Question

Read the sources given and answer any four from the questions given below:

Animals like kangaroo rat and camel live in dry and hot regions like desert and face acute shortage of water. They show various adaptations to survive in such conditions by reducing water loss and tolerating desert conditions. Kangaroo rat conserves water by excreting highly concentrated urine and forms almost completely dry faeces. It obtains all its water needs from its food and metabolic water, i.e., water produced during cell respiration. To reduce water loss, it is active only during the night (nocturnal) when the temperature is low and lives in its underground burrow where the moisture is high. Camel can survive without drinking water for 10-16 days. It saves several litres of water by not sweating or perspiring. Its faeces contain very little water and excretes very little, hypertonic urine.

1. The adaptations in an animal help it to
   1. have long life span
   2. have good mobility in environment
   3. survive well in environment
   4. be part of a food chain
2. What is metabolic water?
   1. water present in interstitial spaces in body
   2. water needed for metabolic activities
   3. water produced during cell respiration
   4. water excreted by kidneys
3. Animals living in dry and hot regions minimise water loss by
   1. producing dry faeces
   2. producing highly concentrated urine
   3. not sweating or perspiring
   4. all of these
4. Camel minimises water loss by
   1. being without drinking water for days
   2. being active at early morning
   3. using water from food
   4. by not sweating and perspiring
5. Kangaroo rat is nocturnal. How does this adaption help the animal?
   1. low temperature at night helps in reducing water loss
   2. food is plenty at night in desert
   3. can see well at night
   4. has few predators at night

Answer 1

1. survive well in environment
2. water produced during cell respiration
3. all of these
4. by not sweating and perspiring
5. low temperature at night helps in reducing water loss