Learn Important questions and answers on Super Senses (How Plants and Animals Sense Their Surroundings) for AISSEE (All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination). Learn how animals use sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste to survive. Get expert study material at Anand Classes
Super Senses (How do Plants and Animals Sense Their Surroundings)-Q&A Format for All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE)
1. What are super senses?
Ans: Super senses are the heightened abilities of animals and plants to detect changes in their surroundings using their sense organs. These include sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.
2. How do animals use their sense of smell to find food and detect danger?
Ans: Many animals have a strong sense of smell that helps them locate food, detect predators, and recognize their territory. For example, dogs and tigers use their sharp noses to track prey, while ants use smell to communicate and find food.
3. Give examples of animals with exceptional hearing abilities.
Ans:
- Bats: Use echolocation to navigate and hunt in the dark.
- Dolphins: Detect underwater sounds at great distances.
- Elephants: Communicate using low-frequency sounds (infrasound) that humans cannot hear.
4. How do birds have an advantage in sensing their environment?
Ans: Birds have excellent eyesight, allowing them to spot food and predators from great heights. Some migratory birds use the Earth’s magnetic field to navigate during long-distance flights.
5. How do snakes detect their prey without using their eyes?
Ans: Snakes have heat-sensing pits near their noses, which help them detect warm-blooded prey even in complete darkness.
6. How do plants sense their surroundings?
Ans:
- Touch Sensitivity: The Mimosa pudica (Touch-me-not plant) closes its leaves when touched.
- Light Sensitivity: Sunflowers track the movement of the sun to maximize photosynthesis.
- Gravity Sensitivity: Roots grow downward, while stems grow upward due to a response called gravitropism.
7. How do animals communicate using their senses?
Ans: Animals communicate through various signals:
- Visual signals: Fireflies glow to attract mates.
- Sound signals: Frogs croak loudly during the rainy season to attract partners.
- Chemical signals: Ants release chemicals called pheromones to guide others to food sources.
8. Why do nocturnal animals have better night vision?
Ans: Nocturnal animals, like owls and cats, have a special layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum, which enhances their ability to see in low light conditions.
9. How do fishes detect movement in water?
Ans: Fishes have a lateral line system, which allows them to sense vibrations and movements in water, helping them detect predators and navigate.
10. What are some adaptations of animals based on their senses?
Ans:
- Owls: Have large eyes for better night vision.
- Dogs: Have an excellent sense of smell to track scents.
- Butterflies: Taste food using their feet.
11. How do honeybees communicate?
Ans: Honeybees perform a waggle dance to inform other bees about the location of food sources.
12. What is echolocation and which animals use it?
Ans: Echolocation is the ability to detect objects by producing sound waves and interpreting the echoes that bounce back. Bats and dolphins use echolocation to find food and navigate in the dark.
13. Why do some animals migrate and how do they sense direction?
Ans: Animals migrate to find food, escape harsh weather, or reproduce. They use the sun, stars, Earth’s magnetic field, and their memory to navigate. Examples include Arctic Terns and Monarch Butterflies.
14. What is the importance of the sense of touch in animals?
Ans: The sense of touch helps animals detect temperature changes, sense danger, and interact with their environment. For example, cats use their whiskers to sense obstacles in the dark.
15. How do ants find their way back to their nest?
Ans: Ants follow scent trails (pheromones) left by other ants to locate food and return to their colony.
16. How do animals detect danger in their surroundings?
Ans: Animals use their sharp senses to detect danger:
- Deer: Have large ears to hear faint sounds of predators.
- Frogs: Detect vibrations in water to escape threats.
- Lizards: Drop their tails to distract predators and escape.
17. Why do dogs and wolves howl?
Ans: Dogs and wolves howl to communicate with their pack members, mark territory, and locate one another over long distances.
18. How do some insects see in multiple directions at once?
Ans: Insects like flies and bees have compound eyes, made of thousands of tiny lenses, allowing them to see in multiple directions simultaneously.
19. What is hibernation, and how do animals sense seasonal changes?
Ans: Hibernation is a deep sleep state that some animals enter to survive cold winters. Animals sense seasonal changes through changes in daylight and temperature. Examples:
- Bears and snakes hibernate in winter.
- Frogs bury themselves in mud to survive the cold.
