All living organisms perform some basic functions to keep themselves alive.

These basic
functions which allow living organisms to live on Earth are known as life processes. The
basic life processes common to all living organisms are nutrition, respiration, excretion,
growth, reproduction, movement and response to stimuli.

All living organisms require food, which provides energy to perform life processes. Plants
can prepare their food themselves. Animals cannot do so and obtain food from plants or
animals that eat plants. Humans and animals are, thus, directly or indirectly dependent on
plants.)

MODES OF NUTRITION ( M)

The mode of nutrition of living organisms may be classified into the following types.

Autotrophic Nutrition (s)

The mode of nutrition in which organisms make their food themselves from simple
substances is called autotrophic (auto = self; trophy = nourishment) nutrition.

This mode of nutrition is found in green plants. In green plants a green pigment called
chlorophyll is present. In this method, an organism makes its food from simple inorganic
substances. The green plants are, thus, called autotrophic organisms or autotrophs.
Autotrophs prepare their food through a process called photosynthesis.

Autotrophs are producers of food.

Heterotrophic Nutrition (s)

Heterotrophic organisms or heterotrophs Heteros means ‘other’ they( derive their

readymade food from other organisms).

As these organisms depend on others for food,( plants and animals) They are also called
consumers. All animals, including human beings, belong to this category. The mode of
nutrition in non-green plants and animals is known as heterotrophic nutrition. Heterotrophic
plants do not contain chlorophyll. Yeast, mushrooms and moulds are some examples of
non-green plants.

Heterotrophic animals can be of three types :

Herbivores - -plant-eating animals like cows, buffalo, goats and elephants.

Carnivores - flesh-eating animals like tigers and lions.

Omnivores - those who eat both plants and animals e.g., humans, crows and cockroaches.

Cell-A cell is a mass of protoplasm having a distinct nucleus surrounded by a jelly-like

and animals are made up of different kinds of cells

AUTOTROPHIC NUTRITION (M)

Autotrophic nutrition is found in green plants.

The green plants prepare their food through a process known as photosynthesis (photo =
light, synthesis = to combine). The leaves of these plants contain a green pigment called
chlorophyll. Without chlorophyll, food cannot be prepared by the plants.

Green plants are called Autotrophic organisms or autotrophs.

Photosynthesis means synthesis in the presence of light.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS - (s)

Plants prepare their food by photosynthesis. This takes place in the leaves and young
green stems. sunlight, carbon dioxide, minerals and water are needed for photosynthesis.
Minerals and water are absorbed from the soil through the roots and carried to the leaves.
Carbon dioxide from the air enters through tiny pores in the leaves called stomata (singular
-stoma). These are found mainly on the lower surface of the leaf. In the leaf, these raw
materials enter the green cells containing chloroplast. Chloroplasts are structures in the
cell that contain green-coloured matter or pigment called chlorophyll. chlorophyll absorbs
energy from the sun. This energy is used to convert carbon dioxide and water to glucose
Glucose is soluble in water. It is soon changed into starch, which is insoluble and .oxygen is
given out in this process

Sunlight

Carbon dioxide +water------- →Carbohydrates +oxygen

Chlorophyll

FIG - labelled stomata, the process of photosynthesis

Products of photosynthesis (s)

Products of photosynthesis are food in the form of carbohydrates such as glucose which is
converted and stored in plants as starch. Starch is stored in leaves, or any other plant parts
or plant organs. For example, a potato is an underground stem. It has lots of starch stored
in it.

Oxygen gas is released during photosynthesis.

Think and answer - Why is it advisable not to sleep under trees during the night?

Activity -1
Materials Required: Green leaf, beaker, tripod stand. Burner, test tube, alcohol, iodine
solution, tap water and petri dish.

Procedure: Pluck a healthy green leaf of the plant which was kept in sunlight. Boil it in water
contained in a beaker for about two minutes. This makes the leaf soft and stops further
chemical changes in it. Put the leaf in a test tube containing alcohol. Place the test tube in a
beaker of boiling water. The alcohol will bleach the leaf and make it free from chlorophyll.
Wash the leaf in water. Place it in a petri dish and add a few drops of iodine solution.

