Grade 7 Chapter 1 Nutrition in Plants

Chapter – 1
Nutrition in Plants
What is food?
Ans. Any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life,
provide energy, promote growth is known as food.
What are components of food?
What is nutrition?
Nutrition is the mode of taking food by an organism and its utilization by the body.
Types of nutrition
Autotrophs: An autotroph is an organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon
dioxide, or other chemicals. Because autotrophs produce their own food, they are sometimes called
producers.
Heterotrophs:
Heterotrophs cannot make their own food, so they must eat or absorb it. For this reason, heterotrophs
are also known as consumers. Consumers include all animals and fungi and many protists and bacteria.
They may consume autotrophs or other heterotrophs or organic molecules from other organisms.
Saprotrophs:
Saprophytes are the living organisms that live and feed on dead and decaying organisms.
Parasites: A parasite is an organism that lives in another organism, called the host, and often harms
it. It depends on its host for survival.
Examples of parasites include:

stomach and gut worms (threadworm, hookworm)
skin mites (scabies)
hair and body lice (head lice and crab lice)
protozoa (Giardia)
Amarbel (Cuscuta)
What are Insectivorous Plants?

Insectivorous means insect-eating
These plants derive most of their nutrition from the insects, that they trap and consume. These plants
grow in humid areas, where plenty of sunlight and moisture is found. They are found in the nitrogen
deficient soil. That is why they trap and digest insects to absorb nutrients. Venus flytrap, pitcher plant
and cobra lily are some of the insectivorous plants’ names. They are often called Carnivorous plants.
Characteristics of Insectivorous Plants

Nitrogen Deficiency
They are found in the places, where there is a lack of some nutrients, especially nitrogen. They entrap
insects and digest them to suffice their nitrogen requirement.
Attractants
The insectivorous plants are colourful and shiny in appearance to attract insects. They often have
nectars and a pleasant odour to attract insects.
Inescapable Traps
Many insectivorous plants have special or modified plant parts to trap insects. The mouth of the
insectivorous plants has hair-lined lined edges that snap or shut as soon as the insect touches the hair,
thereby, trapping the insects. Some of the plants’ stalks are covered with sticky mucus-like substances
where the insect sticks and cannot move.
Symbiotic relationship: A symbiotic relationship is one in which organisms, people, or things

exist together in a way that benefits them all.
For example: Certain fungi live inside the roots of plants. The plants provide nutrients to the fungus and,
in return, the fungus provides water and certain nutrients.
Lichens: Lichens are a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a
fungus and an alga.
The fungus provides shelter, water and minerals to the alga and, in return, the alga prepares and
provides food to the fungus.
Photosynthesis:
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen
and energy in the form of sugar.
.
1. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) enters the leaf through the stomata (small opening on bottom side of leaf)
2. Water (H2O) comes up through the roots and xylem
3. Sunlight hits the chlorophyll in the chloroplast and starts the reaction
4. The elements combine yielding glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2)
5. Glucose is stored in the plant/roots; oxygen is released through the stomata
Stomata: Stomata are tiny pores present on the leaf of plants.
Guard Cells: Guard cells are specialized plant cells in the epidermis of leaves, stems and other
organs that are used to control gas exchange. They are produced in pairs with a gap between them that
forms a stomata pore. The stomata pores are largest when water is freely available and the guard cells
turgid and closed when water availability is critically low and the guard cells become flaccid
Photosynthesis occurs in those plants as well, which have non-green leaves. Chlorophyll is present in
lesser quantity and other pigments mask the green colour of chlorophyll, so they do not appear green
but perform photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll is the main pigment associated with photosynthesis as the rate of photosynthesis is
maximum at the wavelength, which corresponds to the maximum absorption for chlorophyll.
Can you guess why algae are green in colour?
Algae contain chlorophyll which gives them the green colour. Algae can also prepare their own food by
photosynthesis.
Replenishment: Replenishment is the process by which something is made full or complete again.
Replenishment of soil: addition of declined nutrients in the soil is known as nourishment of
soil or replenishment of soil.
Rhizobium bacteria can not make its food own. So its often lives in the roots of gram,peas,moong,beans
and and other legumes and provides them with nitroge.

Grade 7 Chapter 1 Nutrition in Plants

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Grade 7 Chapter 1 Nutrition in Plants

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Grade 7 Chapter 1 Nutrition in Plants

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter – 1

What are components of food?

Examples of parasites include:

What are Insectivorous Plants?

Characteristics of Insectivorous Plants

Symbiotic relationship: A symbiotic relationship is one in which organisms, people, or things

2. Water (H2O) comes up through the roots and xylem

4. The elements combine yielding glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2)

5. Glucose is stored in the plant/roots; oxygen is released through the stomata

Stomata: Stomata are tiny pores present on the leaf of plants.

Can you guess why algae are green in colour?

You might also like