Chapter 13 – Organisms and Population

Previous year’s questions and their Explanation

YEAR 2010

1. If 8 individuals in a laboratory population of 80 fruit flies died in a week, then what

would be the death rate of population for the said period?
Ans –

2. Draw and explain a logistic curve for a population of density (N) at time (t) whose
intrinsic rate of natural increase is (r) and carrying capacity is (k).
Ans - Logistic growth

 The resources become limited at certain point of time, so no population can grow
exponentially.
 Every ecosystem or environment or habitat has limited resources to support a particular
maximum number of individuals called its carrying capacity (K).
 When N is plotted in relation to time t, the logistic growth show sigmoid curve and also
called Verhulst-Pearl logistic Growth.

Where N = Population density at time t

r = Intrinsic rate of natural increase
K = Carrying capacity

3. In a pond there were 20 Hydrilla plants. Through reproduction 10 new Hydrilla plants
were added in a year. Calculate the birth rate of the population.
Ans –

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4. How do animals like fish and snails avoid summer related unfavourable conditions?
Ans - Fish and snails undergo aestivation i.e., summer sleep to avoid unfavourable conditions.

5. How do organisms like fungi, zooplanktons and bears overcome the temporary short-
lived climatic stressful conditions? Explain.
Ans – Fungi: They form thick-walled spores which help them survive in unfavourable
conditions. On availability of suitable environment, these germinate.
Zooplankton: Under unfavourable conditions, these species in lakes and ponds enter
diapause, a stage of suspended development.
Bears: In extreme low temperatures, they escape winter time, i.e., they hibernate.

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 YEAR 2011
6. Why green plants are not found beyond a certain depth in the ocean?
Ans – Beyond a certain depth in the ocean, sunlight is not able to penetrate. Due to which green
plants cannot photosynthesise and thus, do not survive.

7. Water is very essential for life. Write any three features both for plants and animals
which enable them to survive in water scarce environment.
Ans – Plants: Ephemeral mode (complete life cycle in short period); deep tap roots; deciduous
leaves; waxy cuticle; sunken stomata; succulence to store water; C4 or CAM pathway of
photosynthesis. (Any three)
Animals: No sweating; uricotelic; deposition of fat in sub-epidermal layer; burrowing
nature; thick skin; body covered with scales. (Any three)

8. How do organisms cope with stressful external environmental conditions which are
localised or of short duration?
Ans – The following methods are employed by organisms to cope with stressful conditions:
(i) Migrate temporarily from the stressful habitat to a hospitable area,
(ii) suspend activities,
(iii) form thick walled spores,
(iv) form dormant seeds,
(v) hibernate during winter,
(vi) aestivate during summer,
(vii) planktons undergo diapause. (Any six)

9. Pollinating species of wasps show mutualism with specific fig plants. Mention the
benefits the female wasps derive from the fig trees from such an interaction.
Ans – The wasp uses the fruit as oviposition and the developing seeds for nourishing its larvae.

10. Why are cattle and goats not seen browsing on Calotropis growing in the fields?
Ans – Calotropis produces highly poisonous cardiac glycosides. Therefore, cattle and goats do
not browse on them.

11. Why are some organisms called as eurythermals and some others as stenohaline?
Ans – Eurythermals are organisms that can tolerate and thrive in a wide range of temperature,
whereas stenohalinees can tolerate a narrow range of salinities.

12. Bear hibernates whereas some species of zooplanktons enter diapause to avoid stressful
external conditions. How are these two ways different from each other?
Ans – Hibernation is the winter sleep seen in cold-blooded animals in polar regions in which
they suspend their metabolic activities when external temperature becomes unfavourable.
Whereas, diapause is the phenomenon seen in insects during their developmental stages,
in which metabolic activities are suspended due to unfavourable conditions.

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 YEAR 2012
13. Write what do phytophagous insects feed on.
Ans – Phytophagus insects feed on plant sap and other parts of plant.

14. Why do clown fish and sea anemone pair up? What is this relationship called?
Ans – The clown fish gets protection from predators which stay away from stinging tentacles
of anemone but anemone does not derive any benefit from the fish. This relationship is
called commensalism.

