Living Organisms and Their surroundings
Q49. How are plants in the desert adapted?
The leaves in desert plants are either absent, very small, or they are present
in the shape of spines. This helps in reducing loss of water from the leaves
through transpiration. The leaf-like structure in a cactus is, in fact, its
stem. Photosynthesis in these plants is usually carried out by
the stems. The stem is also covered with a thick waxy layer, which helps to
retain water. Most desert plants have roots that go very deep into the soil for
Q50. How do deer adapt themselves to live in forest or
A deer is an animal that lives in forests and grasslands. It has strong teeth for
chewing hard plant stems of the forest. It has long ears to hear movements of
predators. The eyes on the side of its head allow it to look in all directions
for danger. The speed of the deer helps them to run away from the predators.
Q51. How animals in mountain regions are adapted to the
Animals living in the mountain regions are adapted to the conditions there.
They have thick skin or fur to protect them from cold. For example, yaks have
long hair to keep them warm. Snow leopard has thick fur on its body including
feet and toes. This protects its feet from the cold when it walks on the snow.
The mountain goat has strong hooves for running up the rocky slopes of the
Q52. How do the features of lion help it to survive in grassland
A lion lives in a forest or grassland and is a strong animal that can hunt and
kill animals like deer. It is light brown in color. Its light brown color helps
it to hide in dry grasslands when it hunts for prey (animals to eat). The eyes
in front of the face allow it to have a correct idea about the location of its
Q53. Do plants also excrete?
Yes, they do. However, the mechanisms in plants are a little different. Some
harmful or poisonous materials do get produced in plants as wastes. Some plants
find it possible to store the waste products within their parts in a way that
they do not harm the plant as a whole. Some plants remove waste products as
Q54. Do plants also move?
Plants are generally anchored in soil so they do not move from one place to
another. However, various substances like water, minerals and the food synthesized
by them moves from one part of the plant to other. They show movements of their
parts such as opening and closing of stomata, and flowers, growth of roots
toward the soil and shoot toward the light.
Q55. How do dolphins and whales breathe?
Ans. There are some sea animals like dolphins
and whales that do not have gills. They breathe in air through nostrils
or blowholes that are located on the upper parts of their heads. This allows them
to breathe in air when they swim near the surface of water. They can stay inside
the water for a long time without breathing. They come out to the surface from
time to time, to breathe in air.
Q56.What kinds of leaves are found in submerged plants? How do
these leaves protect themselves from getting damaged underwater?
Some aquatic plants are totally submerged in water. All parts of such plants grow
under water. Some of these plants have narrow and thin ribbon-like leaves.
These can bend in the flowing water. In some submerged plants, leaves are often
highly divided, through which the water can easily flow without damaging them.
Q57. How sea animals like squids and octopus are adapted to live
There are some sea animals like squids and octopus, which do not have this streamlined
shape. They stay deeper in the ocean, near the seabed and catch any prey that
moves towards them. However, when they move in water they make their body
shapes streamlined. These animals have gills to help them use oxygen dissolved