The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye

Aanandi took two test tubes and marked them A and B. She put two spoonfuls of sugar solution in each of the test tubes. In test tube B, she added a spoonful of yeast. Then she attached two incompletely inflated balloons to the mouth of each test tube. She kept the set-up in a warm place, away from sunlight.

A farmer was planting wheat crops in his field. He added nitrogen-rich fertiliser to the soil to get a good yield of crops. In the neighbouring field, another farmer was growing bean crops, but she preferred not to add nitrogen fertiliser to get healthy crops. Can you think of the reasons?

Snehal dug two pits, A and B, in her garden. In pit A, she put fruit and vegetable peels and mixed it with dried leaves. In pit B, she dumped the same kind of waste without mixing it with dried leaves. She covered both the pits with soil and observed after 3 weeks. What is she trying to test?

Identify the following microorganisms:

Devise an experiment to test that microorganisms need optimal temperature, air, and moisture for their growth.

Take 2 slices of bread. Place one slice in a plate near the sink. Place the other slice in the refrigerator. Compare after three days. Note your observations. Give reasons for your observations.

A student observes that when curd is left out for a day, it becomes more sour. What can be two possible explanations for this observation?

India has a long history of biogas production. One of our oldest biogas plant was set up in late 1850s. Find out about the Biogas Program initiated by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.

Fermented food items like fermented soybeans and fermented bamboo shoots are consumed as traditional food in some parts of India. With the help of your parents and teachers, list some traditional food items from your area that utilise the process of fermentation. Investigate the ingredients used in the preparation of these fermented food items; the method of preparing them; the microorganism responsible for the fermentation of the food, and the cultural and nutritional importance of the fermented food.

Study the different parts of a macro fungus mushroom using a magnifying glass and microscope/foldscope. Take the help of students from senior classes and explore the internal structure of different parts of mushrooms under the microscope/foldscope in your school laboratory.

Interact with an entrepreneur and learn the steps for cultivation of mushroom.