Habitats and Adaptations
Section I
A. Name the following.
1. Air-filled bag that keeps the fish afloat.
= Swim bladder;
2. Tails in monkeys to grasp objects, especially tree branches.
= Prehensile tails;
3. A plant in which the leaves modify to form spines.
= Cactus;
4. Cone bearing trees.
= Coniferous trees;
5. Trees which do not shed their leaves all at once.
= Evergreen trees;
B. Choose the correct option.
1. Water hyacinth is an example of
a. aerial plant. [ ]
b. fixed plant. [ ]
c. floating plant. [✓]
d. underwater plant. [ ]
2. Which of the following had leaves with stomata on upper surface?
a. Duckweed. [ ]
b. Pondweed. [ ]
c. Seaweed. [ ]
d. Lotus. [✓]
3. Whales keep themselves afloat with the help of
a. urinary bladder. [ ]
b. blubber. [✓]
c. swim bladder. [ ]
d. blowholes. [ ]
4. Leaf insects protect themselves from predators by
a. spitting poison. [ ]
b. hiding. [ ]
c. camouflaging. [✓]
d. biting. [ ]
5. The part of cactus plant which performs photosynthesis is
a. leaf. [ ]
b. stem. [✓]
c. spine. [ ]
d. root. [ ]
C. Write T for true and F for false. Correct the false statements by changing the first or last word(s) only.
1. Any change in the behaviour of a species that allows it to survive in its habitat is called accommodation. [F]
= Any change in the behaviour of a species that allows it to survive in its habitat is called adaptation.
2. Fish and birds have streamlined body. [T]
3. Woody cones are an adaptation of rainforest trees. [F]
= Woody cones are an adaptation of mountain trees.
4. Coniferous trees remain green throughout the year. [T]
5. The hump of a camel has reserves of water. [F]
= The hump of a camel has reserves of food.
D. Match the items in Column A with those in Column B.
=
|
Column A |
Column B |
|---|---|
|
1. Epiphyte |
a. Underwater plant. [5] |
|
2. Dolphins |
b. Floating plants. [4] |
|
3. Fish |
c. Lungs. 2] |
|
4. Water hyacinth |
d. Orchid. [1] |
|
5. Pond weed |
e. Gills. [3] |
E. Choose the correct option to fill in the blanks.
1. Jackrabbits (Toucans/Jackrabbits) have large ears to release excess heat.
2. Meerkats (Meerkats/Camels) make burrows inside the ground.
3. The thorny devil has scales (scales/a prehensile tail) to collect water.
4. Forests (Grasslands/Forests) are characterised by moderate to thick vegetation cover.
5. Drip tips (Long roots/Drip tips) allow rainwater to fall off easily.
F. Given below are sets of four terms each. In each set, choose the odd term and name the category to which the remaining three belong.
=
|
Set |
Odd Term |
Category |
|---|---|---|
|
1. hollow stem, spiny leaf, spongy stem, floating leaf |
Spiny leaf |
Floating plant |
|
2. deep roots, succulent stem, woody cones, spiny leaf |
Woody cones |
Desert plant |
|
3. streamlined body, gills, wings, hollow bones |
Gills |
Aerial adaptation |
|
4. Pine, Cactus, Yucca, Agave |
Pine |
Desert Plants |
|
5. lungs, gills, fin, blowholes |
Gills |
Aquatic mammals |
G. State the main function of the following.
1. Flight muscles.
= Flight muscles enable the wings of the birds to move upward (upstroke) and downwards (down stroke).
2. Scales in fish.
= The scales in the fish are lined by mucus, which makes them slippery and allows for swift movement. Scales also protects the body from external injury and parasites.
3. Prehensile tail.
= Prehensile tails are adapted to grasp and hold objects. They are long limbs which help them to climb and move easily through the canopy and also hang from tree branches so they can access the fruits in the canopy region. This keeps them safe from the predators on the ground.
4. Pneumatophore.
= These roots have several pores that take up oxygen from the air allow the plant to respire.
5. Swim bladder.
= Help fish to keep afloat and go deeper and higher by releasing or filling air respectively in its swim bladder.
