Science (Nutrition in Plants) (Part 1 & Part 2) Covers the Following Topics

1. Introduction to Nutrition

• Definition of nutrients: Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
• Need for food: Energy, growth, body repair, and life processes.
• Modes of nutrition:
  • Autotrophic nutrition: Plants synthesize food using simple substances.
  • Heterotrophic nutrition: Organisms depend on other plants or animals for food.

2. Mode of Nutrition in Plants

• Plants synthesize their own food using:
  • Water
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Minerals
• Dependence of animals on plants for food.

3. Photosynthesis — The Food-Making Process

• Key processes:
  • Role of leaves as food factories.
  • Absorption of water and minerals by roots.
  • Transport of water and minerals to leaves via vessels.
  • Absorption of carbon dioxide through stomata.
  • Role of chlorophyll in capturing sunlight.
  • Formation of carbohydrates.
• Conditions necessary for photosynthesis:
  • Chlorophyll
  • Sunlight
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Water
• Equation for photosynthesis:
  • Carbon dioxide + Water → Carbohydrates + Oxygen
• Importance of photosynthesis:
  • Oxygen production.
  • Food source for living organisms.
  • Sun as the ultimate source of energy.
• Adaptations in:
  • Green parts of plants like stems.
  • Desert plants with scale- or spine-like leaves.

4. Synthesis of Plant Food Beyond Carbohydrates

• Conversion of carbohydrates into:
  • Proteins (requiring nitrogen)
  • Fats
• Role of nitrogen:
  • Gaseous nitrogen in the air.
  • Usable nitrogen forms from soil bacteria and fertilizers.

5. Other Modes of Nutrition in Plants

• Parasitic plants:
  • Example: Cuscuta (Amarbel).
  • Host-parasite relationship.
• Insectivorous plants:
  • Example: Pitcher plant.
  • Insects as a nitrogen source.
• Saprotrophic plants:
  • Example: Fungi (mushrooms and molds).
  • Feeding on dead and decaying matter.
• Symbiotic relationships:
  • Examples:
    • Lichens (algae and fungi).
    • Fungi in roots of plants (mycorrhizae).
  • Exchange of nutrients and shelter.

6. How Nutrients Are Replenished in the Soil

• Importance of:
  • Fertilizers and manures.
  • Symbiotic nitrogen fixation by Rhizobium in leguminous plants.
• Benefits of leguminous plants in sustainable agriculture.

7. Practical Activities and Experiments

• Testing photosynthesis:
  • Iodine test for starch in leaves.
  • Effects of light on photosynthesis.
• Observation of fungi growth:
  • Activity using bread to grow fungi.
  • Identification of saprotrophic nutrition.

8. Summary of Key Points

• Recap of all essential concepts.
  • Autotrophs vs. heterotrophs.
  • Role of photosynthesis.
  • Importance of soil nutrients.
  • Diverse modes of nutrition in plants.

9. Exercises

• Questions provided in the PDF:
  • Fill in the blanks.
  • Short answer questions.
  • Matching columns.
  • Multiple-choice questions.
  • True/False statements.
• Topics tested:
  • Definitions.
  • Processes of photosynthesis.
  • Parasitic, saprotrophic, and symbiotic relationships.
  • Roles of plant structures like stomata, guard cells, chlorophyll, and xylem.

Topics/Sub-Topics Not Directly Used in MCQs

1. Practical activity descriptions:
   • Detailed steps of the iodine test for photosynthesis.
   • Observations of fungal growth on bread.
   • Experiment using greenhouses for controlled plant growth.
2. Extended learning projects:
   • Growing a sweet potato in water.
   • Observing plant patterns for light absorption.
   • Greenhouse experiments near the user’s locality.

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