NCERT Solutions Science Chapter 7 Weather,Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate for Class 7th
Chapter 7 of the NCERT Science textbook for Class 7, titled “Weather, Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate,” covers several key concepts:
Weather and Climate
- Weather refers to the day-to-day atmospheric conditions in a specific place, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind.
- Climate, on the other hand, is the average weather pattern in a region over a long period (usually 30 years). It influences the types of plants and animals that can thrive in an area.
Factors Affecting Weather and Climate
- Temperature: Influenced by latitude, altitude, and distance from the sea.
- Rainfall: Affected by wind patterns, proximity to oceans, and geographical features like mountains.
- Humidity: Refers to the amount of moisture in the air and varies with temperature and location.
Types of Climate
- Tropical: Hot and humid, with heavy rainfall.
- Temperate: Moderate temperatures with distinct seasons.
- Polar: Cold with very little precipitation.
Adaptations of Animals
Animals adapt to their climate in various ways:
- Physical Adaptations: These include body structures that help animals survive in their environment, like thick fur in polar bears for insulation against cold.
- Behavioral Adaptations: Changes in behavior that enhance survival, such as migration in birds to escape cold winters or hibernation to survive extreme conditions.
- Physiological Adaptations: Internal processes that help animals cope with their environment, like camels’ ability to conserve water in desert conditions.
Examples of Adaptations
- Desert Animals: Animals like camels have adaptations like long eyelashes to protect against sand and the ability to tolerate high temperatures and conserve water.
- Arctic Animals: Polar bears have a thick layer of fat and fur for insulation and white fur for camouflage in the snow.
Importance of Adaptations
Adaptations are crucial for survival as they help animals find food, reproduce, and cope with environmental stresses.
NCERT Solutions Science Chapter 7 Weather,Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate for 2024-2025
Q1. Name the elements that determine the weather of a place.
Answer: Temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind are the elements that determine the weather of a place.
Q2. When are the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to occur during the day?
Answer: Maximum temperature occurs during day time, afternoon to be precise whereas minimum temperature occurs early in the morning.
Q3. Fill in the blanks:
(i) The average weather taken over a long time is called ___________.
(ii) A place receives very little rainfall and the temperature is high throughout the year, the climate of that place will be ___________ and ___________ .
(iii) The two regions of the earth with extreme climatic conditions are ___________ and __________.
Answer:
(i) The average weather taken over a long time is called climate.
(ii) A place receives very little rainfall, and the temperature is high throughout the year, the climate of that place will be hot and dry.
(iii) The two regions of the earth with extreme climatic conditions are polar region and tropical region.
Q4. Indicate the type of climate of the following areas:
(a) Jammu and Kashmir: _________________________________
(b) Kerala: ____________________________________________
(c) Rajasthan: __________________________________________
(d) North-east India: _____________________________________
Answer:
(a) Jammu and Kashmir: moderately hot and wet
(b) Kerala: hot and wet
(c) Rajasthan: hot and dry
(d) North-east India: wet
Q5. Which of the two changes frequently, weather or climate?
Answer:
Weather changes frequently but not climate
Q6. Following are some of the characteristics of animals:
(i) Diets heavy on fruits (ii) White fur
(iii) Need to migrate (iv) Loud voice
(v) Sticky pads on feet (vi) Layer of fat under skin
(vii) Wide and large paws (viii) Bright colours
(ix) Strong tails (x) Long and large beak
Q7. For each characteristic indicate whether it is adaptation for tropical rainforests or polar regions. Do you think that some of these characteristics can be adapted for both regions?
Answer:
(i) Diets heavy on fruits- Tropical rain forests
(ii) White fur – Polar regions
(iii) Need to migrate- Polar regions
(iv) Loud voice-Tropical rain forests
(v) Sticky pads on feet – Tropical rain forests
(vi) The layer of fat under skin – Polar regions
(vii) Wide and large paws – Polar regions
(viii) Bright colours – Tropical rain forests
(ix) Strong tails – Tropical rain forests
(x) Long and large beak – Tropical rain forests
Q8. The tropical rainforest has a large population of animals. Explain why it is so.
Answer: Hot and humid temperature and continuous rainfall in the tropical rainforest suit the survival of many animals; hence, the tropical rainforest has a large population of animals.
Q9. Explain, with examples, why we find animals of certain kind living in particular climatic conditions.
Answer: Animals are adapted to survive in the conditions in which they live. Animals living in very cold and hot climate must possess special features to protect themselves against the extreme cold or heat.
Example: Polar bears have white fur so that they are not easily visible in the snowy white background. It protects them from their predators. It also helps them in catching their prey. To protect them from extreme cold, they have two thick layers of fur. They also have a layer of fat under their skin. In fact, they are so well-insulated that they have to move slowly and often rest to avoid getting overheated.
Similarly, In rainforests, Red-eyed frog has developed sticky pads on its feet to help it climb trees on which it lives.
Q10. How do elephants living in the tropical rainforest adapt itself?
Answer: Following are the adaptation of elephants in rainforests
- It uses the trunk as nose to have strong sense of smell
- The trunk is also used to pick food
- It has modified teeth tear the bark of trees which are food for elephants
- Large ears of the elephant help it to hear even very soft sounds.
- Ears help the elephant to keep cool in the hot and humid climate of the rainforest.
Q11. Choose the correct option which answers the following question:
a). A carnivore with stripes on its body moves very fast while catching its prey. It is likely to be found in
(i) polar regions (ii) deserts
(iii) oceans (iv) tropical rainforests
Answer: (iv) tropical rainforests
b). Which features adapt polar bears to live in extremely cold climate?
(i) A white fur, fat below skin, keen sense of smell.
(ii) Thin skin, large eyes, a white fur.
(iii) A long tail, strong claws, white large paws.
(iv) White body, paws for swimming, gills for respiration.
Answer: (i) A white fur, fat below skin, keen sense of smell.
c). Which option best describes a tropical region?
(i) hot and humid
(ii) moderate temperature, heavy rainfall
(iii) cold and humid
(iv) hot and dry
Answer: (i) hot and humid.