CHAPTER- LIFE PROCESSES

TOPIC- NUTRITION [EXTRA QUESTION]

Q.1.Mention two point of difference between nutrition in plants and animals.

ANS. i) Plants are autotrophs .They prepare their food from simple inorganic substances.While
animals are heterotrophs. They depend directly or indirectly on the autotrophs to obtain food.

ii) Plants utilize inorganic substances like carbon dioxide and water to prepare food. Animals
use complex substances that are broken into simple substances that are used for growth and
maintenance of the body.

Q.2. “All plants give out oxygen during the day and carbon dioxide during night” .Do you agree
with this statement ?Give reason.

ANS. Plants respire throughout the day ,while photosynthesis takes place only during day time
in the presence of sunlight. During the day CO 2 produced by respiration is used up for
photosynthesis ,so there is no CO2 released ,instead oxygen produced by photosynthesis is
released out.

At night ,as there is no photosynthesis occurring so, CO 2 produced by respiration is only

released in the air.

Q.3.In desert plants , stomata remain closed during the day. Give reason. How does
photosynthesis take place in such plants ?

ANS. Desert plants close their stomata during the day to conserve water by reducing water loss
by transpiration. As the stomata remains closed during the day ,they take up carbon dioxide at
night and prepare an intermediate . This is used for photosynthesis by taking the energy
absorbed by chlorophyll during the day.

Q.4. How do the guard cells regulate the opening and closing of stomata?

ANS.The stomata consists of a stomatal pore which is bounded by two guard cells. The opening
and closing of stomata is due to the change in the turgidity of the guard cells .When water
enters the guard cell ,it swells or become turgid . This causes the opening of the stomata.

When the guard cells looses water and shrinks , it results in closure of stomata.
Q.5.Differentiate between saprotrophic and parasitic nutrition .

ANS.

Saprotrophic nutrition Parasitic nutrition

Mode of nutrition in which organisms derive Mode of nutrition in which organism derive
nutrients from dead organic matter nutrition from living host.
The food is broken down outside the body of Nutrition is derived directly from the plants
the organism and then absorbed or animals without killing them.

Q.6. What is Saliva? State its role in the digestion of food.

ANS. The watery fluid secreted by the salivary gland in the buccal cavity is called Saliva. Saliva
contains the enzyme salivary amylase that breaks down starch present in the food into simple
sugar. Saliva also moistens the food for easy movement into the oesophagus.

Q.7.Mention two points of difference between pepsin and amylase.

ANS.

PEPSIN AMYLASE
It is the enzyme secreted in the stomach by The enzyme is secreted in the mouth by
gastric glands. salivary glands.
It digests protein present in the food. It digests starch into simple sugar.

Q.8.Why do herbivores have longer small intestine than carnivores?

ANS. Herbivores eat grass which need long small intestine for digestion of cellulose. While meat
is easier to digest hence carnivores have small intestine.

Q.9. Mention the role of HCl and mucus in the stomach.

ANS.HCl in the stomach creates an acidic medium for the action of enzyme pepsin. Mucus
protects the inner lining of the stomach from the action of acid .

Q.10.How is the pH maintained in the small intestine?

ANS.The food coming from the stomach is acidic and has to be made alkaline for the action of
pancreatic juice in the small intestine.Bile juice secreted by the liver is added to the small
intestine that makes the medium alkaline for the action of pancreatic enzyme.
Q.11.Explain the structural feature of small intestine that facilitates in the absorption of food.

ANS. Small intestine has numerous finger like projections called villi which increases the surface
area for absorption of digested food. The villi are richly supplied with blood vessesls that help in
the transfer of absorbed food to each and every cell of the body.

Q.12.What is the significance of emulsification of fats?

ANS. Fats are complex molecules present in the form of large globules which makes difficult for
the action of enzyme .The breakdown of fats into smaller globules is called emulsification of fat
.Bile salts present in the bile juice secreted by the liver helps in emulsification of fat that
increase the surface area for increased efficiency of enzyme action.

Q 13. Mention the events that occur during photosynthesis.

ANS.

a) Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll in the leaves.

b) Conversion of light energy into chemical energy and splitting of water (Photolysis of
water) to release oxygen .
c) Reduction of Carbon dioxide to carbohydrate.

Q.14. What causes the movement of food inside the alimentary canal?

ANS. The wall of the alimentary canal has muscles that contract and relax . This rhythmic
contraction pushes the food forward in the alimentary canal called peristalisis, which occurs all
along the gut.

Q.1.5 What are enzymes?

ANS. Enzymes are proteins that act as biological catalyst. They do not take part in the
biochemical reactions in the cell but help to enhance the reaction.