७ वी सामान्य विज्ञान 1.The Living World : Adaptations and Classification सजीव सृष्टी : अनुकूलन व वर्गीकरण
Question 1:
'A' Group | 'B' Group | ||
(1) | Lotus | (a) | Flower and leaves attract insects |
(2) | Aloe | (b) | Haustorial roots for absorption of food |
(3) | Cuscuta | (c) | Adapted to live in deserts |
(4) | Venus flytrap | (d) | Adapted to live in water |
Answer 1:
'A' Group | 'B' Group | ||
(1) | Lotus | (d) | Adapted to live in water |
(2) | Aloe | (c) | Adapted to live in deserts |
(3) | Cuscuta | (b) | Haustorial roots for absorption of food |
(4) | Venus flytrap | (a) | Flower and leaves attract insects |
Question 2:
I am a penguin. I live in polar region covered by snow. My abdomen is white. My skin is thick with a layer of fat underneath. My body is spindle-shaped. My wings are small. My toes are webbed. We live in flocks.
(a) Why is my skin white and thick and why is there a thick layer of fat underneath?
(b) Why do we live in flocks sticking close to each other?
(c) Which geographical region do I inhabit? Why?
(d) Which adaptations should you have to enable you to live permanently in the polar region? Why?
Answer 2:
b. We know that penguins live in the coldest regions of earth and in order to find warmth and solace they remain in flocks with each other. In order to escape the extreme cold conditions, they nestle together to keep each other warm.
c. Penguins are found in regions of Antarctica, South America, Africa and Australia. Many species can also be found in New Zealand and the sub-Antarctic islands.
d. The following adaptations are required to survive in polar regions:
- black and white skin with a thick layer of fat beneath it
- skin should be covered with feathers
- small body with small wings
- presence of strong muscles in chest and wings
Question 3:
(a) Cockroach – I have five legs.
(b) Hen – My toes are webbed.
(c) Cactus – My fleshy, green part is a leaf.
Answer 3:
The cactus is also lying because its fleshy, green part is a stem and not a leaf.
Question 4:
(a) There is extreme heat in deserts.
(b) Grasslands are lush green.
(c) Insects are found in large numbers.
(d) We hide.
(e) We have long ears.
Answer 4:
Similarly desert animals have adaptive features like- thick skin to prevent the loss of water, long legs with flat and cushioned soles, long and thick eyelashes and nostrils which are protected by folds of skin.
b. Grasslands are lush green due to the presence of diverse types of bushes and grasses. Grasses are tall so that animals like tiger, lion, elephant can remain hidden in them. Animals which are found in grasslands have adaptations like strong legs to run fast and capture their prey, claws, sharp and pointed canine. The herbivores which are found in this region have eyes below the forehead which gives them wide angle vision which protects them from predators.
c. Insects are found in large numbers because they have developed mechanisms which help them to survive even in harshest of environment. They are found in extreme conditions of deserts and Antartic region due to these modifications. For example grasshopper have long, strong hind legs that help them jump, house flies have sponging mouthparts to slurp up food, stinky bugs and walking sticks have the ability to camouflage.
d. There are certain species which are able to hide themselves by blending their colour with that of the surrounding. This adaptive mechanism is termed as camouflage and is a method to protect oneself from the predators and prey. For example, grasshopper, lizards, butterflies, chameleon, frogs etc.
e. Animals with long ears are found in grasslands. It is an adaptive mechanism which enables them to receive sounds from long distances and from different directions. Another important function of long ears is that they act as a cooling system.
Question 5:
(a) Why is the camel called the 'Ship of the desert'?
(b) How can the plants like cactus and acacia live in deserts with scarce water?
(c) What is the inter-relationship between adaptations of organisms and their surroundings?
(d) How are organisms classified?
Answer 5:
- Camels have very long legs that help them to walk in the sand and prevent the heat of the sand from reaching their bodies.
- They have a prominent back or hump. It stores food which helps it to survive without food in the deserts for several days.
- Another important adaptation that helps the camel to survive in the desert is its ability to conserve water. They do not sweat and excrete only small amounts of water through urine. The camel dung is dry and devoid of water.
- All this helps the camel to conserve water and enables them to live without water for several days.
- Cactus has thick cuticle on their leaf surface and their stomata are arranged in deep pits to minimise water loss by transpiration. They have special photosynthetic pathway, CAM in which stomata remains closed during day time. Their leaves are reduced to spines to minimise water loss, and photosynthetic functions are performed by flattened stems.
- Camels have very long legs that help it to walk in the sand and prevent the heat of the sand from reaching their bodies. The camel has a prominent back or hump. It stores food which helps it to survive without food in the deserts for several days.