<h1><strong>ADAPTATION OF ORGANISMS TO THEIR HABITATS</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of Adaptation</li> <li>Characteristics of Organisms Found on Land</li> <li>Characteristics of Organisms Found in Water</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Meaning of Adaptation</strong></h2> Adaptation means special features that help an organism to live and survive in a particular habitat. Every living thing on earth belongs to one habitat or the other because it is always interacting with some biotic and abiotic components such as energy, water, air (oxygen), food, carbon dioxide and suitable living conditions. For example, there are certain species of plants and animals that can survive only in rain forest habitat and not in the desert and vice versa. <br> <h2><strong>Characteristics of Organisms Found on Land</strong></h2> The following are the characteristics of organisms found on land:

<h1><strong>HABITAT</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of Habitat</li> <li>Types of Habitats</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Meaning of Habitat</strong></h2> The place where an organism normally lives is called its habitat. Specifically, it means the home where an organism (plant or animal) inhabits. The biologists who study habitats are called <strong>ecologists</strong>. Ecology is the study of organisms in relation to their environment. There are many kinds of habitats. The school compound is a habitat, a pond is a habitat and the tropical rain forest of Africa is a habitat. <br> <h2><strong>Types of Habitats</strong></h2> There are basically three types of habitat. They are aquatic habitat, terrestrial habitat and arboreal habitat. 1.<strong> Aquatic (Water) Habitat</strong>: This habitat refers to water environment. Organisms found in this habitat are called aquatic organisms. There are three types of aquatic habitat:

<h1><strong>RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANISMS IN A HABITAT</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Biotic and Abiotic Factors</li> <li>Population</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Biotic and Abiotic Factors</strong></h2> Organisms in their habitats are affected by many factors. Factors are the things or conditions that influence their livelihood. These factors are called <strong>biotic</strong> and <strong>abiotic </strong>factors. Biotic factors are the living factors of the habitat such as the living things found in that habitat while the abiotic factors are the non-living factors in the habitat such as oxygen, temperature, dissolved salt, water, sun light, etc. The biotic factors are classified as producers, consumers and decomposers.

<h1><strong>NUTRIENT CYCLE, FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of Nutrient Cycle in Nature</li> <li>The Water Cycle</li> <li>Nitrogen Cycle</li> <li>Carbon Cycle</li> <li>Food Chain</li> <li>Food Web</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Meaning of Nutrient Cycle in Nature</strong></h2> <strong>Nutrient Cycle in Nature</strong> is the constant circulation of nutrients around the ecosystem. Photosynthesis and respiration drive the movement of oxygen and carbon dioxides to become available all the times.   <h2><strong>The Water Cycle</strong></h2> We use water every day, where does water comes from, water is found almost everywhere in different forms. Water cycle is the continuous movement of water, from land, rivers and oceans to the atmosphere as vapour and from atmosphere back to land and rivers or oceans as rain.

<h1><strong>UNIQUENESS OF MAN</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Human Beings as Animals</li> <li>Man as a Primate</li> <li>Man as a Higher Animal</li> <li>The Human Brain</li> </ol> <br> <h2><strong>Human Beings as Animals (mammal)</strong></h2> Human beings are a special kind of animal. They belong to a special group of animals called mammals. As mammals, they possess the following characteristics: <ol> <li>They have high level of intelligence</li> <li>They give birth to young ones alive (viviparous)</li> <li>They possess hair or fur on every part of their body or certain part of the body</li> <li>They breast-feed their young ones with milk from the mammary glands e.g cow, sheep, cat, man</li> <li>they have four chambered hearts</li> <li>they are warm blooded animals</li> </ol> <br> <h2><strong>Man as a Primate</strong></h2> Mammals can be subdivided into many groups, one of the sub-groups is primates. Human beings belong to a sub-group of mammals called primates. Primate is a member of an order of mammals with a large brain and complex hands and feet. All primates are mammals but not all mammals are primates. Among the primates are man, gorilla, chimpanzee and monkeys. <img class="size-full wp-image-19634 aligncenter" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/man-as-a-primate.jpg" alt="Man as a primate" width="520" height="371" /> They have the following characteristics as primates:

