MCQ: The Living Organisms - Characteristics & Habitats - UPSC MCQ

Photosynthesis is the process where plants use sunlight to make their own food.

Topic in NCERT: Do all organisms need food?

Line in NCERT: "we have also learnt that plants make their own food by the process of photosynthesis."

• In ecology, a habitat is the type of natural environment in which a particular species of organism lives.
• Every organism has certain habitat needs for the conditions in which it will thrive, but some are tolerant of wide variations while others are very specific in their requirements.
• A habitat is not necessarily a geographical area, it can be the interior of a stem, a rotten log, a rock or a clump of moss, and for a parasitic organism it is the body of its host.

Topic in NCERT: THE LIVING ORGANISMS CHARACTERISTICS AND HABITATS

Line in NCERT: "The place where organisms live is called habitat."

Fins and gills help fish survive in water:

• Gills: Gills allow fish to extract oxygen from water, which is essential for their respiration. Water passes over the gills, and oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream.
• Fins: Fins provide stability, direction, and propulsion. They help fish swim efficiently, evade predators, and hunt for food.
• Lungs, strong legs, and claws are not adaptations for aquatic life.

Topic in NCERT: Characteristics of Fish

Line in NCERT: "Fish have slippery scales on their bodies. These scales protect the fish and also help in easy movement through water. We discussed in Chapter 5, that fish have flat fins and tails that help them to change directions and keep their body balance in water. Gills present in the fish help them to use oxygen dissolved in water."

Acclimatisation is when organisms make small changes in their bodies over a short time to adapt to changes in their environment. For example, when we go to a new place, our body adjusts slowly to the different conditions there. This process helps living things survive in different places.

Topic in NCERT: Acclimatisation

Line in NCERT: "Such small changes that take place in the body of a single organism over short periods, to overcome small problems due to changes in the surroundings, are called acclimatisation."

The primary function of the cactus's spines is to reduce water loss. In the desert environment, where water is scarce, cactus plants have adapted by modifying their leaves into spines. This adaptation minimizes the surface area from which water can evaporate, helping the plant conserve moisture. The cactus's thick, waxy stem and deep roots also contribute to its ability to survive in arid conditions.

Topic in NCERT: Desert Plants Adaptations

Line in NCERT: "Desert plants lose very little water through transpiration. The leaves in desert plants are either absent, very small, or they are in the form of spines. This helps in reducing loss of water from the leaves through transpiration."

Forests are an example of terrestrial habitats. Terrestrial habitats are environments found on land, as opposed to aquatic habitats, which are found in water. Examples of terrestrial habitats include forests, grasslands, and deserts, where various plants and animals have adapted to live and thrive.

Topic in NCERT: TERRESTRIAL HABITATS

Line in NCERT: "The plants and animals that live on land are said to live in terrestrial habitats. Some examples of terrestrial habitats are forests, grasslands, deserts, coastal and mountain regions."

In grasslands, animals need to be fast primarily to escape from predators. With few trees or places to hide, speed becomes a crucial adaptation for survival. Fast-running animals can evade predators more effectively, increasing their chances of survival in an open and exposed habitat.

Topic in NCERT: Characteristics of Organisms

Line in NCERT: "The speed of the deer helps them run away from the predators."

The correct answer is B: Plants. Plants are biotic components of habitat because they are living organisms. Biotic components include all living things such as animals, bacteria, fungi, and plants.

Topic in NCERT: Biotic component

Line in NCERT: "Plants, animals and microorganisms together constitute biotic components."

Animals are not abiotic factors; they are biotic factors. Abiotic factors include non-living components of the environment, such as water, soil, and air, which affect the living organisms within a habitat. Biotic factors, on the other hand, include all the living organisms in an ecosystem.

Topic in NCERT: ABIOTIC COMPONENTS

Line in NCERT: "The non-living things such as rocks, soil, air and water in the habitat constitute its abiotic components."

• A pond is an aquatic habitat because it is a body of water where various aquatic plants and animals live.


• Forests, grasslands, and mountains are terrestrial habitats, not aquatic.


• Aquatic habitats are characterized by the presence of water, which supports a distinct set of organisms adapted to live in water.

 

Topic in NCERT: Aquatic habitat

Line in NCERT: "the habitats of plants and animals that live in water are called aquatic habitat."