Section II
H. Differentiate between the following pair of words based on what is given in the bracket.
1. Floating plant and fixed plant. (stem feature)
= The floating plants have light and spongy stems so that they can float on water.
On the other hand, the fixed plants have thin, long, flexible and hollow stems to reach the surface of the water easily.
2. Fish and whale. (breathing organ)
= Fish have gills to breathe in water and whales have lungs and blowholes to breathe.
3. Cactus and tap grass. (leaf adaptation)
= The leaves of the cactus are modified into spines to conserve water by preventing water loss through transpiration.
On the other hand, tap grass have thin and narrow leaves which undulate with water currents and do not break off.
4. Camel and mountain goat. (adaptation for movement)
= Camel has flat, disk-like padded feet to prevent from sinking in the sand.
On the other hand, mountain goats have strong and flexible hooves that spread wide, and help to swiftly climb up steep rocks.
I. Short answer questions.
1. Define adaptation.
= Any change in the physical feature or characteristic behaviour of a species that allows it to survive successfully in its habitat is called an adaptation.
2. Give two examples each of aquatic habitat and terrestrial habitat.
= Two examples of aquatic habitat are - seas and oceans.
Two examples of terrestrial habitat are - forests and mountains.
3. State two adaptations in whale that enables it to adjust to its habitat.
= Two adaptations in whale that enables it to adjust to its habitat are - blowholes and blubber.
4. Give two examples of coniferous trees.
= Two examples or coniferous trees are - Pine and Fir.
5. Why do you think a cactus must conserve water?
= I think a cactus must conserve water as it inhabits in a dry habitat in scarcity of water.
J. Long answer questions.
1. Name the different types of hydrophytes and state two adaptations of each.
= Hydrophytes are of three types - floating plants, fixed plants and underwater plants.
Two adaptations of floating plants :
i) Floating plants have light and spongy stems so that they can float on water.
ii) These plants do not have fixed roots. Their roots hang loosely in water.
Two adaptations of fixed plants :
i) Fixed plants have flat and broad leaves. This helps the leaves to float easily on the surface of the water.
ii) Their leaves have a waxy coating on the exposed surface. The wax prevents them from decaying in the water.
Two adaptations of underwater plants :
i) They have thin and narrow leaves which undulate with water currents and do not break off.
ii) They absorb dissolved gases from water and release air directly through their surface.
2. How are birds adapted to fly.
= Birds have wings, feathers, legs and a tail. The following features help the birds to fly.
i) The forelimbs of the birds are modified as wings.
ii) Birds have light and hollow bones. This makes their bodies lightweight and enables them to fly.
iii) Birds have strong shoulder bones and modified breast bones to hold the strong flight muscles, which enables the wings to move upwards (up stroke) and downwards (down stroke).
iv) Birds have streamlined bodies. This helps them to move swiftly and offer least resistance to the air.
3. What are the features of camel that help it to survive in a desert?
= A camel has two rows of eyelashes, which protect its eyes from the blowing sand. Its nostrils are slit, which can be closed to protect from the sand and the wind. It has flat, disk-like padded feet to prevent from sinking in the sand. It can drink a lot of water in one go. The hump of a camel acts as a food (fat).
4. List any four adaptations of coniferous trees.
= Four adaptations of coniferous trees are -
i) They are cone-shaped and have sloping branches. These features allow snow or rainwater to slide off easily.
ii) They have niddle-shaped leaves with thick waxy coating, called cuticle, to prevent loss of water through transpiration.
iii) Dark-green needles maximize the absorption of sunlight and allow the plant to photosynthesize.
iv) The seeds are enclosed in woody cones, which protects the seeds against the harsh winter.
5. What are the similarities and differences between adaptations in a fish and a bird?
= The similarities between adaptations in a fish and a bird are -
i) They both have streamlined bodies. This means that the head and tail regions are tapering and the middle part of the body is broad. This helps them to move by cutting through water or air, offering least resistance to it.
ii) Fish have air-filled swim-bladder to make them float in the water. Similarly the birds have hollow air-filled bones to make them float in the air.
The differences between adaptations in a fish and a bird are -
i) Fish have gills to breathe and absorb oxygen from water.
Birds have lungs to breathe.
ii) Fish have scales to cover their bodies. The birds have feathers to cover their bodies.