Notes

Air Pollution And Its Control * An undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of air, water, land or soil that may have detrimental effect on living organisms is called pollution. * Substances that bring about such undesirable changes are called pollutants. * Common air pollutants are automobiles exhausts, chemicals and toxic gases ... Read more

Need for Conservation of Biodiversity *  Various human activities such as over exploitation, fragmentation of habitats and the introduction of exotic species cause loss of species diversity. * Currently, more than 15,500 species worldwide are on the verge of extinction. * The reasons to conserve biodiversity are grouped into three categories: narrowly utilitarian, broadly utilitarian ... Read more

Structure and Functions of an Ecosystem * An ecosystem is a stable and functional unit where all living organisms interact among themselves and the surrounding physical environment, leading to a flow of energy and nutrients. * Typically, an ecosystem has two major components-abiotic and biotic. * The structure of an ecosystem involves: • The composition ... Read more

Introduction To Organisms And Its Environment * Ecology is a subject which studies the interactions among organisms and between the organism and its abiotic environment. * Ecology deals with four levels of biological organisation-organisms, populations, communities and biomes. * Each organism is surrounded by a host of abiotic and biotic components of the environment with ... Read more

Biotechnology Applications In Agriculture * Genetically engineered, crop-based agriculture increases food production and provides pest resistance. * Plants, bacteria, fungi and animals whose genes have been altered are called * Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs. * GM plants have higher tolerance to abiotic stresses such as cold, drought, salt and heat. * GM plants increase ... Read more

Principles of Biotechnology * Biotechnology is a field of applied biology which utilises organisms or their enzymes to produce useful products for human beings. * Modern biotechnology arose from two core techniques, namely, genetic engineering and chemical engineering processes. * Genetic engineering techniques help isolate and select only desirable genes and avoid the transfer of ... Read more

Microbes In Household Products * Lactobacillus, also known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB), helps make curd from milk. * Microbes help in curing of tea, cheese and tobacco. * Different varieties of cheese are distinguished by their characteristic texture, flavour and taste, all of which depend on he choice of microbe used. * Microbes also ... Read more