Decomposition Process and Detritus — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptYou may have heard of the earthworm being referred to as the farmer's 'friend'. This is so because they help in the breakdown of complex organic matter as well as in loosening of the soil. Similarly, decomposers break down complex organic matter into inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water and nutrients and the process is called decomposition. Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals, including fecal matter, constitute detritus, which is the raw material for decomposition. The important steps in the process of decomposition are fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation.
Match the following components/processes related to decomposition with their descriptions. Column I (Component/Process) A. Detritus B. Fragmentation C. Humification D. Catabolism E. Mineralisation Column II (Description) 1. Breaking down of detritus into smaller particles by detritivores. 2. Raw material for decomposition, including dead plant and animal remains. 3. Degradation of detritus into simpler inorganic substances by bacterial and fungal enzymes. 4. Release of inorganic nutrients from humus by microbes. 5. Accumulation of a dark-coloured amorphous substance highly resistant to microbial action.
View solution & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: B — A-2, B-1, C-5, D-3, E-4
The question tests the understanding of the steps and components involved in decomposition as described in NCERT. Let's match each item from Column I to its correct description in Column II: A. Detritus: "Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals, including fecal matter, constitute detritus, which is the raw material for decomposition." So, A matches with 2. B. Fragmentation: "Detritivores (e.g., earthworm) break down detritus into smaller particles. This process is called fragmentation." So, B matches with 1. C. Humification: "Humification leads to accumulation of a dark coloured amorphous substance called humus that is highly resistant to microbial action..." So, C matches with 5. D. Catabolism: "Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler inorganic substances. This process is called as catabolism." So, D matches with 3. E. Mineralisation: "The humus is further degraded by some microbes and release of inorganic nutrients occur by the process known as mineralisation." So, E matches with 4. Therefore, the correct matching is A-2, B-1, C-5, D-3, E-4. Option A correctly represents all the pairings. Options B, C, and D contain incorrect pairings, misrepresenting the processes or components of decomposition.
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