Our Environment

Question 1: How is the increase in demand for energy affecting

our environment adversely?

Answer: The increase in demand for energy affects our

environment adversely. Due to this increase, pollutants like CO,
CO2 , SO2, etc., are released in to the atmosphere which leads to
greenhouse effect.

Question 2: Why is ozone layer getting depleted at the higher

levels of the atmosphere

Answer: Ozone layer is getting depleted at the higher levels of

the atmosphere due to effect of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which
are used as refrigerants and in fire extinguishers.

Question 3: Name any two abiotic components of an

environment.

Answer: Two abiotic components of an environment are

temperature and rainfall.

Question 4: What are the two main components of our

environment?

Answer: The two main components of our environment are the

biotic or living components and abiotic or non-living components.

Question 5: Why are green plants called ‘producers’?

Answer: Green plants are called ‘producers’ because they can

produce food by photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight.

Question 6: Which disease is caused in human beings due to

depletion of ozone layer in the atmosphere?

Answer: Skin cancer is caused in human beings due to the

depletion of ozone layer in the atmosphere.
Question 7: What will happen if we kill all the organisms in one
trophic level?

Answer: If we kill all the organisms in one trophic level, the

following effects will take place:

1. The population of organisms in previous trophic level will

increase.
2. The organisms in next trophic level will not be able to get the
food, so they will migrate to some other ecosystem or die.
3. It will cause an ecological imbalance in the food chain.
Question 8: Why did United Nations act to control the production
of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in refrigerators?

Answer: CFCs deplete the ozone layer around the earth, hence
their production is controlled by United Nations.

Question 9: Which compounds are responsible for the depletion

of ozone layer? [Delhi]

Answer: The compounds responsible for the depletion of ozone

layer are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Question 10: Define ‘trophic level’.

Answer: Trophic level is the position that an organism occupies

in a food chain, where transfer of food or energy takes place.

Question 11: What are the various steps in a food chain called?

Answer: The various steps in a food chain are called trophic

levels.

Question 12: What is the important function of presence of

ozone in earth’s atmosphere?

Answer: The important function of presence of ozone in earth’s

atmosphere is that it shields the surface of the earth from
ultraviolet (UV) radiations of the sun.
Question 13: Give an example to illustrate that indiscriminate
use of pesticides may result-in the degradation of the
environment.

Answer: The pesticides used in crop field are washed down into
the water bodies. From water bodies, these are absorbed by
aquatic plants and animals of a food chain and thereby degrades
the environment.

Question 14: Why is it necessary to conserve our environment?

Answer: It is necessary to conserve our environment to prevent

depletion of natural resources and environmental damage,
thereby sustaining life.

Question 15: What is meant by a biodegradable waste?

Answer: Biodegradable wastes are those substances which are

broken down into simpler, harmless substances in nature in due
course of time by the biological processes such as action of
microorganisms like certain bacteria.

Examples: Urine and faecal matter, sewage, agricultural residue,

paper, wood, cloth and cattle dung.

Question 16: What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem?

Answer: Role of decomposers in the environment:

 They return the nutrients to the nutrient pool.

 They help in completing the different bio-geochemical cycles,
thus they maintain the balance in the ecosystem.
Question 17: What step is being taken to limit the damage to
the ozone layer?

Answer: Steps is being taken to limit the damage to the ozone

layer are:

1. Judicious use of aerosol spray propellants such as fluorocarbon

and chlorofluorocarbons which cause depletion or hole in ozone
layer.
2. Control over large scale nuclear explosions and limited use of
supersonic planes.
Question 18: Why are some substances non- biodegradable?

Answer: Some substances are non-biodegradable because they

cannot be broken down into simpler harmless substances in
nature.

Question 19: Which class of chemicals is linked to the decrease

in the amount of ozone in the upper atmosphere of the earth?

Answer: The chemical compound Chlorofluorocarbon is

responsible for decrease of ozone in the upper atmosphere of the
earth.

Question 20: Name two decomposers operating in our

ecosystem.

Answer: Bacteria and fungi.

Question 21: Select two non-biodegradable substances from the

following waste generated in a kitchen: spoilt food, paper bags,
milk bags, vegetable peels, tin cans, used tea leaves.

Answer: Milk bags and tin cans.

Question 22: What happens when higher energy ultraviolet

radiations act on the oxygen at the higher level of the
atmosphere?

Answer: When high energy ultraviolet radiations act on oxygen,

ozone is produced:

Question 23: In a food chain, 10,000 joules of energy is available

to the producer. How much energy will be available to the
secondary consumer to transfer it to the tertiary consumer?
Answer: 10 J will be available to the secondary consumer to
transfer to the tertiary consumer.

Question 24: Write the name and formula of a molecule made

up of three atoms of oxygen.

Answer: Ozone and its chemical formula is O3.

Question 25: List two man-made ecosystems.

Answer: Garden and Pond are man-made ecosystems.

Question 26: Consider the following food chain which occurs in a

forest: Grass → Deer → Lion. If 10000 J of solar energy is available
to the grass, how much energy would be available to the deer to
transfer it to the lion?

Answer: 10 J energy would be available to deer to transfer to

lion.

Question 27: Which of the following belong to the first trophic

level of a food chain? Grass, Grasshopper, Plants, Rat, Tiger

Answer: Grass and plants belong to the 1st trophic level of a

food chain.

Question 28: Name the phenomenon in which non-

biodegradable chemicals get accumulated progressively at each
trophic level of a food chain.

Answer: Biological magnification.

Question 29: How is ozone formed in the upper atmosphere?