15. Some organisms suspend their metabolic activities to survive in unfavourable conditions.
Explain with the help of any four examples.
Ans -
(i) Polar bear—They hibernate during winter to escape the cold weather.
(ii) Snails/fishes—They go into aestivation during summer to avoid heat related
problems and desiccation.
(iii) Seeds of higher plants/spores of bacteria/fungi—They become dormant in unfavourable
conditions and in case of Amoeba cyst formation takes place.
(iv) Some species of zooplankton—They undergo diapause.

16. What is the interaction called between Cuscuta and shoe flower bush?
Ans – Parasitism

17. What is an interaction called when an orchid grows on a mango plant?

Ans – Commensalism

18. Explain brood parasitism with the help of an example.

Ans – Koel is a parasitic bird (which has lost the instinct to make its own nest to lay eggs) has
evolved the technique of laying eggs in the nest of a crow. Its eggs bear resemblances to
those of crow.

19. (a) List any three ways of measuring population density of a habitat.
(b) Mention the essential information that can be obtained by studying the population
density of an organism.
Ans – (a) By physical counting, percent cover or total biomass, from relative density, counting
pug marks, counting faecal pellets. (Any three)
(b) Status of habitat, whether competition for survival exists or not, whether population
is increasing or declining, natality, mortality, emigration, immigration. (Any three)

20. Name the interaction between a whale and the barnacles growing on its back.
Ans – Commensalism

21. Name the interaction between sea anemone and the hermit crab that grows on it.
Ans – Commensalism

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 YEAR 2013
22. Explain why very small animals are rarely found in polar region.
Ans – The small animals have larger surface area relative to their volume. They lose body heat
very fast in low temperature. So, they expend energy to generate body heat through metabolism
for adjusting. Therefore, very small animals are rarely found in polar regions.

23. Explain mutualism with the help of any two examples. How is it different from
commensalism?
Ans – Mutualism is referred to as the interspecific interaction in which both the interacting
species are benefited.
Some examples of mutualism
(a) Lichens represent close association between fungus and photosynthetic algae or
cyanobacteria, where the fungus helps in the absorption of nutrients and provides
protection while algae or cyanobacterium prepares the food.
(b) Mycorrhizae are close mutual association between fungi and the roots of higher plants,
where fungi helps the plant for absorption of nutrient while the plant provides food
for the fungus.
In commensalism, one species benefits and the other is neither benefitted or harmed
whereas in mutualism both the species are benefitted.

24. (a) Write the importance of measuring the size of a population in a habitat or an
ecosystem.
(b) Explain with the help of an example how the percentage cover is a more meaningful
measure of population size than mere numbers.
Ans – (a) By measuring the size of a population, following can be predicted:
(i) Status of the population in a habitat
(ii) Outcome of competition with other species
(iii) Impact of predator or pesticides
(iv) Increase or decrease of population size. (Any two)
(b) Example: Banyan tree and Parthenium plants.
When 1 banyan tree is compared with 100 Parthenium plants, the population of
banyan in terms of number is very much low as compared to Parthenium. But in
terms of percentage cover or biomass, the banyan provides a much larger cover in
comparison to 100 Parthenium plants. Thus, the percentage cover or biomass is a
more meaningful measure of population size.

25. (a) Explain “birth rate” in a population by taking a suitable example.

(b) Write the other two characteristics which only a population shows but an individual
cannot.
Ans – (a) Birth rate is expressed as the number of births per 1,000 individuals of a population
per year. For example, in a pond there were 200 frogs and 40 more were born in a
year. Then the birth rate of the population will be 40/200 = 0.5 frogs per year.
(b) Sex ratio, age distribution, population density, population growth. (Any two)

26. (a) Explain “death rate” in a population by taking a suitable example.

(b) Write the other two characteristics which only a population shows but an individual
cannot.
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Ans – (a) Death rate is expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 individuals of a population
per year. For example, in a pond there were 200 fish and 40 fish died in a year. Then
the death rate of the population will be 40/200 = 0.5 fish per year.
(b) Sex ratio, age distribution, population density, population growth. (Any two)

27. (a) List the biotic components an organism interacts with in its natural habitat.
(b) Mention how have organisms optimised their survival and reproduction in a habitat.
Ans - (a) Plants, animals and microorganisms.
(b) (i) Some organisms regulate to maintain homeostasis by physiological and
behavioural means.
(ii) In some animals and plants the osmotic concentration of the body fluids change
with that of the ambient water osmotic concentration (Conform).
(iii) Some animals migrate to avoid unfavourable conditions.
(iv) Some bacteria, fungi and lower plants, under unfavourable conditions slow down
metabolic rate and form a thick-walled spore to overcome stressful conditions
(Suspend).

