrophic mode of nutrition are called as

saprotrophs

● Saprotrophs secrete digestive juices onto dead and decaying matter

to dissolve it and then absorb nutrients from it.
 ● Examples of saprotrophs are ​moulds, mushrooms, yeasts and some
bacteria.

11. Explain Insectivorous Plants.

Plants that feed on insects are called Insectivorous plants.

● These plants are green and carry out photosynthesis.

● But they grow in nitrogen-deficient soils.
● So, in order to get nitrogen, they feed on insects.
● For example, ​the pitcher plant, venous flytrap.
● The leaves of these plants are modified into a pitcher like structure.
The top part of the leaves acts as a lid which can open and close the
pitcher.
● The pitcher contains hair in a downward direction which traps the
insects. The pitcher on capturing the insect secretes some digestive
juices which help in the digestion of the insect.

12. Why do farmers grow many fruits and vegetable crops inside large
green houses? What are the advantages to the farmers?
ANSWER:

Green houses allow farmers to regulate the climate and other conditions for the
proper growth of crops. Growing fruits and vegetables in large green houses
provide following advantages to the farmers:

1.It allows them to provide optimum temperature to plants.

2. It helps in the protection of plants from rodents.