20. How do elephants use their trunks to sense their surroundings?
Ans: Elephants use their trunks to smell, touch, grab objects, and even sense vibrations from the ground. Their strong sense of smell helps them detect water from miles away.
21. How do camels survive in the desert using their senses?
Ans: Camels have special adaptations to sense their harsh desert environment:
- Thick eyelashes protect their eyes from sand.
- Large nostrils can close to block out dust.
- Hooves spread out to walk on the hot sand.
22. How do dolphins and whales communicate underwater?
Ans: Dolphins and whales use clicks, whistles, and body movements to communicate. They also use echolocation to find food and navigate.
23. How do plants respond to sound and touch?
Ans: Some plants can sense sound and touch:
- Mimosa pudica (Touch-Me-Not Plant) folds its leaves when touched.
- Creepers like Pea Plants grow by sensing the nearest support structure.
- Some researchers suggest that plants can respond to vibrations from sound.
24. Why do some animals have eyes on the sides of their heads?
Ans: Animals like rabbits, deer, and birds have eyes on the sides of their heads to get a wide field of vision, helping them detect predators from different angles.
25. How do fireflies glow in the dark?
Ans: Fireflies produce light using a chemical reaction called bioluminescence, which helps them attract mates and warn predators.
26. What is the role of whiskers in animals?
Ans: Animals like cats, rats, and seals use their whiskers to detect objects, air movements, and navigate in the dark.
27. How do honeybees detect the best flowers for collecting nectar?
Ans: Honeybees use their sense of smell and UV vision to find flowers with the highest nectar content.
28. What is the function of Jacobson’s organ in snakes?
Ans: Snakes have a Jacobson’s organ in their mouth that helps them detect chemicals in the air, allowing them to sense prey and danger.
29. Why do owls turn their heads almost completely around?
Ans: Owls have fixed eyes, so they turn their heads up to 270 degrees to see in different directions without moving their bodies.
30. How do migratory birds find their way across continents?
Ans: Migratory birds use the Earth’s magnetic field, the position of the sun and stars, and landmarks to navigate thousands of kilometers.
31. How do frogs hear even though they don’t have external ears?
Ans: Frogs have tympanic membranes (eardrums) on the sides of their heads that help them hear sounds.
32. Why do mosquitoes bite some people more than others?
Ans: Mosquitoes are attracted to body heat, carbon dioxide, and certain body chemicals in sweat, making some people more prone to bites.
33. What role does the sense of taste play in animals?
Ans: Animals use taste to identify edible and toxic substances:
- Cows and goats avoid bitter plants.
- Butterflies taste with their feet to check if leaves are good for laying eggs.
34. How do fish breathe underwater and sense their environment?
Ans: Fish use gills to extract oxygen from water and rely on their lateral line system to detect vibrations and movements around them.
35. Why do vultures have an extremely sharp sense of smell?
Ans: Vultures use their powerful sense of smell to detect dead animals from high in the sky.
36. How do bats locate food in complete darkness?
Ans: Bats use echolocation, sending out sound waves and listening to the echoes that bounce back, helping them detect objects and prey.
37. What is the function of antennae in insects?
Ans: Insects use antennae to detect smells, vibrations, and even changes in humidity and temperature.
38. How do sharks detect their prey from long distances?
Ans: Sharks have special sense organs called ampullae of Lorenzini, which detect electric fields produced by living organisms.
39. Why do deer move their ears in different directions?
Ans: Deer move their ears independently to detect sounds from all directions and sense danger.
40. What is the importance of pheromones in animals?
Ans: Pheromones are chemical signals used by animals to communicate, attract mates, and mark their territory. Examples include ants, bees, and dogs.
41. How do snakes “smell” the air?
Ans: Snakes flick their tongue to collect scent particles from the air and transfer them to the Jacobson’s organ in the roof of their mouth, which helps them detect prey and predators.
42. How do animals in the deep ocean sense their surroundings without light?
Ans: Deep-sea animals rely on bioluminescence, vibrations, electric fields, and pressure changes to detect prey and predators.
43. Why do dogs tilt their heads when they hear a sound?
Ans: Dogs tilt their heads to better pinpoint the source of a sound by adjusting the position of their ears.
44. How do moths navigate at night?
Ans: Moths use the moon and stars for navigation, but artificial lights can confuse them, causing them to circle around them.
