Q1: What would happen if the plasma membrane ruptures or breaks down?
Plasma membrane provides a container for the cell organelles and cytoplasm. Moreover, plasma membrane also protects the contents of a cell from external environment. In case the plasma membrane ruptures or breaks down, the cell contents would be exposed to the external environment. This would prove lethal for the cell, and the cell would cease to exist.
Q2: Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
- (i) A landmass bounded by sea on three sides is referred to as
- (a) Coast
- (b) Island
- (c) Peninsula
- (d) None of the above
- (ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with Myanmar are collectively called
- (a) Himachal
- (b) Uttarakhand
- (c) Purvanchal
- (d) None of the above
- (iii) The western coastal strip, south of Goa is referred to as
- (a) Coromandel
- (b) Konkan
- (c) Kannad
- (d) Northern Circar
- (iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is
- (a) Anai Mudi
- (b) Kanchenjunga
- (c) Mahendragiri
- (d) Khasi
(i) (c) Peninsula (ii) (c) Purvachal (iii) (b) Konkan (iv) (c) Mahendragiri
Q3: Answer the following questions briefly.
- (i) What is the bhabar?
- (ii) Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
- (iii) Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhyan ranges?
- (iv) Name the island group of India having coral origin.
(i) Bhabar is a narrow belt of land about 8 to 16 km wide and covered with pebbles deposited by the rivers, lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. (ii) The three major divisions of the Himalayas from North to South are: (a) The Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri (b) Himachal or Lesser Himalayas (c) Shiwaliks (iii) Malwa plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhyan ranges. (iv) Lakshadweep Islands are composed of small coral islands.
Q4: Distinguish between
- (i) Bhangar and Khadar
- (ii) Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
(i) Differences between Bhangar and Khadar: Bhangar - Bhangar is cold alluvial soil. Found away from the river. Less fertile. Contains calcareous deposits locally known as Kankar. Dark in color. Khadar - Khadar is new alluvial soil. Found near the river basin. Very fertile. This soil is fine-grained. Light in color. (ii) The Eastern Ghats - The Eastern Ghats mark the eastern edge of the Deccan plateau. Irregular and dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. They lie parallel to the eastern coast along the Bay of Bengal. The Western Ghats - The Western Ghats mark the western edge of the Deccan plateau. Continuous and can be crossed through passes only. They lie parallel to the western coast along the Arabian Sea.
Q5: Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau.
The major physiographic divisions of India are: The Himalayan mountains The Northern plains The Peninsular plateau The Indian desert The Coastal plains The islands Contrast between the Himalayan region and the Peninsular plateau: The Himalayan Region - Formed by folding process due to the collision of the Indo-Australia plate with the Eurasian plate. Made up of sedimentary rocks. Considered to be one of the most unstable land blocks. Most recent and contains the highest peaks. Average height of the Himalayas is 6,000 meters. Lack minerals. The Peninsular Plateau - Formed due to the breaking and drifting of Gondwana land. Contains igneous and metamorphic sedimentary rocks. One of the most ancient landmasses. Average height of the plateau is 900 meters. A storehouse of minerals. Perennial rivers originate in the Peninsular plateau.
Q6: Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.
(a) The Himalayan uplift out of the Tethys sea and subsidence of the Northern flank of the peninsular plateau resulted in the formation of a large basin. In the course of time, this depression gradually got filled with deposition of sediments from rivers flowing from the mountains in the north and led to the formation of the fertile Northern plains. (b) It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq km. The plain is about 2400 km long and 240-230 km broad. (c) It is a densely populated and intensively cultivated area. (d) With its adequate water supply and favorable climate, it is agriculturally a very productive part of India. (e) The Northern plains are broadly divided into 3 sections. (f) The Western part of the Northern plains is called the Punjab plains, formed by the Indus and its tributaries. (g) The Ganga plain extends between the Ghaggar and the Teesta rivers, spread over the states of Haryana, Delhi, UP Bihar, and West Bengal. (h) The Brahmaputra Plain to the East of the Ganga plains lies the Brahmaputra plain covering the areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.