<h1><strong>CHANGES IN LIVING THINGS (GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT)</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Definition of Growth and Development</li> <li>Growth and Developmental Changes</li> <li>Characteristic Features of Developmental Stages</li> <li>Classifying Growth and Developmental Changes (Temporary and Permanent Changes)</li> <li>Factors Affecting Growth and Development</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Definition of Growth and Development</strong></h2> Growth is the permanent increase in size of an organism due to increase in number of cells. Growth is brought about by cell division. Development is a series of orderly changes by which a living thing comes into maturity. It is a series of changes that occur during growth. It is a gradual process leading to maturation of organs and behaviour of individual like social, emotional as well as skill acquisition.   <h2><strong>Growth and Developmental Changes</strong></h2> The noticeable changes in the body size over time is termed<strong> growth change. Growth </strong>change can be determined by measure of height and weight at time intervals while developmental changes can be observed by appearance of certain characteristics features and capabilities. Development leads to transition from one stage of life to another e.g a baby develops from infancy to childhood, then to adolescence and to adulthood. Developmental changes are progressive and move from simple to complex.   <h2><strong>Characteristic Features of Developmental Stages</strong></h2> The developmental changes are characterized by certain features which include the following:

<h1><strong>CHANGES IN NON-LIVING THINGS</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Types of Changes in Non-living Things</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Types of Changes in Non-living Things</strong></h2> Non-living matter undergo changes i.e they can be made to change from one state to another. They can be made to form new substances. Changes in non-living things can be classified into physical changes and chemical changes.   <h2><strong>Physical Changes</strong></h2> Physical changes are changes in which no new substances are formed. A physical change is a temporary change, It is reversible. The composition of the new substance does not change when undergoing a physical change. Examples are: 1. Melting of candle wax. 2. Dissolution of salt in water to form a salt solution. Salt + Water <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14541" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/single-arrow.jpg" alt="right pointing arrow" width="77" height="7" /> Salt solution 3. All changes in state of matter are physical changes. Such as, vapourization of liquid to gases.

<h1>CHEMICALS</h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of Chemicals</li> <li>Classification of Chemicals</li> <li>Chemical Safety</li> </ol>   <h2>Meaning of Chemicals</h2> Chemicals are substances with specific molecular composition. A chemical can be in form of gas, liquid, or solid. It can also be in simple or complex form. They can be in form of element, compound, and mixtures. <p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-19641 aligncenter" src="https://classhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mercury.jpg" alt="Mercury" width="353" height="228" /><strong>Mercury</strong></p> <span style="color: #008000;">Chemical elements are basic substances that are often used to make other products. Mercury is one of the few elements that are liquid at room temperature. This element is poisonous and can be absorbed through the skin.</span> <h2>Classification of Chemicals</h2> <h3>Classification Based on Uses</h3> <ol> <li>Pharmaceutical chemicals</li> <li>Nuclear chemicals</li> <li>Agrochemicals</li> <li>Industrial chemicals and</li> <li>Laboratory chemicals.</li> </ol> 1.<strong> Pharmaceutical Chemicals: </strong>They are chemicals formulated to act as remedy on living cells, they could be herbal or chemical synthesis. They are used for making of drugs. Such as antibiotics, antiseptics etc. 2.<strong> Nuclear Chemicals:</strong> They are chemicals that function based on the activities within the nucleus. Some of these chemicals can split or disintegrate (decay) through the process of radioactivity. It can be used for positive or negative purpose. E.g. it is used during X-ray. 3.<strong> Agrochemical:</strong> These are chemicals used for agricultural purposes. Examples are pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and organic manure.

<h1>CHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS</h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of Element</li> <li>Elements and their Symbols</li> <li>Names of Elements Derived From the Latin Name</li> <li>Chemical Compound</li> <li>Nature of Elements</li> <li>Mixture</li> </ol>   <h2>Meaning of Element</h2> Elements are substances that cannot be broken down into anything else. Everything in the world are built up from these elements. There are about one hundred and twelve (112) elements known today. Scientists use short forms called symbols to represent elements as shown below. <h2>Elements and their Symbols</h2>