45. How do polar bears find seals under thick ice?
Ans: Polar bears have an excellent sense of smell and can detect seals hiding under ice from several kilometers away.
46. How do tarantulas sense movement?
Ans: Tarantulas have tiny hair-like structures on their legs that detect vibrations in the air and ground, helping them sense approaching prey or danger.
47. How do elephants communicate over long distances?
Ans: Elephants use low-frequency infrasound to communicate across several kilometers, even detecting vibrations through their feet.
48. Why do lizards stick out their tongues frequently?
Ans: Lizards, like snakes, use their tongues to collect scent particles and analyze them using the Jacobson’s organ in their mouth.
49. How do bats avoid obstacles while flying?
Ans: Bats use echolocation, emitting sound waves that bounce off objects and return as echoes, allowing them to “see” their surroundings even in complete darkness.
50. Why do ants walk in a straight line?
Ans: Ants release pheromone trails to guide other ants towards food sources, leading to a straight-line movement.
51. How do vultures detect dead animals from high in the sky?
Ans: Vultures have an extraordinary sense of smell and sharp vision, allowing them to detect carrion (dead animals) from great heights.
52. What are electroreceptors, and which animals use them?
Ans: Electroreceptors detect electrical signals from other animals. Sharks, rays, and electric eels use electroreception to hunt prey and navigate underwater.
53. Why do nocturnal animals have larger eyes?
Ans: Nocturnal animals have larger pupils and more rod cells in their eyes, allowing them to see better in the dark.
54. How do jellyfish sense their environment without a brain?
Ans: Jellyfish have nerve nets that detect light, vibrations, and touch, helping them respond to their surroundings.
55. Why do peacocks spread their feathers?
Ans: Peacocks spread their feathers as a visual signal to attract mates. The vibrant colors and patterns impress potential partners.
56. How do rabbits detect danger?
Ans: Rabbits have large ears and wide-set eyes, allowing them to hear faint sounds and see nearly 360 degrees around them to detect predators.
57. How do starfish sense their surroundings?
Ans: Starfish have light-sensitive eyespots at the tips of their arms that help them sense light and dark.
58. Why do frogs croak loudly after rain?
Ans: Frogs croak loudly after rain to attract mates and establish territory during the breeding season.
59. How do cockroaches sense danger?
Ans: Cockroaches have tiny hairs on their legs and antennae that detect air movements and vibrations, helping them escape predators quickly.
60. What is the function of the tympanum in insects?
Ans: The tympanum is an external ear-like structure in insects such as grasshoppers and crickets that helps them hear sounds.
61. How do chameleons change color, and why do they do it?
Ans: Chameleons change color using special skin cells called chromatophores. They do this for:
- Camouflage to blend with surroundings.
- Communication with other chameleons.
- Temperature regulation (darker colors absorb more heat).
62. Why do bees have a strong sense of smell?
Ans: Bees use their antennae to detect flower scents, pheromones from the queen, and signals from other bees in their colony.
63. How do penguins sense their location in the ocean?
Ans: Penguins use their keen eyesight, memory of landmarks, and Earth’s magnetic field to navigate through vast oceans.
64. Why do deer have wet noses?
Ans: Deer have wet noses to improve their sense of smell, helping them detect predators and food sources.
65. How do otters detect prey underwater?
Ans: Otters have sensitive whiskers that detect vibrations and movements of fish in the water.
66. Why do goats and sheep have rectangular pupils?
Ans: Their rectangular pupils allow them to have a wider field of vision, helping them detect predators in open grasslands.
67. How do termites communicate with their colony?
Ans: Termites use pheromones, vibrations, and physical contact to communicate and coordinate activities in their colony.
68. How do eagles spot prey from great heights?
Ans: Eagles have powerful eyesight, allowing them to see small animals from over 3 km away. Their retina has a high concentration of cone cells, enhancing their vision.
69. How do sea turtles find their way back to their birthplace?
Ans: Sea turtles use the Earth’s magnetic field and ocean currents to return to the beaches where they were born to lay eggs.
70. How do fireflies produce light?
Ans: Fireflies use a chemical reaction called bioluminescence, which occurs when the chemical luciferin reacts with oxygen in their body.
71. How do spiders detect movement on their web?
Ans: Spiders have sensitive hairs on their legs that detect vibrations on the web, helping them locate trapped insects.
