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What are decomposers ? List… (Class 10 Science 2024, Q26)

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ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2024, set 31/3/1 · 2 marks · Very short answer

CBSE Class 10 Science 2024: question 26

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2024, paper 31/3/1, section B, question 26, for 2 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q26 · 2 marks · Very short answerOur Environment

What are decomposers ? List two consequences of their absence in an ecosystem.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2024 board paper, set 31/3/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Who 'cleans up' dead leaves and dead animals in nature?

Hint 2

Think about what happens to the dead bodies and to the soil's nutrients if they are missing.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. Decomposers are micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi. They break down the complex organic substances of dead plants, dead animals and wastes into simple inorganic substances, which return to the soil.

    1 mark

  2. Consequence 1: Dead bodies and wastes would pile up in the environment, causing foul smell and the breeding of flies.

    ½ mark

  3. Consequence 2: Nutrients would not be recycled, so the soil would not be replenished and plants would lack minerals.

    ½ mark

Answer: Decomposers are microbes that break dead organic matter into simple inorganic substances. Without them, dead matter would accumulate and nutrients would not be recycled or returned to the soil.

Where the marks are

  • Correct definition of decomposers (1 mark)
  • Any two consequences, e.g. accumulation of dead matter/foul smell, no recycling of nutrients/soil not replenished (½ + ½ marks)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Our Environment (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Our Environment, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2024 board paper, set 31/3/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.