Observation -The leaf turns blue-black.

Conclusion-The leaf changes into a blue-black colour due to the presence of starch in it.

Pic according to activity

Activity -2

Aim: To show that chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis.

Materials Required: Coleus leaf and materials used in Activity -1.

Procedure: Take a coleus plant with variegated leaves having some green and some purple
areas. Pluck one leaf. Make its outline on paper and mark also the green and non-green
areas. Test the leaf for starch as in activity -1

Compare the blue part of the leaf with your sketch.

Observation: Only the part that was green turns bluish - black whereas the other non-
green part does not.

Conclusion: This shows that starch is formed only in the green areas of the leaf, due to the
presence of green pigment, and chlorophyll. and thus turned bluish-black with the addition
of iodine solutions The other non-green area does not show the strch test. Thus only parts
of the leaf can prepare food.

Pic according to activity

Activity -3

Aim: To show that sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis.

Materials Required: A potted plant, black paper and materials for the starch test as in
Activity-1

Procedure: Take a potted plant. Destarch the leaves by keeping the plant in a dark room for
two days. Cover one of its leaves with black paper on which a star-shaped design is cut.

Place the plant in the sun. After a few hours, test the leaf which is covered with black paper
Observation: Only the part of the leaf, that could get light through the cut-out design as
well as those that were leaf uncovered by the paper turned blue-black,

Conclusion: The absence of starch shows that photosynthesis did not take place in that
part of the leaf that was deprived of sunlight This shows that sunlight is necessary for
photosynthesis.

Picture according to the activity

Did you know that less than 1% of the water absorbed by the roots is utilized in
photosynthesis?

Activity -4

Aim: To show that oxygen is evolved during photosynthesis.

Materials Required: Beaker, Hydrilla, Funnel, test tube and water.

Procedure: Take some Hydrilla plants and put them in a beaker filled up to three-fourths
with water. Cover the plant with a short-stemmed funnel. Keep supports to raise the level
of the funnel. Invert a test tube full of water over the stem of the funnel. Ensure that the
level of water in the beaker is above the level of the stem of the inverted funnel. Place the
apparatus in the sun for a few hours.

Observation: Bubbles of gas are seen rising from the stem of the funnel.

Conclusion: These bubbles are produced by Hydrilla as an end product of photosynthesis.

This gas can be tested for oxygen.

Picture according to the activity

Significance of photosynthesis (s)

1. It is the process by which plants make food.

2. It is the primary source of food for all other living organisms in the world.

3. Oxygen released during photosynthesis is required by both plants and animals during
respiration.

4. It helps to maintain the balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere.

LEAVES OF VARIOUS COLOURS (s)

Some of the plants have leaves of other colours such as violet, brown, red, etc. The leaves
having colours other than green also have chlorophyll in them. The large amount of violet,
red and brown pigments in such amounts masks the green colour of chlorophyll. So,
photosynthesis also takes place in leaves having a colour other than green.
Intext Questions

If an organism can make food itself from simple non-living substances, it is an

__________________.

Plants take in carbon dioxide through ________________ in the leaves.

Heterotrophic Nutrition in Plants (M)

(Greek: Hetero means different/other, trophy means organism.)

Those organisms that obtain food or depend on other organisms for nutrition are called
heterotrophs, such as non-green plants like fungi, bacteria and animals. This mode of
nutrition by which heterotrophs obtain their food is called heterotrophic nutrition. There are
different types of heterotrophic nutrition :

1. Parasitic Mode nutrition. (s)

Those living organisms that obtain their food (nutrition) from other organisms
(plant/animal) are called parasites. This type of nutrition is called parasitic nutrition.

The host is the organism from which the food is drawn. This relationship is called a host-
parasite relationship. Always the parasite benefits and the host is the loser in this type of
relationship.

