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Environment concept imp, Cheat Sheet of Ecotoxicology

Easy to understand. Brief introduction about the concept, types and importance of environment....

Typology: Cheat Sheet

2022/2023

Uploaded on 10/29/2023

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Environment: concept, importance and components
Environment: An Environment is everything that is around us, which includes both living and
nonliving things such as soil, water, animals and plants, which adapt themselves to their
surroundings. It is nature’s gift that helps in nourishing life on Earth. The word Environment is
derived from the French word “Environwhich means “surrounding.” An ecosystem refers to
all the living and non-living things present in the environment.
Definitions:
According to P. Gisbert “Environment is anything immediately surrounding an object and
exerting a direct influence on it.”
According to E. J. Ross “Environment is an external force which influences us.”
Components of Environment:
Components of environment can be categorized into three types:
1. Physical Components
2. Cultural Components
3. Biological Components
1. Physical Components: These components include Lithosphere (Sphere of land),
Atmosphere (sphere of gases), hydrosphere (sphere of water) and biosphere (sphere where
life exists).
The four major components of physical environment include lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere
and biosphere, corresponding to rocks, water, air and life respectively.
Lithosphere is the outermost layer of earth called crust, which is made of different minerals. Its
depth can reach up to 100 kilometers and is found on both land (terrestrial crust) and oceans
(oceanic crust). The main component of lithosphere is earth’s tectonic plates.
Hydrosphere comprises of all forms of water bodies on earth including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes,
ponds, streams etc. It covers 70% of earth’s surface. 97.5% of water found on Earth is in the oceans
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Environment: concept, importance and components

Environment: An Environment is everything that is around us, which includes both living and nonliving things such as soil, water, animals and plants, which adapt themselves to their surroundings. It is nature’s gift that helps in nourishing life on Earth. The word Environment is derived from the French word “Environ ” which means “surrounding.” An ecosystem refers to all the living and non-living things present in the environment. Definitions:

  • According to P. Gisbert “Environment is anything immediately surrounding an object and exerting a direct influence on it.”
  • According to E. J. Ross “Environment is an external force which influences us.” Components of Environment: Components of environment can be categorized into three types:
  1. Physical Components
  2. Cultural Components
  3. Biological Components 1. Physical Components : These components include Lithosphere (Sphere of land), Atmosphere (sphere of gases), hydrosphere (sphere of water) and biosphere (sphere where life exists). The four major components of physical environment include lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere, corresponding to rocks, water, air and life respectively.
  • Lithosphere is the outermost layer of earth called crust, which is made of different minerals. Its depth can reach up to 100 kilometers and is found on both land (terrestrial crust) and oceans (oceanic crust). The main component of lithosphere is earth’s tectonic plates.
  • Hydrosphere comprises of all forms of water bodies on earth including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams etc. It covers 70% of earth’s surface. 97.5% of water found on Earth is in the oceans

in the form of salt water. Only 2.5 % of water on Earth is fresh water. Only 0.3% is available in rivers, reservoirs and lakes and is easily accessible to man.

  • Atmosphere is gaseous layer enveloping the Earth. The atmosphere with oxygen in abundance is unique to Earth and sustains life. It mainly comprises 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% carbon dioxide, and traces of hydrogen, helium, and noble gases. The amount of water vapour present is variable.
  • Biosphere refers to all the regions on Earth where life exists. The ecosystems that support life could be in soil, air, water or land. 2. Cultural Components : Includes Society (social environment) in which a person grows, lives and interact with each other. Economic environment includes money, natural and human resources which affect the behavior of organisms. Political environment is essential to maintain the peace and to reduce the conflicts among organisms. 3. Biological Component : Biological pertains to the living forms of life and includes all Flora (plants), Fauna (animals) and microbes (microorganisms like bacteria, fungi etc.). Importance of Environment: - It provides us food to live. - Trees provide us oxygen to breathe. - Water bodies provide us water for drinking and for various other purposes. - We are getting food from the plants as well as from the animals. - It provides us clothing and shelter. - We are deriving natural resources like coal, petroleum, natural gas from the environment. - For land resources and forest resources, we are dependent on the environment. - We are getting medicines from medicinal plants like aloe vera, neem, tulsi which have no side effects on our body. - Environment promotes tourism as there are various mountains, deserts, beaches available in our environment.