Chapter 7: THINGS ARROUND US

Questions and answers

Q1. Define biotic components.

Ans: Living organism such as plants and animals of our environment are known

as biotic components.

Q2. Define abiotic components.

Ans: Non-living things such as soil, air, water, temperature and light of our

environment are known as abiotic components.

Q3. What are the characteristics of living things?

Ans. The following are the characteristics of living things:-

1. Food & nutrition.

2. Respiration.

3. Growth & development.

4. Excretion.

5. Reproduction.

6. Movement and response to stimuli.

7. Definite lifespan.

Q4. Define autotrophs.

Ans. Green plants make their own foods and they are known as autotrophs.

Q5. Define heterotrophs.

Ans. Animals are depending on other organism for their food and they are
 known as heterotrophs.

Q6. Define respiration.

Ans. Respiration is the process by which living organism absorb oxygen from

the air and use it to produce energy from the food they eat.

Q7. Write the reaction for respiration.

Ans. The reaction for respiration is as follows:-

Food + Oxygen Carbon dioxide + Water + Energy.

The oxygen needed for respiration is inhaled from the air by breathing.

The carbon dioxide produced is exhaled by breathing. Thus, breathing is

only the exchange of gases.

Q8. Fill in the blanks.

a) In plants, exchange of gases takes place through tiny pores

(stomata) present in their leaves.

b) Fish breathe through gills.

c) Insects breathe through spiracles present on their body.

d) Earthworms breathe through their moist skin.

e) Birds breathe through air sacs and lungs.

Q9. What is metabolism?

Ans. The constant breaking down of substances in the body for the release of

energy or growth of the body is known as metabolism.

Q10 Define reproduction.

.
Ans. The process by which living organism produce new individual organism of

their own kind is known as reproduction.

Q11 Fill in the blanks.

. 1. Bryophyllum reproduce through leaf margins.

2. Rose plant reproduces through stem cutting.

Q12 Define stimulus.

Ans. Stimulus is something that causes a change in the activity, behavior or

reaction of an organism.

Q13 What is response?

Ans. Response means the change in activity, behavior or reaction of an

organism caused due to a stimulus.

Q14 Write one example of stimulus and response.

Ans. The touch is the stimulus for the touch-me-not plant and the folding of the

leaves is the response.

Q15 Define phototropism.

Ans. The shoot of a plant grows towards light is called phototropism.

Q16 Define geotropism.

.
Ans. The root of a plant grows towards gravity is called geotropism.

Q17 Define cell.

Ans. A cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of a living organism.

Q18 What are unicellular organisms? Give examples.

Ans. Living organism which has only one cell is known as unicellular organism.

Example: Amoeba, Paramecium, bacteria and yeasts.

Q19 Define tissue.

Ans. A group of similar cells form a tissue.

Q20 Define organ.

Ans. A group of similar tissues performing a specific function is known as

organ.

Q21 Give one example of primary consumer.

Ans. Herbivores.

Q22 Give two examples of secondary consumer.

Ans. Carnivores, Omnivores.

Q23 What are the abiotic components of the environment.

.

Ans. i) Sunlight (ii) Air, (iii) Water, (iv) Soil , (v) Temperature.

Q24 Define cold-blooded animals.

Ans. Animals whose body temperature changes with the outside temperature

are called cold-blooded animals. Example: Insects, Most reptiles, and

amphibians.

Q25 Define warm-blooded animals.

Ans. Animals whose body temperature does not change with the outside

temperature are called warm-blooded animals. Example: birds, most

mammals.

Q26 Define species.

Ans. Species is a group of similar looking organism that are capable of breeding

among themselves to produce fertile young ones constitute species.