Some parasites live on the body of the host. They are called ectoparasites. Some parasites
live inside the body of the host. They are called endoparasites.

Cuscuta or Dodder plant/ Amarbel is a plant parasite. A thin golden yellow wire-like
structure growing on trees and hedges.

Pic of Cuscuta plant showing host, parasite

Mistletoe is a parasite with green leaves. It grows on mango and mahua trees.

2. Saprophytic Mode of Nutrition (S)

The organisms that live on dead or decaying organic matter (wastes) of rotten
plants/animals, etc. are called Saprotrophs (Saprophytes are plants). This type of nutrition
is called saprophytic nutrition such as some bacteria and fungi.

They are non-green plants that receive nutrition from decaying/decomposed matter, e.g.,
mushroom is seen growing on cow dung, and waste matter and Rhizopus is seen on stale
bread.

Fig - Mushroom

Activity -5
Materials Required -A slice of bread, plastic bags, oven and refrigerator.

Procedure -Cut a slice of bread into three pieces, To the first piece, sprinkle water, keep it
in a plastic bag and seal it. Leave the second piece in an oven to dry. When it is completely
dry, put it in a second plastic bag and seal it. Put these two plastic bags in a warm room.
Now keep the third piece of bread in the refrigerator after putting it in a third plastic bag.
After a week, examine the bread pieces without opening the bag.

Observation- A white cottony growth of the mould can be seen in the first plastic bag.
There will be no growth of fungus in the two other bags.

Conclusion-, The bread is a favourable organic nutrient for the growth of the mould.. The
first plastic bag has favourable conditions for its growth. That is warmth and humidity.
There will be no growth of fungus in the other two bags. One of the conditions is that
moisture is not favourable in the second bag. The third bag does not get favourable
temperature conditions for fungal growth.

3-Symbiotic Mode of Nutrition (S)

It is a special type of partnership among two different types of plants that live together for
their sustenance. This partnership is called Symbiosis. It means ‘living together’ such as in
lichen.

Lichen is a structure/ association of two plants of different kinds. One member is algae (an
autotroph) and the other is a fungus (a saprophyte).

Alga makes food. This food is consumed by the fungal partner, whereas the fungus
supplies water and minerals to the algal partner and also gives support to it by forming a
web of hyphae.

Thus through this partnership, both plants benefit. They survive by living together as they
cannot live separately alone.

Fig: Lichens growing on a tree.

Lichens are found growing during the rainy season in a warm atmosphere. Lichens grow on
logs of wood, and walls as patches of leafy outgrowth. They are whitish, greyish or brown
structures.

INSECTIVOROUS OR CARNIVOROUS PLANTS (M)

A special category of plants is insectivorous plants. These plants are green (partial
heterotrophs). They make their food in the same way as the other green plants do. But
these plants trap small insects too. This is the reason these plants are called insectivorous
(insect-eating) or carnivorous plants. They do so to obtain nitrogen from the insects after
digesting them. Such plants have specialized leaves to catch insects. Insectivorous plants
are pitcher plants, bladderwort (aquatic), and sundew plants.
Pic of pitcher plant, venus flytrap, sundew plant

Differences between Autotrophic Nutrition and Heterotrophic Nutrition

Autotrophic Nutrition Heterotrophic Nutrition

The type of nutrition that takes place in green plants is called autotrophic nutrition.

Food is synthesized from raw materials by photosynthesis.

Solar energy is required or used.

The digestive process is absent.

It is found in green plants, blue-green algae and autotrophic bacteria. The type of nutrition
that takes place in non-green plants and animals is called heterotrophic nutrition.

Food is obtained from plants and animal sources.

Energy is produced in the body.

The digestive process is present.

It is found in non-green plants (fungi), bacteria and animals.

Differences between Saprophytic Nutrition and Parasitic Nutrition

The process of obtaining food from rotting dead and decaying matter is called saprophytic
nutrition.

Saprophytes absorb the digested food materials from material from the decaying waste.

