Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) created a mosaic image of Earth by combining approximately how many smaller images?
Answer
3000 smaller images.
Question
What is the term for a satellite image where scientists use specific colours to represent different types of environmental information?
Answer
False colour image.
Question
If Earth were compared to the size of an apple, which layer of the planet would be represented by the apple's skin?
Answer
The crust.
Question
List the four rocky planets of the solar system in order of increasing distance from the Sun.
Answer
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Question
Which four planets in our solar system are primarily composed of gases?
Answer
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Question
Why is Venus the hottest planet in the solar system despite not being the closest to the Sun?
Answer
Its thick atmosphere, mostly carbon dioxide ($CO_{2}$), traps heat through the greenhouse effect.
Question
How does the greenhouse effect on Earth differ from that of a plant greenhouse?
Answer
Earth traps heat by gases absorbing radiation, while a plant greenhouse traps warmed air within a closed physical space.
Question
What is the 'habitable zone' (or 'Goldilocks zone') of a star?
Answer
The range of distances from a star where the temperature allows water to exist in liquid form.
Question
Why is Earth often referred to as the 'Blue Planet'?
Answer
Most of its surface is covered by water, making it appear blue from space.
Question
What was the primary mission of India's Mangalyaan, launched in 2013?
Answer
To explore Mars' atmosphere, surface, and signs of past water.
Question
How does Earth's nearly circular orbit contribute to its habitability?
Answer
It keeps the amount of sunlight and heat steady throughout the year, preventing extreme seasonal shifts.
Question
How would the atmosphere be affected if Earth's size (and thus its gravity) were significantly smaller?
Answer
The gravity would be too weak to hold gases, and the atmosphere would escape into space.
Question
What is the role of the ozone layer in Earth's atmosphere?
Answer
It acts as a shield blocking harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the Sun.
Question
What is the chemical composition of an ozone molecule?
Answer
A three-atom oxygen molecule ($O_{3}$).
Question
What is the theorised origin of Earth's magnetic field?
Answer
The movement of molten iron within Earth's core.
Question
The stream of high-energy particles coming from the Sun is known as the _____.
Answer
Solar wind
Question
High-energy particles that come from far across the universe are called _____.
Answer
Cosmic rays
Question
How does Earth's magnetic field protect the planet's life forms?
Answer
It pushes harmful high-energy particles away, preventing damage to the atmosphere and ozone layer.
Question
Term: Geosphere
Answer
Definition: The solid parts of the Earth, including rocks, soils, and minerals.
Question
Term: Hydrosphere
Answer
Definition: All the water on Earth, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
Question
Term: Biosphere
Answer
Definition: The global sum of all ecosystems, including land, water, and air where life exists.
Question
What is 'geodiversity'?
Answer
The variety of landforms, rocks, and soils on Earth and the processes that shape them.
Question
From where does soil obtain the nutrients (like nitrogen and potassium) required for plant growth?
Answer
The slow breakdown of rocks and the remains of plants and animals.
Question
Which gas do plants absorb from the air for photosynthesis?
Answer
Carbon dioxide ($CO_{2}$).
Question
Approximately what percentage of the Earth's surface is covered by water?
Answer
$70$ per cent.
Question
In the context of life continuity, what are 'genes'?
Answer
Genetic material stored inside cells that provides detailed instructions for an organism's development.
Question
How does reproduction allow life to adapt to changing environments over generations?
Answer
It permits small changes in genetic instructions that can lead to new, beneficial features.
Question
What is asexual reproduction?
Answer
A process where a single parent produces offspring that are exact copies of itself.
Question
What is 'vegetative propagation' in plants?
Answer
A form of asexual reproduction where a new plant grows from a part like a leaf, stem, or root.
Question
How do single-celled organisms like amoebae typically reproduce?
Answer
By dividing into two identical individuals (binary fission).
Question
Which simple animal can regrow an entire body from just a small fragment of itself?
Answer
Planaria (flatworm).
Question
How does a Hydra reproduce asexually?
Answer
It grows tiny buds on its body that break off and develop into new individuals.
Question
What is sexual reproduction?
Answer
A process where instructions from two parents combine to create offspring with unique traits.
Question
What are 'gametes'?
Answer
Specialised reproductive cells that carry only half of a parent's genetic material.
Question
What is the cell formed by the union of male and female gametes called?
Answer
A zygote.
Question
Where are the male gametes (pollen grains) found in a flowering plant?
Answer
Inside the anther.
Question
In flowering plants, what structure eventually develops into a seed after fertilisation?
Answer
The ovule.
Question
The process of carrying pollen to another flower by wind or animals is called _____.
Answer
Pollination
Question
Which part of a flower typically develops into a fruit?
Answer
The fleshy part around the ovule (the ovary).
Question
What are the specific names for male and female gametes in animals?
Answer
Sperm (male) and eggs (female).
Question
Give two examples of animals that typically perform external fertilisation in water.
Answer
Fish and frogs.
Question
How does the development of a bird zygote differ from that of most mammals?
Answer
Birds lay eggs that develop outside the body, whereas most mammal embryos develop inside the mother.
Question
What are the three components of the 'triple planetary crisis'?
Answer
Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Question
Which specific activity releases 'extra' carbon that has been locked underground for millions of years?
Answer
Burning fossil fuels (like coal and oil).
Question
What is the primary cause of global warming?
Answer
The buildup of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide ($CO_{2}$) and methane ($CH_{4}$) trapping heat.
Question
The long-term changes in temperature, rainfall, and weather patterns are collectively called _____.
Answer
Climate change
Question
What was the primary goal of the Montreal Protocol (1987)?
Answer
To reduce harmful chemicals like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to protect the ozone layer.
Question
What temperature limit for global warming was established by the Paris Agreement (2015)?
Answer
To limit global warming to below $1.5$ $^{\circ}C$.
Question
Why is the loss of one species in an ecosystem, such as grass, dangerous for predators like tigers?
Answer
It destroys the food source for herbivores (deer), causing them to struggle and leaving predators without food.
Question
List three individual actions mentioned to help reduce pollution and waste.
Answer
Reusing, repairing, and recycling items.