72. Why do owls have forward-facing eyes?
Ans: Owls have forward-facing eyes to provide binocular vision, which helps them judge distances accurately while hunting.
73. How do desert animals survive extreme heat using their senses?
Ans:
- Fennec foxes have large ears to release heat.
- Snakes and lizards sense cooler spots using their belly scales.
- Camels have a strong sense of smell to locate water sources.
74. How do butterflies sense danger?
Ans: Butterflies use their compound eyes to detect movement, and they also have antennae to sense changes in the air and environment.
75. Why do some birds sleep with one eye open?
Ans: Some birds, like ducks, use unihemispheric sleep, where half of their brain remains alert while the other half rests to detect predators.
76. How do dolphins sense their environment without using their eyes?
Ans: Dolphins rely on echolocation, sending out sound waves that bounce back from objects, helping them “see” underwater.
77. Why do scorpions glow under ultraviolet (UV) light?
Ans: Scorpions have a chemical in their exoskeleton that reacts with UV light, making them glow, though scientists are still studying the exact reason.
78. How do woodpeckers avoid brain damage while pecking?
Ans: Woodpeckers have shock-absorbing skulls and special muscles that prevent brain injuries when they peck trees.
79. How do ants identify members of their colony?
Ans: Ants recognize colony members using chemical signals (pheromones), which help them identify friends from intruders.
80. Why do some animals have stripes or spots?
Ans: Stripes and spots help in camouflage and confuse predators. For example, zebras’ stripes make it harder for predators to focus on one animal.
81. How do honeybees recognize their hive?
Ans: Honeybees use pheromones and memory to identify their hive and differentiate it from others.
82. How do crickets produce their characteristic chirping sound?
Ans: Male crickets rub their wings together in a process called stridulation to attract mates.
83. Why do fish in dark waters have large eyes?
Ans: Fish in dark waters have large eyes to capture more light, improving their ability to see in low-light environments.
84. How do earthworms sense their surroundings without eyes?
Ans: Earthworms have light-sensitive cells on their skin, allowing them to sense light and vibrations.
85. Why do peacocks produce loud calls?
Ans: Peacocks call loudly to attract mates and warn others of danger.
86. How do fire ants survive floods?
Ans: Fire ants link their bodies together to form a living raft, floating on water until they find dry land.
87. How do tigers mark their territory?
Ans: Tigers use scent marking (urine and gland secretions), claw marks on trees, and roaring to define their territory.
88. Why do sharks never stop swimming?
Ans: Some sharks must keep moving to push oxygen-rich water over their gills, enabling them to breathe.
89. How do bats distinguish between different objects using echolocation?
Ans: Bats analyze how long it takes for echoes to return and their intensity to differentiate objects and prey.
90. Why do elephants flap their ears?
Ans: Elephants flap their ears to cool down, as their ears have many blood vessels that help regulate body temperature.
91. How do sea cucumbers sense predators?
Ans: Sea cucumbers sense danger using nervous system signals, and they expel their internal organs as a defense mechanism.
92. Why do owls have silent flight?
Ans: Owls have soft-edged feathers that reduce noise, allowing them to hunt silently at night.
93. How do glowworms produce light?
Ans: Glowworms use bioluminescence, a chemical reaction that produces light, to attract prey.
94. Why do wolves howl at night?
Ans: Wolves howl to communicate with their pack, establish territory, and locate each other over long distances.
95. How do meerkats detect predators?
Ans: Meerkats have sharp eyesight and often take turns standing as sentinels to watch for predators while others forage.
96. How do octopuses change color?
Ans: Octopuses use chromatophores, special pigment cells in their skin, to change color instantly for camouflage or communication.
97. Why do some snakes play dead?
Ans: Some snakes, like the hognose snake, pretend to be dead to trick predators into leaving them alone.
98. How do dragonflies catch their prey in mid-air?
Ans: Dragonflies have fast reflexes, large eyes, and powerful wings, enabling them to track and catch moving prey with precision.
99. Why do horses sleep while standing?
Ans: Horses have a locking mechanism in their legs that allows them to rest while standing to quickly escape predators if needed.
100. How do armadillos sense their environment?
Ans: Armadillos have keen hearing and smell to detect insects underground, even though they have poor eyesight.
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