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Time:- 3 hours Class 8th M.M:- 100
Chapter 2 The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye
Section A: Fill in the Blanks 10 × 1 = 10 Marks
1. When a water-filled round-bottom flask is placed over printed letters, the letters appear larger
because the flask acts like a __________.
2. In the onion peel experiment, safranin is used to make the cells more __________ under the
microscope.
3. When human cheek cells are observed under a microscope, they appear __________ in shape.
4. In plant cells, the extra outer covering that gives strength and rigidity is called the __________.
5. If a drop of pond water shows Amoeba and Paramecium under a microscope, it proves that water
contains __________.
6. In soil suspension, tiny organisms are observed only with the help of a __________.
7. When fruit and vegetable peels turn into dark nutrient-rich material after a few weeks, the material
formed is called __________.
8. Yeast makes dough rise by producing __________ gas.
9. Lime water turns milky when __________ gas passes through it.
10. Rhizobium bacteria help pulse crops by fixing __________ from the atmosphere.
Section B: True or False 10 × 1 = 10 Marks
1. If bread is kept in a warm and moist place, fungal growth is likely to appear faster.
2. Onion peel cells and cheek cells have exactly the same shape and structure.
3. The cell membrane allows useful materials to enter the cell and waste materials to leave it.
4. The nucleus only gives shape to the cell and does not control its activities.
5. In the soil suspension activity, the top layer of water may contain microorganisms.
6. Salt and sugar in pickles help prevent the growth of microorganisms.
7. If yeast is not added to warm sugar solution, fermentation will still occur at the same rate.
8. Curd becomes more sour when lactic acid bacteria continue to grow.
9. Microorganisms only harm humans and have no useful role in nature.
10. Biogas is produced when microorganisms decompose organic waste in the absence of oxygen.
Section C: Multiple Choice Questions 10 × 1 = 10 Marks
1. A student observes printed letters through a water-filled round-bottom flask. The letters appear
larger. What does this activity show?
a) Water changes the colour of letters b) Glass and water can act like a magnifying lens
c) Printed letters increase in size naturally d) Light stops passing through water
2. While preparing an onion peel slide, a student adds safranin. Why is it added?
a) To kill the cells b) To make the cells colourful and clearly visible
c) To dry the onion peel d) To remove the cell wall
3. A student observes cheek cells under a microscope and finds no cell wall. What can be concluded?
a) Cheek cells are plant cells b) Cheek cells are animal cells
c) Cheek cells are bacteria d) Cheek cells are dead cells
4. A bread slice kept near a sink develops mould faster than one kept in a refrigerator. What is the
correct reason?
a) Cold temperature increases microbial growth
b) Warm and moist conditions support microbial growth
c) Refrigerator contains more air
d) Bread cannot grow mould
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5. In an experiment, yeast is added to sugar solution and a balloon is fixed on the test tube. After a few
days, the balloon inflates. Why?
a) Yeast produces oxygen b) Yeast produces carbon dioxide
c) Sugar absorbs air d) Water evaporates into the balloon
6. Gas from a yeast experiment is passed through lime water, and the lime water turns milky. Which
gas is confirmed?
a) Oxygen b) Nitrogen c) Carbon dioxide d) Hydrogen
7. A farmer grows bean crops without adding nitrogen fertiliser. Which organism helps the crop?
a) Yeast b) Rhizobium c) Amoeba d) Bread mould
8. Fruit peels mixed with soil become dark manure after a few weeks. Which process is responsible?
a) Photosynthesis b) Decomposition c) Evaporation d) Freezing
9. A student observes a single-celled organism with irregular shape in pond water. Which
microorganism is most likely present?
a) Amoeba b) Bread mould c) Rhizobium d) Yeast
10. Why is warm milk preferred for curd formation?
a) It kills all bacteria b) It helps Lactobacillus grow and multiply faster
c) It prevents fermentation d) It stops lactic acid formation
Section D: Match the Following 10 × 1 = 10 Marks
Column A Column B
1. Water-filled flask activity a) Confirms carbon dioxide
2. Onion peel slide b) Produces carbon dioxide in dough
3. Cheek cell observation c) Shows magnification
4. Soil suspension d) Shows rectangular plant cells
5. Pond water observation e) Shows polygon-shaped animal cells
6. Lime water test f) May contain Amoeba and Paramecium
7. Yeast in dough g) May contain bacteria, algae, and fungi
8. Fruit peels in soil h) Helps in nitrogen fixation
9. Rhizobium i) Forms manure after decomposition
10. Lactobacillus j) Converts milk into curd
Section E: Short Answer Questions(Do any 10) 10 × 2 = 20 Marks
1. A student observes onion peel cells under a microscope and finds them closely packed and
rectangular. What does this observation show about plant cells?
2. During the cheek cell activity, why is methylene blue added before observing the slide?
3. A student places one bread slice near a sink and another in a refrigerator. After three days, only the
slice near the sink shows mould. Give two reasons.
4. Why is glycerin added while preparing temporary slides of onion peel or cheek cells?
5. A sample of stagnant water shows tiny moving organisms under a microscope. What does this
prove?
6. In soil suspension activity, why should the soil be stirred with water and then allowed to settle?
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7. A gardener puts dry leaves and vegetable waste into a pit. After some weeks, dark manure is formed.
How do microorganisms help in this process?
8. Why do pickles and murabbas not get spoiled easily even though microorganisms are present
everywhere?
9. A farmer grows leguminous crops in rotation with wheat. How does this improve soil fertility?
10. In the yeast and sugar experiment, what would happen if the setup is kept in a very cold place? Give
reason.
11. What is the function of the cell membrane?
12. Why do nerve cells have a long and branched structure?
Section F: Short Type-II (Do any 10) 10 × 3 = 30 Marks
1. In the onion peel experiment, the peel is stained with safranin, placed in glycerin, covered with a
coverslip, and observed under a microscope. Write the steps and observation of this experiment.
2. A nerve cell is long and branched, while a muscle cell is spindle-shaped. Explain how the shape of
these cells helps them perform their functions.
3. A drop of pond water is observed under the microscope. Amoeba, Paramecium, and algae are seen.
What does this activity show about the diversity of microorganisms?
4. Write the difference between unicellular and multicellular microorganisms with examples.
5. Explain how microorganisms help in cleaning the environment.
6. Why does curd become more sour when left outside for a day? Give two reasons.
7. A dough mixture containing yeast becomes soft, fluffy, and increases in volume after a few hours.
Explain the reason behind this change.
8. A student keeps warm milk with a little curd added to it. After a few hours, curd is formed. Explain
the role of Lactobacillus and temperature in this process.
9. Snehal dug two pits. In pit A, she added fruit and vegetable peels with dry leaves. In pit B, she added
only the peels. After three weeks, pit A decomposed better. What was she trying to test? Explain the
result.
10. Microorganisms can spoil food but are also useful in daily life. Explain this statement with three
suitable examples.
11. A student keeps fruit and vegetable peels in soil for 2–3 weeks. What changes will be observed and
why?
12. Describe the fermentation experiment using yeast, sugar solution, balloon, and lime water.
Write the aim, setup, observation, result, and conclusion
Long (Do any 2) (5 Mark each) 10 Marks
1. Explain the structure of a plant cell and an animal cell. Also write the differences between them on
the basis of cell wall, chloroplast, vacuole, and shape.
2. Discuss the role of microorganisms in sustainable development. Include their role in food
production, biogas, composting, soil fertility, and waste management.
3. What would happened if the microorganisms doesn’t exist in the world? Discuss advantages and
disadvantages and give your opinion.