Question Bank

Herbs are small plants with soft, green stems (tomato). Shrubs are medium-sized with many hard, woody stems that branch close to the ground (rose). Trees are tall with hard, thick, brown, woody stems and branches that start higher up on the stem (mango).

A taproot has one main root with small side roots arising from it, as in mustard and hibiscus. Fibrous roots are a bunch of similar-sized thin roots arising from the base of the stem, as in common grass and wheat.

Dicot plants (two cotyledons, e.g. chickpea) have reticulate venation and a taproot system. Monocot plants (one cotyledon, e.g. maize, wheat) have parallel venation and a fibrous root system.

An adaptation is a special feature that enables a plant or animal to survive in a particular region. Examples: the thick, fleshy stem of a cactus stores water in the desert; the conical shape and sloping branches of the deodar let snow slide off in the mountains.

A habitat provides food, water, air, shelter and other needs. When it is damaged, plants and animals lose their homes, food and other resources, which leads to loss of biodiversity — as seen in the decline of the Bengal Tiger, Cheetah and Great Indian Bustard.

Shared features: camels excrete small amounts of urine, their dung is dry and they do not sweat. Because they lose very little water from their bodies, they can survive for many days without drinking water. These differences and similarities are adaptations to their habitats.

Biodiversity is the variety of plants and animals found in a particular region. Each member has a role — trees give food and shelter; animals spread seeds — so they depend on each other.

Why it is lost: human activities damage habitats. Plants and animals then lose their homes, food and other resources. The Bengal Tiger, Cheetah and Great Indian Bustard have declined for this reason.

Steps taken:

• Project Tiger (1973) to protect the Bengal Tiger.
• Cheetah Reintroduction Project (2022).
• Great Indian Bustard habitats declared Protected Areas in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
• Sacred groves protected by local communities across India.
• The people's Save Silent Valley movement (10 years) stopped a dam on the Kunthipuzha river in Kerala.
• Scientists like Janaki Ammal and Salim Ali documented and preserved plant and bird diversity.

Parallel venation is a feature of monocots. So the plant most likely has fibrous roots (a bunch of thin roots from the stem base) and seeds with a single cotyledon, like maize or wheat. The chapter says these features generally go together, so the prediction is very likely — but to be sure, you would test it by observing the roots or a soaked seed, just as the scientific method requires.

It shows that adaptations depend on the conditions of the region, not just on the kind of plant. On windy Nilgiri mountain tops, being short with small leaves helps the plant survive heavy winds; in Sikkim, where conditions differ, being tall works. The same idea appears with the two camels — the same animal has different features in a hot desert and a cold desert. So living things show the features that suit the habitat they live in.

Wheat is a monocot (one cotyledon): its plant has fibrous roots and parallel venation. Kidney bean is a dicot (two cotyledons): its plant has a taproot and reticulate venation.

A — Aquatic: dolphin, whale.

B — Terrestrial: horse, sheep, squirrel, earthworm, pigeon, tortoise.

C — Both: frog, crocodile.

The radish we eat is a taproot — the main root has become thick and fleshy to store food. Since plants with taproots generally have reticulate venation, radish leaves show a net-like pattern of veins (radish is a dicot).

Similarities: both have four legs with hooves, horns, and eat grass and leaves.

Differences: the mountain goat has long, thick hair and strong hooves for gripping rocky slopes; the plains goat has short hair.

Reason: these are adaptations — thick hair keeps the mountain goat warm in the cold, and strong hooves help it climb steep, rocky mountains.

One possible grouping — presence of a backbone:

• With backbone: cow, pigeon, bat, tortoise, whale, fish, lizard.
• Without backbone: cockroach, grasshopper.

Another — give birth vs lay eggs: cow, bat, whale give birth; the rest lay eggs. Any clear feature not used in the chapter is acceptable.

Effects: animals and plants lose their habitats, food and shelter, so biodiversity is lost; less rainfall and more heat; soil erosion and floods; more pollution as fewer trees absorb it.

Solutions: plant more trees; use resources carefully (reduce, reuse, recycle paper and wood); protect forests as reserves and sacred groves; support projects like Project Tiger; spread awareness, as in the Save Silent Valley movement.

For a plant with leaves: if it has reticulate venation → A (e.g. hibiscus, mango, chickpea, mustard); if not (it has parallel venation) → B (e.g. grass, wheat, maize, banana).

• How tall is the plant compared with a tree?
• Is its stem hard, woody and brown?
• Does it have many stems that branch close to the ground?
• Is the stem as thick as a tree trunk?

If the answers are medium height, woody stems, many branches near the ground and not very thick — it is a shrub.

A: chickpea, mustard, hibiscus, mango, sadabahar, kidney bean. (a) They also have reticulate venation and two cotyledons.

B: wheat, maize, rice, grass, lemongrass. (b) They also have parallel venation and one cotyledon.

A duck has webbed feet — its toes are joined by a thin skin, which work like paddles. A pigeon's toes are separate, suited to walking and perching. With webbed feet, the duck can swim easily in water — an adaptation to its aquatic habitat.