Why is the damage of ozone layer a cause of concern to us? State
a cause of this damage.

Answer: Ozone is formed in upper atmosphere by the reaction of

ultraviolet (UV) radiations on oxygen (O2) molecule.
The damage to ozone layer is a cause of concern to us as due to
its damage, more ultraviolet rays reach the earth’s surface
causing various health hazards.

A cause of this damage is the presence of large amount of

chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere.

Question 30: State two problems caused by the non-

biodegradable waste that we generate in our daily life.

Answer: Two problems caused by non-biodegradable waste that

we generate in our daily life are:

 It clogs drains.
 It causes water and soil pollution.
Question 31: What are biodegradable and non- biodegradable
substances? Select two biodegradable pollutants from the
following: Agricultural waste, glass, plastic, sewage, DDT.

Answer: Biodegradable substances are those substances which

are broken down into simpler, harmless substances in nature in
due course of time by the biological processes such as
microorganisms like certain bacteria.

Non-biodegradable substances are those substances which

cannot be broken down into simpler, harmless substances in
nature.

Two biodegradable pollutants are agricultural waste and sewage.

Question 32: Construct an aquatic food chain showing four

trophic levels.

Answer: Food chain in aquatic ecosystem:

Question 33: Explain ‘biological magnification’ with the help of
an example.

Answer: Pesticides used in crops are washed down into the soil.
From soil these are absorbed by plants along with water and
minerals and thus, they enter the food chain. While consuming
the crops, human beings also consume these pesticides which get
accumulated in our bodies. This phenomenon is known as
biological magnification.

Question 34: Describe how decomposers facilitate recycling of

matter in order to maintain balance in the ecosystem.

Answer: Decomposers are microorganisms that obtain energy

from the chemical breakdown of dead organisms of animals or
plants. These microorganisms breakdown the complex organic
substances of dead organisms into simple inorganic substances
that go into the soil and are used up once more by the plants.
Decomposers thus, help in recycling of matter.

Question 35: Explain the phenomenon of “biological

magnification” How does it affect organisms belonging to different
trophic levels particularly the tertiary consumers?

Answer: The process in which harmful chemicals enter a food

chain and get accumulated progressively at each trophic level is
called biological magnification.

Harmful and toxic chemicals enter our bodies when they are
added to soil and water. Use of pesticides to protect the food
crops from diseases and pests and chemical wastes of factories
are dumped in open or disposed off into rivers. These chemicals
are washed down into the soil and ultimately to water table or get
absorbed or taken up from the soil by the plants along with water
and minerals and in this way harmful chemicals enter the food
chain. The quantity of these harmful chemicals increases with
increase in trophic level of the food chain because these
substances are not degradable. Man is at the top of the food
chain, so concentration is maximum in human beings.

Thus, accumulation of DDT has been maximum in man as DDT is

used to destroy pests. DDT is accumulated in the following way in
this food chain:

This is the reason why our food grains such as wheat and rice,
vegetables and fruits and even meat contain varying amounts of
pesticides residues. So, the highest trophic level at the extreme
right of food chain has the maximum concentration of harmful
chemicals in a food chain.

Question 36: “Damage to the ozone layer is a cause for

concern.” Justify this statement. Suggest any two steps to limit
this damage. ‘

Answer: Ozone layer prevents the harmful ultraviolet radiation to

enter the atmosphere and reach the earth’s surface. Depletion of
ozone layer has become a cause for concern because it can cause
serious effects on human body and other organisms of the
environment like fatal diseases such as skin cancer, changes in
genetic material DNA, eye damage, etc.

Two steps to limit this damage are as follows:

 Judicious use of aerosol spray propellants such as fluorocarbon

and chlorofluorocarbons which cause depletion or hole in ozone
layer.
 Control over large scale nuclear explosions and limited use of
supersonic planes.
Question 37:
(a) What is ‘environmental pollution’?
(b) Distinguish between biodegradable and non-biodegradable
pollutants.
(c) Choose the biodegradable pollutants from the list given below:
Sewage, DDT, radioactive waste, agricultural waste.

Answer: (a) Environmental pollution is an undesirable change in

the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the natural
environment, brought about by man’s activities. This pollution
may affect the soil, rivers, seas or the atmosphere.
(b)

Biodegradable Pollutants Non-biodegradable Pollutants

These pollutants are organic matters and can be decomposed These pollutants are inorganic and they do
by the activity of microorganisms. not decompose.

But when these substances accumulate in large quantity, These substances accumulate and cause
microorganisms are unable to decompose them completely tremendous harm to the environment and
and thus they cause pollution. living organisms.

Can be recycled naturally or by humans Cannot be recycled naturally.

They remain unchanged or if they take part

Useful products can be produced after biodegradation. chemical reaction, their products are also
biodegradable.

Example: DDT, synthetic fibres, plastic,

Example: Paper, cow-dung, vegetable peels
metals, Styrofoam.
(c) Biodegradable pollutants are sewage and agricultural waste.

Question 38: Why are bacteria and fungi called decomposers?

List any two advantages of decomposers to the environment.

Answer: Bacteria and fungi breakdown the dead remains and

waste products of organisms. These microorganisms are called
the decomposers as they breakdown the complex organic
substances into simple inorganic substances that go into the soil
and are used up once more by the plants.

Two advantages of decomposers to the environment are as

follows:

1. Decomposers feed, on the dead bodies of plants and animals.

They return the simple components to soil and help in making
the steady state of ecosystem by recycling of nutrients. They,
therefore, create a balance in the environment.
2. They also act as scavengers or cleansing agents of the
atmosphere