Living World
Can you recall? Page No. 1
What is the difference between livings and non-livings?
Answer:
- Living beings exhibit characteristics such as metabolism (breaking and making of molecules), growth and development from within, reproduction, responsiveness to stimuli, and ageing, which eventually leads to death. They require energy and chemical molecules to survive.
- Non-living things do not show these characteristics. For example, their growth (e.g., sand mounds or boulders) is not from within but due to external accumulation, and they do not perform metabolism, reproduce, or respond to stimuli.
Enlist the characters of living organisms.
Answer:
- Metabolism (catabolism and anabolism)
- Growth and development (from within, well-orchestrated)
- Reproduction (asexual or sexual, though not always inclusive, e.g., mules, sterile bees)
- Responsiveness or irritability (response to thermal, chemical, or biological changes)
- Ageing (loss of effective functioning of molecules, organs, and systems)
- Death (cessation of metabolism)
Whether all organisms are similar? Justify your answer.
Answer: No, all organisms are not similar. There is immense diversity in living organisms. They vary in structure, function, habitat, and adaptations. For example, some organisms prepare their own food (autotrophs), while others depend on external sources (heterotrophs). However, they share common characteristics of life, such as metabolism, growth, and responsiveness, which unify them as living beings. The systematic study of this diversity using taxonomical aids like herbaria, museums, and keys helps understand their interrelations.
Can you recall? Page No. 1
How can we study large number of organisms at a glance?
Answer: Large numbers of organisms can be studied at a glance using taxonomical aids such as herbaria, botanical gardens, museums, zoological parks, biodiversity parks, flora, manuals, monographs, and keys. These tools provide systematic collections, preserved specimens, or live organisms with detailed classifications, labels, and ecological information, enabling quick study and comparison.
Whether all organisms prepare their own food?
Answer: No, not all organisms prepare their own food. Some organisms, like plants, are autotrophic and synthesize their own food through processes like photosynthesis. Others, like animals and certain microbes, are heterotrophic and depend on external sources for food.
Which feature can be considered as all inclusive characteristic of life? Why?
Answer: Metabolism is considered the all-inclusive characteristic of life. It involves the breaking (catabolism) and making (anabolism) of molecules, which is essential for energy production and survival in all living organisms. Unlike reproduction (which is not universal, e.g., in mules or sterile bees) or growth (which non-living things can mimic externally), metabolism is a fundamental process that occurs in all living beings and ceases upon death, making it a defining feature of life.
Think about it Page No. 1
Can metabolic reactions demonstrated in a test tube (called ‘in vitro’ tests) be called living?
Answer: No, metabolic reactions demonstrated in a test tube (‘in vitro’ tests) cannot be called living. While these reactions mimic processes like metabolism, they lack other essential characteristics of life, such as growth, reproduction, responsiveness, and the ability to maintain a coordinated, self-sustaining system. Living organisms are complex entities with integrated systems, not just isolated reactions.
Nowadays patients are declared ‘brain dead’ and are on life support. They do not show any sign of self-consciousness. Are they living or non-living?
Answer: Patients declared ‘brain dead’ and on life support are in a complex state. Technically, they are considered non-living in a medical and legal sense because they lack self-consciousness and brain activity, which are critical for responsiveness and coordinated functioning. However, their bodies may still exhibit some metabolic processes due to artificial support. Thus, they do not fully meet the criteria of living organisms (e.g., responsiveness and self-sustaining metabolism) but are not entirely non-living while supported. This is a gray area, often debated ethically and biologically.
Internet my friend Page No. 2
Collect information about Prof. Almeida, Prof. V. N. Naik, Dr. A. V. Sathe, Dr. P. G. Patwardhan with reference to their taxonomic work and biodiversity conservation.
Answer:
i. Prof. Almeida: Prof. (Dr.) Marselin R. Almeida was a renowned Plant Taxonomist and Medicinal Plant Consultant of India. He was a curator at the Blatter Herbarium (Mumbai). He discovered four new species of pteridophytes from Bombay presidency. His work includes – Pteridophytes of Maharashtra and Flora of Mahabaleshwar. He has contributed to the Flora of Maharashtra, Sawantwadi and its adjoining areas along with Dr. S. M. Almeida.
ii. Prof. V. N. Naik: Prof. V. N. Naik is a renowned ‘Angiosperms Taxonomist’ of India. He completed the Flora of Marathwada. He has produced 15 Ph.D., 110 research articles and 6 books. His book on ‘Taxonomy of Angiosperms’ (Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 1984) is widely used throughout the world. He is currently a faculty of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad.
iii. Dr. A. V. Sathe: Collection and taxonomic studies of mushrooms in Maharashtra started around 1974. Prof. A.V. Sathe and his team were amongst the first to begin these studies. They recorded 75 species distributed in 43 genera. These species were collected from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. The collection of these species was documented in the form of a Monograph on Agaricales. [Source: Borkar P., Doshi A., Navathe D. (2015) Mushroom diversity of Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa.
iv. Dr. P. G. Patwardhan: Dr. Patwardhan and his associates at the M.A.C.S. Research Institute, Pune-renamed as Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune have performed detailed studies on lichens. His school is in possession of over 600 species of crustose lichens, obtained after intensive collection programmes. These specimens have been deposited in the Ajarekar Mycological Herbarium in the Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology at the M.A.C.S. Research Institute, Pune.
Can you tell? Page No. 3
What are the essentials of a good herbarium?
Answer:
- A good herbarium consists of dried plant specimens that are pressed, treated, and mounted on standard-sized sheets for preservation.
- It should include detailed information recorded on the sheet, such as:
- Date and place of collection.
- Detailed classification of the plant.
- Ecological peculiarities and characters of the plant.
