Question Discussion & Solution

The relation among the given numbers is:

1 × 2 = 2

2 % 3 = 2

2 × 4 = 8

8 % 5 = 3

3 × 6 = 18

18 % 7 = 4

4 × 8 = 32

32 % 9 = 5

(where ‘%’ is the modulo or the remainder operator.)

Food chain: 

• A food chain shows the feeding relationship between different organisms in a particular environment and/or habitat.
• A food chain shows how energy is passed from the sun to producers, from producers to consumers, and from consumers to decomposes such as fungi.
• They also show how animals depend on other organisms for food.
• A simplified food web illustrating a three-trophic food chain (producers-herbivores-carnivores) linked to decomposers.

Key Points

Food Web: 

• A food web is similar to a food chain, but the food web is significantly larger.
• Occasionally, a single organism is eaten by a large number of predators, or it consumes a number of other species.
• As a result, several trophic levels become intertwined, and the food chain fails to accurately depict the flow of resources.
• The food chains are very simple and hence, do not exist in reality, 
• Rather, an interconnection of many food chains is seen in nature or in our ecosystem that forms a food web.
• The energy flow is multidirectional.
• In a food web, one organism takes place at different trophic levels in different food chains (which combine to form a complex food web).
• It gives greater stability to the ecosystem.

​Thus, a group of interconnected food chains is called a food web.

Additional Information

Pyramid of Biomass:

• A biomass pyramid is a diagram that compares the biomass of different trophic levels within an ecosystem.
• It shows the mass of producers that are needed to support primary consumers, the mass of primary consumers required to support secondary consumers, and so on.

Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems that promote the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. 

• They are internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) program and nominated by national governments.
• There are over 500 biosphere reserves in over 100 countries around the world.
• There are 18 notified Biosphere reserves in India.
• Out of them, 11 Biosphere Reserves are in UNESCO’s MAB World Network. 

Important Points

Biosphere Reserves and their respective years of including in the MAB network are as follows:

• ​Nilgiri (2000)
• Gulf of Mannar (2001)
• Sunderban (2001)
• Nanda Devi(2004)
• Nokrek (2009)
• Pachmarhi(2009)
• Similipal (2009)
• Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (2012)
• Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve (2013)
• Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (2016)
• Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve(2018)

From the above, we can conclude that Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the first Biosphere reserve in India.

Additional Information​ 

Nilgiri Biosphere reserve:-

• ​The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first and Oldest biosphere reserve in India established in the year 1986.
• It is located in the Western Ghats and includes 2 of the 10 biogeographical provinces of India.
• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve falls under the biogeographic region of the Malabar rain forest.
• The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Mukurthi National Park, and Silent Valley are the protected areas present within this reserve.

The correct answer is Bone-marrow.

Key Points

Red blood cell:

• Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via blood flow through the circulatory system.
• RBC is formed in Bone Marrow.
• RBCs take up oxygen in the lungs, or in fish the gills, and release it into tissues while squeezing through the body's capillaries.
• The cytoplasm of erythrocytes is rich in hemoglobin, an iron-containing biomolecule that can bind oxygen and is responsible for the red color of the cells and the blood.
• Each human red blood cell contains approximately 270 million of these hemoglobin molecules.
• The cell membrane is composed of proteins and lipids, and this structure provides properties essential for physiological cell function such as deformability and stability while traversing the circulatory system and specifically the capillary network.

Additional Information

• Red blood cells are thus much more common than the other blood particles: there are about 4,000–11,000 white blood cells and about 150,000 - 400,000 platelets per microliter.
• Human red blood cells take on average 60 seconds to complete one cycle of circulation.
• The blood's red color is due to the spectral properties of the hemic iron ions in hemoglobin.
• Each hemoglobin molecule carries four heme groups; hemoglobin constitutes about a third of the total cell volume.
• The normal pH range of blood is between 7.35 to 7.45. This means that blood is naturally slightly alkaline or basic.

The correct answer is Only I.

Key Points

• In asexual reproduction, only one parent is involved and sex cells are not involved. 
• It is observed in both multicellular and unicellular organisms.
• Types of asexual reproduction are:
  • Binary Fission
  • Budding
  • Fragmentation
  • Vegetative Propagation
  • Sporogenesis
• Spore formation comes under sporogenesis. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Spore formation is a kind of reproduction process in plants by produces tiny spores and propagates through them.
• Spore Formation is a method of asexual reproduction. 
• Spore formation can be seen in the bread mould / Rhizopus.
• The airborne spores land on bread under favourable conditions and they germinate and produce new bread mould plants.
• Each spore is covered with a protective coat to withstand unfavourable conditions.
• Plants like ferns, mucor, and mosses are also reproduced through spore formation
• Spores are present in a sac called sporangia.
• Fragmentation is a type of asexual reproduction. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Additional Information

• Pollination is a method of Sexual Reproduction.
• Self-pollination:
  • The transfer of pollen grains from another to the stigma of the same flower is called self-pollination.
• ​Cross-pollination:
  • The transfer of pollen grains from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower is called cross-pollination.
• Vegetative propagation:
  • It is a form of asexual reproduction of a plant wherein a new plant grows from a fragment of the parent plant.