ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES|ALREADY GRADED A
1.What is Environmental Studies?
Ans. Environment is, the surroundings or conditions in which a person,
animal, or plant lives. Environment is the sum of all the external
conditions such as physical, chemical, biological etc., affecting the life,
development and survival of an organism. Environmental studies is the
science concerned with the interaction between man and environment. It
comprises of different subjects like ecology, geography, geology,
meteorology, politics, sociology, climatology, pedology, microbiology,
biochemistry, biophysics, economics, etc.
2. What is Ecosystem?
Ans . An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and smaller
organisms that live, feed, reproduce and interact in the same area or
environment. Ecological system or ecosystem is an open space built by
physical and biological components of an environment. Ecosystem is
result of an active interaction between living and non-living components.
Ecosystem is where community of plants, animals and their environment
function as a whole and relationship between organism and environment
thrives blissfully.
3. What is Biodiversity?
Ans. Biodiversity means the variability among living organisms from all
Sources including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this
includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
According to lan Swingland, "Biological diversity or biodiversity is the
term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety within and
between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the
ecosystems within which they live and interact".
Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area-the
variety of animals, plants, fungi and even microorganisms like bacteria
that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms
work together in ecosystems to maintain balance and support
life.Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive.
, 4. Decomposers.
Ans.
Bacteria and fungi belong to this category. They breakdown the dead
organic materials of producers (plants) and consumers (animals) for their
food and re-lease to the environment the simple inorganic and organic
substances produced as by-products of their metabolisms. Decomposers
are also referred as reducers, saprotrophs or microconsumers.
The different types of decomposers in the environment are,
1. Bacteria: They are the most numerous microscopic organisms in the
environment. They are ubiquitous in occurrence in the cold Antarctic
region, in steamy geysers and in our stomach as well.
2. Fungi:
This type of decomposer organisms include molds and yeast. Fungi
breakdown the cellulose in leaves and wood while molds are responsible
for rotting of wood.
3. Actinomycetes: These are fungi like bacteria that decompose tough
plant tissues like bark, paper and stems containing cellulose, chitin and
lignin.
Decomposers are important constituent of an ecosystem. These organisms
release the atoms and molecules to the environment for reuse by other
members of the ecosystem, thus enabling recycling of matter. The
nutrients are taken up by the plant and used to help the plants grow. Thus,
decomposers keep matter moving between living and non-living parts of
an ecosystem. Millipedes and woodlice are also called as decomposers as
they consume dead organic matter and contribute to the process of
decomposition.
5. Hotspots of biodiversity.
Ans.
A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region that is both a significant
reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.
The term biodiversity hotspot specifically refers to 25 biologically rich
areas around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original
habitat.
The remaining natural habitat in these biodiversity hotspots amounts to
just 1.4 percent of the land surface of the planet, yet supports nearly 60
percent of the plant, bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species.
6. Food chain.
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES|ALREADY GRADED A
1.What is Environmental Studies?
Ans. Environment is, the surroundings or conditions in which a person,
animal, or plant lives. Environment is the sum of all the external
conditions such as physical, chemical, biological etc., affecting the life,
development and survival of an organism. Environmental studies is the
science concerned with the interaction between man and environment. It
comprises of different subjects like ecology, geography, geology,
meteorology, politics, sociology, climatology, pedology, microbiology,
biochemistry, biophysics, economics, etc.
2. What is Ecosystem?
Ans . An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and smaller
organisms that live, feed, reproduce and interact in the same area or
environment. Ecological system or ecosystem is an open space built by
physical and biological components of an environment. Ecosystem is
result of an active interaction between living and non-living components.
Ecosystem is where community of plants, animals and their environment
function as a whole and relationship between organism and environment
thrives blissfully.
3. What is Biodiversity?
Ans. Biodiversity means the variability among living organisms from all
Sources including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this
includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
According to lan Swingland, "Biological diversity or biodiversity is the
term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety within and
between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the
ecosystems within which they live and interact".
Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area-the
variety of animals, plants, fungi and even microorganisms like bacteria
that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms
work together in ecosystems to maintain balance and support
life.Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive.
, 4. Decomposers.
Ans.
Bacteria and fungi belong to this category. They breakdown the dead
organic materials of producers (plants) and consumers (animals) for their
food and re-lease to the environment the simple inorganic and organic
substances produced as by-products of their metabolisms. Decomposers
are also referred as reducers, saprotrophs or microconsumers.
The different types of decomposers in the environment are,
1. Bacteria: They are the most numerous microscopic organisms in the
environment. They are ubiquitous in occurrence in the cold Antarctic
region, in steamy geysers and in our stomach as well.
2. Fungi:
This type of decomposer organisms include molds and yeast. Fungi
breakdown the cellulose in leaves and wood while molds are responsible
for rotting of wood.
3. Actinomycetes: These are fungi like bacteria that decompose tough
plant tissues like bark, paper and stems containing cellulose, chitin and
lignin.
Decomposers are important constituent of an ecosystem. These organisms
release the atoms and molecules to the environment for reuse by other
members of the ecosystem, thus enabling recycling of matter. The
nutrients are taken up by the plant and used to help the plants grow. Thus,
decomposers keep matter moving between living and non-living parts of
an ecosystem. Millipedes and woodlice are also called as decomposers as
they consume dead organic matter and contribute to the process of
decomposition.
5. Hotspots of biodiversity.
Ans.
A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region that is both a significant
reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.
The term biodiversity hotspot specifically refers to 25 biologically rich
areas around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original
habitat.
The remaining natural habitat in these biodiversity hotspots amounts to
just 1.4 percent of the land surface of the planet, yet supports nearly 60
percent of the plant, bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species.
6. Food chain.