- Local names and the name of the collector, typically noted in a label at the lower right corner of the sheet.
- These elements ensure the herbarium serves as an effective tool for taxonomic studies and biodiversity documentation.
Why should we visit botanical gardens, museums, and zoos?
Answer:
- Botanical Gardens: Visiting botanical gardens allows observation of living plants from different parts of the world, grown in a scientific and systematic manner. They are labeled with scientific and common names, aiding in education and research about plant diversity and ecology.
- Museums: Biological museums are repositories of preserved plant and animal specimens, including those in formalin, stuffed animals (taxidermy), or dried forms like shells and skeletons. They serve as reference hubs for biodiversity studies, enabling students and researchers to study species diversity and taxonomy.
- Zoos: Zoological parks provide opportunities to study wild animals in captivity, where they are protected and provided conditions similar to their natural habitats. Naturalists can observe food habits and behaviors, contributing to education and conservation awareness.
What is ‘ex-situ’ and ‘in-situ’ conservation?
Answer:
- In-situ conservation: This involves conserving species in their natural habitats to maintain ecological stability. It aims to slow down, stop, or reverse the loss of biodiversity within ecosystems, such as through protected areas like sacred groves or national parks.
- Ex-situ conservation: This involves conserving species outside their natural habitats, such as in zoological parks, botanical gardens, or museums. For example, wild animals in zoos are protected and cared for in conditions mimicking their natural habitats, and plant specimens are preserved in herbaria or grown in botanical gardens.
Internet my friend Page No. 4
1. Collect information about botanical gardens, zoological parks, and biodiversity hotspots in India.
Answer:
Botanical Gardens:
- Botanical gardens as places where living plants from different parts of the world are grown in a scientific and systematic manner (in vivo). Plants are labeled with their scientific and common names.
- It mentions the first botanical garden in the world, established by Prof. Luca Ghini in 1543 at Pisa, Italy, and notes that the botanical garden at Kew, England, is known for the largest collection of over 30,000 specimens and more than 7 million herbaria. However, no specific botanical gardens in India.
- Botanical gardens are highlighted as tools for biodiversity conservation, particularly through ex-situ conservation, where plants are preserved outside their natural habitats.
Zoological Parks:
- Zoological parks, commonly known as zoos, are places where wild animals are kept in captivity, protected, and provided with conditions similar to their natural habitats (ex-situ conservation).
- Zoos allow naturalists to study animal food habits and behavior, contributing to education and conservation.
- No specific zoological parks in India, but their role in biodiversity conservation is emphasized.
Biodiversity Hotspots:
- The document does not explicitly list or describe biodiversity hotspots in India (e.g., Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas, Indo-Burma, or Sundaland). However, it discusses biodiversity in general, noting India’s immense diversity of organisms and the need for systematic study to understand interrelations between living beings and their environments.
- It mentions biodiversity parks, such as the Late Uttamrao Patil Biodiversity Park in Gureghar, Mahabaleshwar, as ecological assemblages of species forming self-sustaining communities on degraded or barren landscapes, serving as models for conservation in urban landscapes.
- it refers to sacred groves as sacred natural sites recognized by the IUCN, which are conserved for their biodiversity value, but does not link them directly to biodiversity hotspots.
2. Gather information on endemic flora and fauna of India.
Answer: Endemic Flora and Fauna:
- Specific examples of endemic flora or fauna of India. It broadly discusses the immense diversity of living organisms in India and the need to study and conserve them but does not list particular species or their endemic status.
- It mentions the role of taxonomic aids like herbaria, botanical gardens, and museums in documenting biodiversity, which could include endemic species, but no specific endemic plants or animals are named.
- The work of Dr. S. P. Agharkar, who discovered a species of freshwater jellyfish in the Western Ghats, previously known only in Africa, suggesting the presence of unique species in India. However, it does not confirm if this jellyfish is endemic.
Find out Page No. 4
Human being is at key position in maintaining biodiversity of earth. Find out more information about the following.
1. Laws to protect and conserve biodiversity in India.
Answer: Laws:
- Laws or regulations related to biodiversity conservation in India, such as the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the Biological Diversity Act of 2002, or others.
- It discusses conservation in general, emphasizing in-situ conservation (e.g., protecting species in their natural habitats like sacred groves) and ex-situ conservation (e.g., in botanical gardens, zoos, and museums). However, no legal frameworks are referenced.
2. Environmental effects of ambitious projects like connecting rivers or connecting cities by constructing roads.
Answer: Environmental Effects:
- The environmental impacts of ambitious projects like river-linking or road construction.
- It broadly mentions threats to biodiversity, such as population explosion and overexploitation of resources, which have led to an alarming rate of biodiversity loss. These could indirectly relate to infrastructure projects, but no specific projects like river-linking or road construction are discussed.
- Emphasizes the importance of biodiversity for ecological stability and notes that the loss of one variety of organisms can affect entire ecosystems, suggesting that large-scale projects could have significant impacts, but it provides no details.
3. Did bauxite mining in the Western Ghats affect critically endangered species like Black panther, different Ceropegia spp., Eriocaulon spp.?
Answer: Impact of Bauxite Mining:
- Bauxite mining or its specific impacts on the Western Ghats or critically endangered species like the black panther (likely referring to the melanistic leopard, Panthera pardus), Ceropegia spp. (a genus of flowering plants), or Eriocaulon spp. (a genus of monocotyledonous plants).
- It discusses the Western Ghats indirectly through the work of Dr. S. P. Agharkar, who explored its biodiversity, but does not address mining activities or their effects on specific species.
- Biodiversity loss is a concern due to human activities, but it does not link this to mining or specify impacts on the mentioned species.
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