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Chapter-9 The Living Organisms Characteristics and Habitats
Notes
1. Marine plants and animals live in saline water and use dissolved oxygen in the water for respiration.2. In deserts, water is scarce, the days are very hot, and the nights are cold. The plants and animals here use the surrounding air for respiration.
3. Animals Found in Two Different Environments: Desert and Ocean
a. Camel- The camel's body structure is well-adapted to desert conditions. Its long legs keep its body away from the hot sand. Camels excrete very little urine, their feces are dry, and they do not sweat, thus minimizing water loss.
b. Fish- Fishes have a streamlined body shape that helps them move easily in water. Their bodies are covered with smooth scales, which provide protection and facilitate movement in water. Fins and flat tails help fishes in changing direction and maintaining balance underwater. Gills allow them to breathe in water.
4. Adaptations- Specific structures or behaviors that enable a plant or animal to survive in its environment are known as adaptations.
5. Habitat- The place where a living organism resides is called its habitat.
6. Terrestrial Habitat- Habitats found on land are called terrestrial habitats. Example- forests, deserts, etc.
7. Aquatic Habitat- Habitats found in water bodies like ponds, swamps, lakes, rivers, and oceans are aquatic habitats.
8. Biotic Components- All living organisms found in a habitat are its biotic components.
9. Abiotic Components- Non-living elements like rocks, soil, air, and water present in a habitat are its abiotic components.
10. Acclimatization- Short-term changes in an organism's body in response to its environment are called acclimatization.
Exploring Different Habitats
Terrestrial Habitats-
1. Desert- Desert plants lose very little water through transpiration. They may have no leaves or very small ones, such as in cacti.
- Leaves are reduced to spines, and roots penetrate deeply into the soil to absorb water.
2. Mountainous Regions- These habitats are typically cold with strong winds. Trees are often cone-shaped with slanted branches. Leaves of some trees are needle-shaped. Animals here have thick skin or fur to protect them from cold. Examples- yaks with long hair, snow leopards with fur, and mountain goats with sturdy hooves.
3. Grasslands- Lions live in forests or grasslands and are powerful predators that hunt animals like deer.
Lion: Lions have retractable claws, a tawny color that camouflages them in dry grasslands, and forward-facing eyes for spotting prey from a distance.
Deer: Deer have strong teeth to chew tough plant stems, long ears to detect predators, and wide-set eyes to detect danger from all directions. Their swift speed helps them escape predators.
Aquatic Habitats-
1. Ocean- Many marine animals have streamlined bodies for smooth movement in water. Animals like squids and octopuses, which lack streamlined bodies, live on the ocean floor and catch prey nearby. They breathe using gills.
- Dolphins and whales, however, do not have gills and instead breathe through blowholes located on their heads. They can hold their breath for long periods underwater.
2. Ponds and Lakes- Aquatic plants have very small roots primarily for anchoring themselves. Their stems are long, hollow, and lightweight. Some plants have narrow, ribbon-like leaves, while others have highly divided leaves that allow water to flow through without damaging them.
11. We know that a chair, table, stone, or a coin is non-living. We know that we are alive, and like us, all humans, as well as animals such as dogs, cats, monkeys, squirrels, and insects, are living beings.
- Plants are living beings, but they do not move like animals. Cars move, but they are non-living. Plants and animals grow over time.
- whereas clouds grow in size but are non-living.
12. Need for Food in Living Beings- All living organisms need food. Plants make their own food through photosynthesis, while animals depend on plants or other animals for their nutrition. Food provides energy for growth and various biological processes.
13. Growth in Living Organisms- All living organisms grow with time. Puppies grow into adult dogs, chicks grow into hens or roosters, and plants grow taller as they mature.
14. Respiration- When we breathe in, the air from outside enters our body. When we breathe out, the air from inside the body is released. The process of inhaling and exhaling is called Respiration. In respiration, a part of the oxygen from the inhaled air is utilized. The carbon dioxide produced during this process is expelled out through exhalation. Animals like cows, buffaloes, dogs, and cats have a respiration process similar to that of humans.
- In some animals, the method of gas exchange may vary, which is a part of respiration. Example- earthworms breathe through their skin, fishes use gills, and plants utilize their leaves.
16. Excretion- As a result of various biological processes, some waste materials are produced in our body. The process by which living beings eliminate these waste materials is called excretion.
17. Reproduction- As a result of various biological processes, some waste materials are produced in our body. The process by which living beings eliminate these waste materials is called excretion.
- Like animals, plants also have different methods of reproduction. Many plants reproduce through seeds. Plants produce seeds, which can be germinated to grow new plants. Some plants, apart from seeds, reproduce through their vegetative parts. For example, a new plant can grow from the bud-bearing part of a potato.