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 YEAR 2014
28. Give an example of an organism that enters ‘diapause’ and why.
Ans – Many species of Zooplankton unfavourable conditions which delay overall development.

29. Study the graph given below and answer the questions that follow:

(i) Write the status of food and space in the curves (a) and (b).
(ii) In the absence of predators, which one of the two curves would appropriately depict
the prey population?
(iii) Time has been shown on X-axis and there is a parallel dotted line above it. Give the
significance of this dotted line.
Ans – (i) a-unlimited food and space
b-limited food and space
(ii) Curve a
(iii) The dotted line represents the carrying capacity. It is the capacity of a given habitat
having enough resources to support maximum possible number, beyond which no
further growth is possible.

30. Describe the mutual relationship between fig tree and wasp and comment on the
phenomenon that operates in their relationship.
Ans –The female wasp uses the fruit as an oviposition (egg-laying) site. It also pollinates the
inflorescence while searching for suitable egg laying site.
Co-evolution exists between their close specific tight relationship.

31. Explain Verhulst-Pearl Logistic Growth of a population.

Ans – According to Verhulst–Pearl Logistic growth a population growing in a habitat with
limited resources initially shows a lag phase, followed by phases of acceleration and
deceleration and finally an asymptote when the population density reaches the carrying
capacity. It is given by the following equation:

Where, N = population density at time t

r = intrinsic rate of natural increase
K = carrying capacity.

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32. Differentiate between commensalism and mutualism by taking one example each from
plants only.
Ans –
Commensalism Mutualism
It is an interspecific interaction in which one It is an interspecific interaction in which
species is benefitted and the other is neither both the interacting species are benefitted.
harmed nor benefitted. Eg.- Algae and fungi in Lichens
Eg.- Clown fish and sea anemone

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 YEAR 2015
33. What is mutualism? Mention any two examples where the organisms involved are
commercially exploited in agriculture.
Ans – Interaction between two species in which both are benefitted
i. Rhizobium in the roots (nodules) of legumes
ii. Mycorrhiza / Glomus with the roots of higher plants

34. How do snails, seeds, bears, zooplanktons, fungi and bacteria adapt to conditions
unfavourable for their survival?
Ans – Snail-aestivation
Seeds-dormancy/suspended metabolic activities
Bear-Hibernation
Zooplankton- diapause/suspended development
Fungi-Spore/Zygospore
Bacteria-Cyst/spore

35. (a) List the different attributes that a population has and not an individual organism.
(b) What is population density ? Explain any three different ways the population density
can be measured, with the help of an example each.
Ans – (a) Attributes of population
Birth rate , Death Rate , sex ratio,age pyramids/age distribution (any two)
(b) Population density - Number of individuals per unit area at a given time / period
1. Biomass / % Cover , e.g Hundred Parthenium plants and 1 huge banayan tree
2. Relative Density , e.g Number of fish caught per trap from a lake
3. Numbers , e.g Human population
4. Indirect estimation , e.g without actually counting/seeing them e.g tiger census based
on pugmarks and fecal pellets
(Any three)

36. Explain co-evolution with reference to parasites and their hosts. Mention any four
special adaptive features evolved in parasites for their parasitic mode of life.
Ans – If the host evolves special mechanism for rejecting or resisting the parasite
the parasite has to (simultaneously)evolve / co-evolve the mechanism to counter act and
neutralize them.
(a) Parasitic adaptation in Animals:
(i) Loss of (unnecessary) sense organs in animals
(ii) Presence of adhesive organs/suckers
(iii) Loss of digestive system
(iv) High reproductive capacity
(v) Resemblance of eggs in the case of brood parasitism
(b) Parasitic adaptation in plants
(vi) Haustoria in Cuscuta
(vii) Loss of chlorophyll
(viii) Loss of leaves / foliage
Note : ( Any four adaptations with correct reference Animal or Plant)

