CHAPTER 1 - THE LIVING WORD: ADAPTATIONS

AND CLASSIFICATION
Question 1:

Find my match:

'A' Group 'B' Group

(1
Lotus (a) Flower and leaves attract insects
)
(2 (b
Aloe Haustorial roots for absorption of food
) )
(3
Cuscuta (c) Adapted to live in deserts
)
(4 Venus (d
Adapted to live in water
) flytrap )
ANSWER:

'A' Group 'B' Group

(1 (d
Lotus Adapted to live in water
) )
(2
Aloe (c) Adapted to live in deserts
)
(3 (b Haustorial roots for absorption
Cuscuta
) ) of food
(4 Flower and leaves attract
Venus flytrap (a)
) insects
Question 2:

Read the paragraph and answer the following questions.

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:

a. Having black and white skin is a type of adaptation

known as camouflaging. It is called counter-shading and
makes it harder for both the predators and the prey to see
penguins from all sorts of angles. The white chest of
penguin protects them in the water by camouflaging them
from being seen from below against the lighter sky coming
through the waters surface. Their black backs help them
blend in with the darker, deeper ocean waters below
them, thus protecting them from their predators. They
have thick layer of fat because it keeps them warm under
such extreme cold conditions.

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:

Who is lying?

(a) Cockroach – I have five legs.

(b) Hen – My toes are webbed.
(c) Cactus – My fleshy, green part is a leaf.

ANSWER:

The cockroach is lying because it has six legs and not five.
The cactus is also lying because its fleshy, green part is a stem
and not a leaf.

Question 4:

Read each of the following statements. Write a paragraph about

adaptation with reference to each statement.
(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:

a. There is extreme heat in deserts and dry conditions

prevail in this region. The animals and plants which are
found in this region have special modifications which help
them to survive in such environment. For example, cactus
and acacia plants withstand hot and dry environment of
the desert with the help of various modifications. They
have 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.

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. 

The large ears have thin skin and contain an extensive network
of blood vessels that provide a large surface area for heat
exchange. These vessels swell when the animal is hot to allow
the blood to cool and contract when temperatures drop to
conserve heat.

Question 5:

Answer the following.

(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:

a. Camel is called the "Ship of Desert" because it is the only

means of transport found in deserts. The body of a camel has
undergone various modifications that help it to survive in the
hot and dry conditions of the deserts.
  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.

b. Cactus and acacia plants withstand hot and dry environment

of the desert with the help of various modifications. They have
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.

c. Adaptation is defined as the modification or change in the

organism's body or behaviour that helps it to survive in a
particular environment. The environment in which an animal
survives consists of many different things and it must learn to
adapt to each of these factors in order to survive. These factors
can be in the form of climate, the kinds of food plants that grow
in it, other animals that may be predators or competitors etc.
This fact is evident from the following examples:
  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.

d. The hierarchy of classification was developed by Carolus

Linnaeus. It refers to the organisation or classification of
organisms in the order of rank or importance. According to this
system, kingdom is the highest rank. It is divided into phyla or
divisions, which are further subdivided into classes. Further
divisions include order, family, genus and species, in that order.
Thus, species is the basic unit of classification.