Living Organisms and Their Surroundings - 2

Different kinds of plants are found in different regions because survival of different plants in a particular area depends upon many factors like climate, soil texture and organisms found over there. All these factors are collectively divided into 2 major categories: the living factors as biotic and non-living ones as abiotic.

Habitat of animals and plants in different regions depends upon their body structure and its adaptability. Animals like yak, lions, ants, etc. live on ground and are known as terrestrial animals. Forests, grounds, grasslands, deserts are all included in terrestrial habitats, whereas ponds, lakes, rivers, seas, oceans are aquatic habitats.

Camels are well adapted to the heat of a desert. Their bodies are adapted variably to fit well over there. Deserts have scarcity of water. So to conserve water, camels have long legs to stay away from the heat of the sun. They do not sweat much. They excrete less urine and almost dry dung. Thus, all these characteristics of camels help in conserving water.

Respiration, reproduction and excretion are characteristics of living organisms.

Growth in living things is permanent and irreversible.

Fungi are called decomposers.

Hydrilla is an aquatic plant. Function of roots is to fix the plant in the soil and to absorb water from the soil. Both these requirements get reduced in aquatic plants. So, hydrilla has got poorly-developed roots. Its function is to hold the plant in its place against the water currents.

Octopuses stay deeper in the ocean. They have 8 arms and catch the prey that moves towards them. They have gills to help them breathe in water. They do not have streamlined body.

Dolphins and whales neither have gills nor lungs to take in air and to breathe, these animals come at the surface of water, absorb the oxygen from air through their nostrils and remain in water for long periods by utilising this oxygen gradually.

Adaptation enables an organism to survive in its surroundings.

In mountains, the trees are cone-shaped with sloping branches and the leaves are needle-like.

Nitrobacteria are called chemo-autotrophs since they fix nitrogen to prepare their own food.

Deer is a plant-eating animal living in the grasslands. It has long ears to protect itself from its predators. For the same reason, it has legs well-suited to run fast. It has side eyes to see that its predator. Strong teeth cannot help the deer to escape predators.

All the given features help a lion to hunt its prey.

Lions and deers live in tropical grasslands. Snow leopards live in very high altitude regions in the Himalayas.