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 YEAR 2016
37. Name and explain the type of interaction that exists in mycorrhizae and between cattle
egret and cattle
Ans – Mutualism -Association between fungi and the root of higher plants , fungus absorbs
essential nutrients from the soil and plant provides the fungi with energy yielding
carbohydrates (both benefitted)
Commensalism - Cattle stir up and flush out insects from the vegetation on which the
egret feed , cattle is neither harmed nor benefitted / not effected

38. (a) Name the growth models that represent population growth and draw the respective
growth curves they represent.
(a) State the basis for the difference in the shape of these curves.
(b) Which one of the curves represent the human population growth at the present?
Do you think such a curve is sustainable? Give reason in support of your answer.
Ans – (a) Exponental growth curve , logistics growth curve

a - exponential growth curve b - logistic growth curve

(b) Exponential growth - food resources and space unlimited ,
Logistic growth - food resources and space limited
(c) Exponential growth not sustainable , as resources are limited / carrying capacity

39. Explain parasitism and co-evolution with the help of one example of each.
Ans – Mode of interaction between two species in which one species (parasite) depends on the
other species ( host) for food and shelter / one organism is benefitted , the other is harmed.
E.g Human liver fluke / Malarial parasite / Cuscuta
Co-evolution is the relationship between two interacting organisms where both organisms
failed to survive in the absence of the other. E.g Fig and fig wasp / ophrys and bumble bee

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 YEAR 2017
40. (a) “Organisms may be conformers or regulators.” Explain this statement and give one
example of each.
(b) Why are there more conformers than regulators in the animal world ?
Ans - (a) Conformers- organisms which cannot maintain a constant internal environment under
varying external environmental conditions // change body temperature and osmotic
concentration with change in external enviornment eg. all plants / fishes / amphibians /
reptiles (Any one)
Regulators - organisms which can maintain homeostasis (by physiological means or
behavioural means ) // maintain constant body temperature and osmotic concentration eg.
birds /mammals
(b) Thermoregulation is energetically expensive for animals

41. (a) Compare, giving reasons, the J-shaped and S-shaped models of population growth of
a species.
(b) Explain “fitness of a species” as mentioned by Darwin.
Ans – (a)

(b) When resources are limited , Competition occurs between individuals , fittest will
survive, who reproduce to leave more progeny.

42. Different animals respond to changes in their surroundings in different ways. Taking
one example each, explain “some animals undergo aestivation while some others
hibernation”. How do fungi respond to adverse climatic conditions?
Ans - Some animals go into aestivation to avoid summer related problems ( heat and dessication)
Eg. snails / fish ( any other suitable eg.) = ½ + ½
Some animals go into hibernation to avoid winter related problem ( extreme cold) eg. bear
(any other suitable eg.)
Fungi form thick walled spores and suspend their activities to respond to adverse climatic
condition.

43. How do kangaroo rats and desert plants adapt themselves to survive in their extreme
habitat ? Explain.
Ans - Kangaroo rats- internal fat oxidation where water is a byproduct , excretes concentrated
urine
Desert Plants -thick cuticle / sunken stomata / leaves reduced to spines / deep roots /
Special photosynthetic pathway / CAM ( Any four)
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 YEAR 2018

44. (a) Following are the responses of different animals to various abiotic factors. Describe
each one with the help of an example.
(i) Regulate
(ii) Conform
(iii) Migrate
(iv) Suspend
(b) If 8 individuals in a population of 80 butterflies die in a week, calculate the death
rate of population of butterflies during that period.
Ans – (a) (i) Regulate - Maintain constant internal temperature / osmotic concentration
/homeostasis. E.g. birds / mammals = ½
(ii) Conform - Do not maintain constant internal temperature / osmotic concentration /
No homeostasis. E.g. any one example of animal other than birds and mammals
(iii) Migrate - Temporary movement of organisms from the stressful of habitats to
hospitable areas and return when stressful period is over. E.g. birds from Siberia / or any
other correct example = ½
(iv) Suspend - Reducing / minimising the metabolic activities during unfavourable
conditions. E.g. Polar bear / amphibian / snails / fish / any other example of animals.
(b) Death rate = 8/80 = 0.1 individuals per butterfly per week.

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 YEAR 2019

45. (a) What is “population” according to you as a biology student ?

