Topic: Our

environment
SUBJECT: BIOLOGY
CLASS:10
 Effect of adding waste to the environment :-

Human activities produce a lot of waste materials which

are thrown away into the environment. These wastes cause
pollution of air, water and soil.
The waste materials produced are of two main types. They
are biodegradable wastes and non biodegradable wastes.
i) Biodegradable wastes :- are wastes which are
decomposed into harmless substances by microorganisms.
Eg :- vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, cotton, jute, wool,
wood, leather, paper, animal dung, animal bones etc.
ii) Non biodegradable wastes :- are wastes which are not
decomposed by microorganisms.
Eg :- polythene bags, plastics, synthetic fibres, glass,
metals, synthetic rubber, insecticides, pesticides etc.
 Ecosystem and its components :-
Ecosystem :- An ecosystem
consists of all the living organisms
in an
area along with the non living
components and their interaction.
There are different types of
ecosystems. They are :-
i) Natural ecosystems :- like
forests, deserts, grass lands,
mountains,
ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans etc.
Artificial ecosystems :- like gardens, parks,
crop fields, aquarium, zoo etc.
Components of an ecosystem :-
An ecosystem consists of two main components.
They are biotic and abiotic
components.
i) Biotic components :- are the living components
like plants, animals and
microorganisms. They consist of producers,
consumers and decomposers.
Producers :- are green plants which produce
food by photosynthesis.
Consumers :- are herbivores which get their
food directly from plants,
carnivores which get their food indirectly from
plants and omnivores which
get their food directly or indirectly from plants.
Decomposers :- are microorganisms which
decompose dead plants and
animals. They decompose complex organic
substances into simple inorganic
substances in the soil which are again used by
plants.
ii) Abiotic components :- are the non living
components like air, water, soil,
minerals, sunlight , temperature, wind etc.
 Food chain :-
A food chain is the flow of food energy from one organism to the next and to the next and
so on. They usually start with a producer (plants) and end with a carnivore. In a food
chain an organism gets food from one group of organisms.
eaten by eaten by
Eg:- Grass → Deer → Lion
(producer) (primary consumer) (secondary consumer)
eaten by eaten by eaten by
Grass → Insects → Frog → Snake
(producer) (primary consumer) (secondary consumer) (tertiary consumer)
eaten by eaten by eaten by eaten by
Grass → Moth → Frog → Snake → Hawk
(producer) (primary consumer) (secondary consumer) (tertiary consumer) (quarternary consumer)
 Biological magnification (Biomagnification) :-
Harmful chemicals like insecticides and pesticides which are used to protect crops
from insects and pests are absorbed by plants and enter the food chain. Since these
chemicals are non biodegradable, they get accumulated at every trophic level and
their concentration increases. Since human beings occupy the highest trophic level,
the concentration of these harmful chemicals is maximum in our bodies.
The increase in concentration of harmful chemicals in the bodies of organisms at
higher trophic levels is called biological magnification.
 Human activities affect the environment :-

Depletion of ozone layer in the atmosphere :-

Ozone molecule contains three oxygen atoms (O3). At higher levels in the atmosphere
the UV radiation splits some oxygen molecules (O2) into free oxygen atoms which
combines with oxygen molecules (O2) to form ozone. It is highly poisonous.
UV radiation
O2 → O + O
O2 + O → O3

The ozone layer present in the higher layer of the atmosphere protects the earth from
the harmful UV radiation from the sun. UV radiation causes skin cancer in humans.
The ozone layer is being damaged by the use of chemicals like chloro fluoro carbons
(CFCs) used in refrigerators and fire extinguishers. So the use of CFCs is now being
reduced to protect the ozone layer.
Managing the garbage we
produce
The household:-
waste is called garbage. Some of the garbage is biodegradable
and some are non biodegradable. Garbage causes pollution of air, water and
soil. So it should be disposed properly.
Some of the methods of garbage disposal are :-
i) Land fills
ii) Recycling
iii) Production of biogas and manure
iv) Preparation of compost
v) Incineration
vi) Sewage treatment
Land fills Recycling Incinerator

Production of biogas and Preparation of compost

manure