Examples: Fungi, bacteria. The process of obtaining food and shelter from other living
organisms (host) is called parasitic nutrition.

Parasites absorb the food from living organisms.

Example: Cuscuta (a plant).

Replenishment of soil (M)

We add manure and fertilizers to the soil to make up for the deficiency of soil nutrients
created by constant use by plants. As plants absorb nutrients from soil, the amount of
nutrients therein decreases gradually, Thus to grow healthy plants, the soil has to be
enriched (i.e., fertilized )from time to time.

The nutrients provided by manure and fertiliser are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium,
which are also present in the soil Some nutrients are obtained from nature,e.g. Carbon is
directly, it has to be first converted into its soluble form. The conversion of free nitrogen in
the atmosphere into nitrogenous compounds to make it available for plants is called
nitrogen fixation.

Nitrogenous compounds are made available to plants for synthesizing proteins. Different
methods that help in converting atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms are -

Farmers replenish nitrogen in the soil by adding fertilizers to the soil that contain nitrogen
compounds. These fertilizers are water-soluble. They are absorbed by plants through the
roots.

Some free-living bacteria and symbiotic bacteria take part in fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
Azotobacter is one such example of a free-living bacteria, Rhizobium, living in root nodules
of leguminous plants that fix atmospheric nitrogen in the form of nitrates.

Fig -root nodules of pea plants

Electrical discharge during the lightning process fixes some amount of nitrogen in the soil.

New Words -

Life process: The basic functions that allow living organisms to live on earth

Nutrients Components of food that are chemical substances and provide nourishment
provide us energy; promote growth; repair worn-out tissue and protect our body from
various diseases

Stimuli.:stimuli is a detectable change in the internal or external environment,

Pigment; Pigments are substances produced by living organisms that have a colour

Starch: Starch is a white, granular, organic chemical that is produced by all green plants.

Autotrophic nutrition: Nutrition in organisms (mostly green plants) that can prepare their
food from simple inorganic molecules.

Chlorophyll: Green pigment present in chloroplast that traps light and energy.

Photosynthesis -The process through which green plants prepare their food .\

Heterotrophic nutrition: Nutrition derived from other organisms (dead or living): as in

animals, fungi and some bacteria.

Nutrition: Process of obtaining and utilizing food for life process.

Parasite: an Organism that derives its food from the living body of another organism (called
host).
Saprophyte: Organism derives its food from dead and decaying plants and animals.

Stomata: Tiny pores present on the surface of leaves.

Symbiosis: Association of two different organisms in which both are benefited.

Leguminous plants that have nodules in their roots that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria
(Rhizobium )

Let’s Remember

Living beings need nutrition to live and run their life processes.

Green plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, that is the food that they
synthesize during photosynthesis.

Green plants produce glucose from simple raw materials, carbon dioxide, minerals, salts,
water and sunlight in the presence of chlorophyll. They are called autotrophs and the
process is called photosynthesis.

Oxygen, released as a byproduct of photosynthesis, is a life-supporting gas and is used by

all living organisms for their survival.

nutrition in green non-green plants and animals is heterotrophic.

Heterotrophic plants may be parasites, taking food from the host plant, and deriving
nutrition from dead and decaying organic matter.

living organisms may also live in close association with mutual benefit as a symbiotic
association.

Some plants adopt a dual mode of nutrition, insectivorous plants are partial autotrophic and
partial heterotrophic.

Nitrogenous compounds are available to plants for protein synthesis through nitrogen
fixation.

Plants fulfil their mineral requirement from the soil, water and air.

Exercise -

A)Fill and the Blanks.

------------------------- are the consumers of food made by the autotrophs.

The sun’s energy is trapped by the ---------------------- in ------------------- leaves for

photosynthesis.
The dodder plant (amarbel) grows on nutrition from another tree. This plant is called a -----
-----------------------.

The names of two common insectivorous plants are the -------------------- and the ------
-----------------------.

B)Choose the correct answers.

