NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 16: Environmental Issues

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NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 16 Environmental Issues are provided in this article. This Chapter 16 comes under Unit X- Ecology and Environment, which is omitted from the CBSE Class 12 Syllabus 2022-23. The important topics that are included in this chapter are:

Expected no. of Questions: 1-2 questions of around 3 marks.

Download PDF: NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 16 Environmental Issues


NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 16


Class 12 Biology Chapter 16 Environmental Issues: Important Topics

Environmental issues are harmful effects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on the individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the environment and humans.

  • Air Pollution and Its Control

Air pollution can be defined as any physical, chemical or biological change in the air. It is basically the contamination of air by harmful gases, dust, and smoke which in turn affects plants, animals and humans drastically.

To control air pollution, the following steps should be measured:

Avoid Using Vehicles: Vehicles must be avoided for shorter distances. Rather, public modes of transport have to be preferred to travel from one place to another. 

Energy Conservation: A large number of fossil fuels are burnt in order to generate electricity. Therefore, switching off the electrical appliances when not in use must not be forgotten. The use of energy-efficient devices such as CFLs also controls pollution to a greater level.

Use of Clean Energy Resources: The use of solar, wind, and geothermal energies reduce air pollution at a larger level. Many countries, including India, have implemented the use of these resources as a step towards a cleaner environment.

  • Water Pollution and Its Control

Water pollution can be referred to as the contamination of water bodies, and is caused when water bodies such as rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater, and aquifers get contaminated with industrial and agricultural effluents.

Water pollution can be controlled in the following ways:

  • It is better to treat sewage waste before discharging rather than releasing them into water bodies.
  • Practising this can reduce the initial toxicity.
  • Moreover, the remaining substances can be degraded and rendered harmless by the water body itself. 

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CBSE CLASS XII Related Questions

  • 1.
    Choose a correct option that shows an interaction in which one species benefits while the other is neither harmed nor benefitted.

      • Mycorrhizal associations between fungi and roots of higher plants
      • Sea anemone and clownfish
      • Abingdon tortoises and goats in the Galapagos Island
      • Cuscuta on hedge plants

    • 2.
      Assertion (A): The embryo with 8 to 16 blastomeres is called a morula.
      Reason (R): The morula continues to divide and transform into trophoblast.

        • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
        • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
        • Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
        • Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

      • 3.
        Identify the parts P, Q, R, S in the figure given below and select the option in the correct order.

          • P - Seed, Q - Thalamus, R - Mesocarp, S - Endocarp
          • P - Thalamus, Q - Seed, R - Endocarp, S - Mesocarp
          • P - Seed, Q - Thalamus, R - Endocarp, S - Mesocarp
          • P - Thalamus, Q - Seed, R - Mesocarp, S - Endocarp

        • 4.

          Assertion (A) : Hardy-Weinberg principle says that allele frequencies in a population are stable.

          Reason (R) : Hardy-Weinberg principle is applicable only when genetic drift does not occur.

            • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
            • Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
            • Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
            • Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

          • 5.
            Copper releasing intrauterine devices are very effective and popular contraceptive devices. Name any two copper releasing IUDs. Write two reasons that make them effective contraceptives.


              • 6.

                "Indo-Burma" is considered as a hotspot. What is meant by the term "hotspots" in biodiversity ? List two criteria used for determining a "hotspot". Name any two hotspots of India.

                  CBSE CLASS XII Previous Year Papers

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