Unit-7→Biology And Human Welfare

Introduction:

Food is any substance that is provided in order to meet the body nutritional requirement. Food contains proteins, carbohydrates and fats. With the increase in population, enhancement of food production becomes a primary issue. Plant breeding and animal husbandry are major efforts to enhance the food production and to meet the requirement of increasing population. Various practices are followed to increase the quality of food production such as Animal Breeding, Inbreeding, Outbreeding, Cross-Breeding and Interspecific Hybridization.

Chapter Analysis:

This is a medium weighted chapter with a total of 20 questions being asked in the past 11 years. The number of questions asked in a particular year has always lied between 1 to 3, and never is the last 11 years has this chapter being skipped by the paper setters. Last year saw a hike in questions being asked with 3 questions. Hence, we can easily expect 2-3 question from this chapter in the coming years.
The following bar-graph shows the frequency of questions being asked in the papers:

The important topics to be covered from this chapter are :
• Plant Breeding
• Tissue Culture
• Single Cell Protein
• Biofortification
• Agiculture and Animal Husbandry

Tips and Tricks:

1. NCERT has provided a brief explanation of this topic and one must go through that initially. Here is the link to the NCERT PDF version of the topic:
2. The topic of Breeding and Tissue Culture must be studied very sincerely and with utmost understanding as these topics form the core of the chapter.
3. One should solve the past year question.
4. The Questions given at the end of the chapter in NCERT must be attempted and the answers must be pondered over thoroughly.
5. Practice a large number of questions from this topic and leave no stones unturned to make this chapter one of your strengths.

Microbes are beneficial as well as detrimental to the welfare of human beings. Microbes are utilized in many ways for human beings. These microscopic organisms produce half the oxygen in the world. Many types of fungus and other microbes release enzymes that digest dead stuff. They are more than half of the living biomass on the planet. In human body, 9 out of 10 cells are microbes. Microbes are everywhere on our body, in homes, far below the earth’s surface and up to the atmosphere, in cold, cool, warm and hot and very hot places, and even in places without oxygen. Microorganisms always live in water. They can eat all sorts of things, including oil, rocks, dead and living plants and animals.

Chapter Analysis:

The pattern in the number of questions asked in NEET from Microbes is a really uneven one and there have been regular rise and fall in the number of questions asked. All in all, a total of 27 questions have been asked in the past 11 years. However, the last year saw an abrupt increase in the number of questions being asked with 6 questions. Also, in the year of 2012, an enormous 7 questions were asked. However, on other side, the number of questions in the other years have remained 3, limiting to 0 in 2015 and 2009. Hence, making a wild guess, we can estimate 2-3 question being asked in the years to follow.
The following bar-graph depicts the variation of number of questions being asked:

The important topics to cover in Microbes are:
• Microbes in Household
• Microbes in Sewage Treatment
• Microbes used in production of Biogas and Biofertilizers

 

Tips and Tricks:

Since there has been irregularity in the number of questions appearing in the paper from Microbes, it is best to keep this chapter to your strength as this chapter can be the deal-breaker in one of the years to follow. The following points might help the students in putting this chapter in their good books:
1. Reading NCERT is must for this topic. Here is the link to NCERT PDF version of the topic:
2. Making Flash Cards will be beneficial as this chapter will not require much revision as students must have been well versed in this topic from their early days.
3. The past year questions must be solved along with the questions available at the end of the chapter in NCERT.
4. The summary given at the end of NCERT must be given proper reading.
5. Practice a large number of questions from this topic and leave no stones unturned to make this chapter one of your strengths.