OUR ENVIRONMENT
Q.1. Define environment.
Ans: The physical and biological world where we live is called our environment.
Our environment consists of some biotic i.e. producer, consumer and decomposers and some abiotic
components such as air, water bodies, soil etc.
Q.2. What are biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste?
Ans: The waste materials which are broken down to non-poisonous substances by biological process are called
biodegradable waste. Examples: coal, leaves, grass etc.
The waste materials which cannot be broken down into non-poisonous substances by nature are called non-
biodegradable wastes. Examples: plastics, DDT etc.
Q.3. Why are some substances bio-degradable and some non-biodegradable?
Ans: The microorganisms like bacteria and saprophytes present on our environment break down the natural materials or
products made from natural materials but do not break down man-made materials such as plastics.
So, it is due to the property of decomposers of being specific in their actions that some waste materials are
biodegradable and some are non-biodegradable.
Q.4. Give any two ways in which biodegradable substances would affect the environment.
Ans: The two ways are-
1. The flies and other insects may carry germ from the rotting biodegradable wastes and spread various diseases.
2. The rotting biodegradable waste may emit foul smell in the environment.
Q.5. Give any two ways in which non-biodegradable substances would affect the environment.
Ans: The two ways are-
1. Some of the non-biodegradable waste such as DDT may enter the food chain of humans and damage their health in a
long run.
2. The excessive use of non-biodegradable fertilizers in agriculture makes the soil infertile and hence the crop field is
affected.
Q.6. Define ecosystem
Ans: An ecosystem is a self-contained unit of living things i.e. plants, animals and decomposers and their non-living
environment i.e. soil, water and air.
Q.7. What are the various components of ecosystem?
Ans: And ecosystem is made up of two components-
1. Abiotic components- All the non-living components such as soil, air, water etc. are called abiotic components.
2. Biotic components- All the living components i.e. producers, consumers and decomposers are called biotic
components.
Q.8. Define producers, consumers and decomposers.
Ans: The organisms which can prepare their own food by using sunlight in presence of chlorophyll are called producers. Ex:
green plants.
The organisms which consume food prepared by producers are called consumers. Ex: human, cat etc.
The organisms which break down the complex organic compounds in dead organisms into simple substances are called
decomposers. Ex: bacteria, fungi etc.
Q.9. What is the role of decomposers in the eco-system?
Ans:-The role of decomposers in the eco-system is as follows:-
1)The decomposers help in decomposing the dead bodies of plants and animals and hence act as a cleansing agents of
environment.
2)They also help in putting back the various elements of which the dead plants and animals are made,back in to the
environment.
3)They maintain the fertility of the soil.
Q10.What is a food chain?
Ans:-The sequence of living organisms in a community in which one organism consumes another organism to transfer food
energy is called a food chain.For eg-Grass ------------→Deer------------------→Lion
Q11.Define food web?
Ans:-The network of a large number of food chain existing in an eco-system,which are inter-connected is called a food web.
Q12.What are trophic levels?Give example of food chain and state the different trophic levels in it.
Ans:-The various steps in a food chain at which the transfer of food or energy takes place are called trophic levels.For eg:-
Bird(4th trophic level,top consumer)
Frog(3rd trophic level,secondary consumer)
Insects(2nd trophic level,primary consumer)
Grass(1st trophic level,producer)
Q13.What is 10% law?
Ans-According to 10% law,only 10% of the energy entering a particular trophic level of organisms is available for transfer
to the next higher trophic level.In other words, the energy available to each successive trophic level is 10% of the previous
level.
Q14.What is biological magnification?
Ans:-The progressive increase in concentration of harmful non –biodegradable chemicals in the body of living organisms at
different trophic levels in a food chain is called biological magnification.
Q15.What is ozone?How it is affect us?
Ans:-Ozone(O3) is a molecule which is made up of 3 oxygen atoms.It is formed high up in the atmosphere by the action of
UV radiation on oxygen gas.
UV RADIATION
O2-----------------------→ O + O
O2 + O --------------------→ O3
At a height between 50 km to 60 km there is a layer of ozone.This layer is very important for existence of life on earth
because it absorb most of the harmful UV radiation coming from the sun and prevent them from reaching the earth.
Q16.What do you mean by depletion of ozone layer?
Ans-The reduction of ozone moleculein the upper atmosphere due to the use of some chemicals like CFCs is caused
depletion of ozone layer.
If ozone layer disappears cpmpletely then all the extremely harmfull UV radiations coming from the sun
would reach the earth.This UV radiation would cause skin cancer and other ailments in men and animals and also damage
the plants.
Q17.What is UNEP?
Ans:-UNEP stands for United Nations Environment Programme.In 1987 is an attempt to protect the ozone layer,the UNEP
fprced an agreement among the number countries to freeze CFC production
Q18.How can you help in reducing the problem of waste disposal?Give any two methods?
Ans:-The problem of waste disposal can be reduced by the following methods:-
i)Recycling
ii)Preparation of compost
iii)Landfill
iv)Incineration
v)Sewage treatment
Recycling:-
The said waste like paper,plastic and metals are recycled.
Eg:-Waste paper is sent to paper mills where it reprocessed to form a new paper once again.
Preparation of compost:-
Biodegradable domestic waste such as fruit and vegetable peels,leaves of potted plant etc. can be converted in to compost
by bury in a pit dug into ground and used as manure.
Q19.What will happen if we kill all the organism in one trophic level?
Ans:-If we kill all the organisms in one trophic level,then transfer of food and energy to next trophic level will stop due to
which the organisms in the next trophic level will starve and die or migrate to other areas,which may lead to the over
pollution of organisms in the previous trophic level.This affect may cause imbalance in the eco-system.
Q20.Will the impact of removing all organism in trophic level be different for different trophic level .can the organisms of
any trophic level be removed without causing any damage to the ecosystem?
Ans-yes,the impact of removing all organisms in a trophic level is different for different trophic levels.For eg:-Grass-Deer-
Tiger
i)If we remove all the tigers,then the number of deer will eat up all the grass and other plants,turning a forest into a desert.
ii)If we remove all the deer, then the tigers will starve and die.
No,the organism of any trophic land cannot be removed without causing any damage to the eco-system.
Q21.Will the levels of biological magnification be different,at different level of eco-system?
Ans:-Yes,the levels of biological magnification will be different at different levels of eco-system.for eg:-Plants----------
→goat-------------→man.The harmfull chemical enter plants from soil.when goats eats these plants, the chemical enters in
to the goats body and ultimately when a man eats the goat meat, the chemicals are transferredto his body.The level of
harmfull chemicals increases with increasing trophic level.In the above given food chain,the concentration of harmfull
chemicals is maximum in the plants, higher in the goat, and maximum in man.
Q22.What are the problems caused by non-biodegradable wastes that we generate?
Ans-The problems are:-
i)The non-biodegradable waste like DDT enter the food chain of humans. These wastes get concentrated in humans body
and creat different health hazards.
ii) The excessive of non-biodegradable fertilizer makes the soil either too much acidic or too much alkaline, which may
reduce the crop fields.
Q23.If all the waste we generate is biodegradable .Will this have no impact on the environment?
Ans:-It will have an impact on the environment, if all the waste we generate is biodegradable.
This is because too much biodegradable waste cannot be broken down into harmless simpler substances by the
decomposers.Due to this the waste will go on accumulating in environment and act as a pollutant resulting in harmfull
effects on the environment.
Q24. Name a few natural and man made ecosystems.
Ans: Natural ecosystems: a grass land, a forest, a pond, a desert, a mountain, a river etc.
Man-made ecosystems: crop-fields, gardens, parks, aquarium etc.