Organisms need nutrition to -

(a)grow (b)get energy (c)fight against diseases (d ) All of the above.

The factors involved in photosynthesis are

(a) carbon dioxide (b) water (c) oxygen (d) all the them

Which minerals are essential for photosynthesis?

(a) iron (b) Magnesium (c) phosphorus (d) all of them

Which among the following are symbiotic plants?

(a) marble (b)Lichen (c) yeast (d) pitcher plant

Types of heterotrophic nutrition are

(a) saprophytic (b) parasitic (c) both (a) and (b) (d) none of them

C)Match the columns:

Nutrients (a) leaves

Autotrophs (b) mineral

Chlorophyll (c) parasite

Iron (d) food

Sundew (e) plants

Amarbel (f) insectivorous plant.

D)State whether true or false:

An organism that derives its food from other living organisms is called a saprophyte
_________________.

A living being which cannot prepare its food is called an autotroph. ____________.
Insectivorous plants eat insects _____________________.

The presence of starch is tested with the help of —----------------

E) Case-based questions

Read the paragraph given below and answer the questions that follow :

Oxygen which is essential for the survival of all organisms is produced during
photosynthesis. In the absence of photosynthesis, life would be impossible on the earth.
During photosynthesis, chlorophyll-containing cells of leaves, in the presence of sunlight,
use carbon dioxide and water to synthesize carbohydrates. The process can be
represented in an equation: During the process, oxygen is released. The presence of starch
in leaves indicates the occurrence of photosynthesis. Starch is also a carbohydrate

Sunlight

Carbon dioxide +water------- →Carbohydrates +oxygen

Chlorophyll

Que. 1) Which of the following organisms produces oxygen?

(a) Humans (b) Plants (c) Bacteria (d) Fungi

Que. 2) Photosynthesis occurs in the presence of light.

(a) True (b) False

Que. 3) ………………………………………………………………… component is essential for the survival

of all living organisms.

(a) Oxygen (b) Carbon dioxide (c) Nitrogen (d) Hydrogen

Que. 4) Write the equation of photosynthesis.

Que. 5) What is the indication of the occurrence of photosynthesis in a plant?

F) Q-Assertion and Reason

In the following questions, two statements are given -one labelled Assertion (A) and the
other labelled Reason ( R). Select the correct answer to these questions from the codes
(a),(b),(c), and (d) as given below -

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of the assertion.

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
A is false, but R is true

1.) assertion- the plants are autotrophs in nature.

Reason- the organisms that make their food by themselves are called autotrophic

.2.) Assertion- the organism that takes nutrients from dead and decaying matter known as
saprotropic nutrition.

Reason- the organisms with the saprotrophic mode of nutrition are called saprotrophs.

G)Answers in brief

Why do we need food?

Name different modes of nutrition.

Write the reaction of photosynthesis.

What is a host?

Name two parasites.

H)Answers in detail :

Explain the process of photosynthesis with the diagram.

Write a short note on (i) saprophytes (ii) insectivores

Explain briefly the different modes of nutrition.

What are the various facts which affect the process of photosynthesis?

Give the difference between the following

(i) parasites and saprophytes (ii) Autotrophs and Hetrotrophes

I)Image-based questions

Look at the given pictures

i)identify them

ii) which type of nutrition is found in them.

iii)Which one is an example of a symbiotic relationship between an alga and a fungus

Pic of 1)cuscuta plant 2)Lichen

HOTS Question

Why are Green plants not found beyond a certain depth in the ocean?

Fun Activity

Visit a garden in your locality during the rainy season. Look for mushrooms. Collect them in
a paper bag. Take the help of your teacher in preserving them in a bottle containing 4%
formalin( be careful while using the chemical. )

Life skill

Plants are our friends Discuss about the importance of plant life on planet Earth.

Integration - (English )

Word meaning

The word “photosynthesis “is made of two words Photo +synthesis

(i)Which parts of the word relate to the fact that the plants make their food?

(ii)Similarly make at least three other words using “Photo” and “Synthesis “.