(b) “The size of a population for any species is not a static parameter.” Justify the
statement with specific reference to fluctuations in the population density of a
region in a given period of time.
Ans – (a) Total number of organisms of a species in a particular area at a particular time
(b) The size of a population for any species is not a static parameter because of the factors
like :-
Birth rate/ Natality, number of births during a given period
Death rate/ Mortality, number of deaths during a given period
Immigration , number of individuals of the same species that have come into the
habitat from elsewhere during the time period under consideration
Emigration , number of individuals of the population who left the habitat and gone
elsewhere during the time period under consideration

46. If in a population of size ‘N’ the birth rate is represented as ‘b’ and the death rate as
‘d’, the increase or decrease in ‘N’ during a unit time period ‘t’ will be :

The equation given above can also be represented as :

What does ‘r’ represent ? Write any one significance of calculating ‘r’ for any
Population?
Ans – r = intrinsic rate of natural increase , it is an important parameter for assessing impacts of
any biotic or abiotic factor on population growth .

47. Differentiate between an ‘Expanding age pyramid’ and a ‘Stable age pyramid’.
Substantiate your answer with diagrams.
Ans –

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48. What is ‘carrying capacity’ of a species in a habitat? Why is logistic growth model
considered more realistic ?
Ans – Maximum number of individuals a habitat can support (at given time)
Since resources are limited / finite and sooner or later they become limiting (so logistic
growth model is more realistic)

49. (a) Compare the characteristics of the following :

(i) Eurythermal and Stenothermal organisms
(ii) Euryhaline and Stenohaline organisms
(b) How does our body get acclimatized to ‘altitude sickness’ ?
Ans - (a) (i) Organism that tolerate wide range of temperature , Organism that are restricted to
narrow range of temperature
(ii) Organism that tolerate wide range of salinity, Organism restricted to narrow range of
salinity
(b) Increase of RBC production / decrease binding affinity of Hb to oxygen / increase of
breathing rate (Any two)

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 YEAR 2020
50. Study the age pyramids ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ of the human population given below and
answer the questions that follow :

(a) Identify pyramids ‘B’ and ‘C’.

(b) Write the basis on which the above pyramids are plotted.
Ans - (a) B- Stable population , C- Declining population
(b) Age Distribution of male and female of human population

51. Study the population growth curve given below and answer the questions that follow :

(a) Identify ‘A’ and ‘B’ shown in the graph.

(b) When and why do such curves occur in a population ?
Ans - a) ‘A’- Exponential ‘B’ -Logistic
b) ‘A’- Exponential growth - when resources ( food and space) are not limiting / when
resources in the habitat are unlimited , each species has the ability to realise its full
potential to grow in number in absence of checks .
‘B’ -Logistic growth - When resources become limiting / competition between
individuals for limited resources occurs, the fittest individuals will survive and
reproduce.

52. (a) Write how parasites have evolved with adaptation to co-exist with their hosts in an
ecosystem.
(b) Parasites are host specific and tend to co-evolve. How would the parasite respond if
the host evolves a certain mechanism to resist or reject the parasite ?
Ans – (a) Loss of unnecessary sense organs, presence of adhesive organs / suckers , loss of
digestive system , high reproductive capacity.
(b) (If the host evolves special mechanism for rejecting or resisting a parasite) the parasite
has to evolve a mechanism to counteract and neutralize them.

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53.

Study the schematic representation given above and answer the following
questions:
(a) Identify A in it.
(b) Identify D in it.
(c) When the population density at time t is N as shown above, write the population
density at time t + 1 in the form of an equation using appropriate symbols.
Ans – (a) A = Natality / Immigration
(b) D = Emigration / Mortality
(c) N (t+1)=Nt+[(B+I)-(D+E)]

54. How do the following organisms pull through the adverse environmental conditions ?
(a) Fungi (b) Zooplankton
(c) Bear (d) Snails
Ans - a. Fungi - Thick walled spores
b. Zooplanktons - diapause / a stage of suspended development
c. Bear - Hibernation during winters
d. Snails - aestivation to avoid summer / related problem / heat and dessication

55. Study the table showing the population interaction between species ‘Z’and ‘Y’
respectively. Assign the appropriate ‘+’/‘–’ signs for ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘D’, ‘E’and respective
interactions for ‘C’ and ‘F’.

Ans - A = + (plus), B = + (plus), C = Competition

D = + (plus) D = - (minus)
E = - (minus) E = + (plus)
F = Commensalism

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