THE PUNJAB SCHOOL

Teaching Material of Class VIII

Chapter 1 Human Organ Systems

Q.no.1 What is nervous system?

Nervous system carries messages from one part of the body to another and coordinates
other body functions.
Q.no.2 What is neuron or nerve cell?
Neuron or nerve cell is the basic structural and functional unit of the nervous system
which includes brain, spinal cord and nerves that are made up of neuron.
(fig neuron)
Q.no.3 How does neuron carry messages?
Neurons carry messages in the form of electrochemical waves called nerve impulses.
Q.no.4 Define nerve?
A nerve is an enclosed cable like bundle of axons present side by side in a common sheath.
Nerves convey messages carried by the individual neuron from one body part to another.
Q.no.5 How many types of neuron are there? Name them.
There are three types of neurons which are as below:
a. Sensory neurons
b. Inter neurons
c. Motor neurons
Q.no.6 Write the function of sensory, motor and inter-neuron?
Sensory neurons:
They carry nerve impulses from sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin, tongue) to central
nervous system (CNS).
Motor neurons:
They carry nerve impulses from central nervous system (CNS) to effectors (muscles and
glands) i.e. the parts which respond.
Inter-Neurons:
They are present in central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). They form a link b/w
sensory and motor neurons.
(fig types of neuron)

Q.no.7 Write the function of following:

Fore Brain:
It controls many actions like thinking, feeling, emotions, seeing, hearing, body
temperature, hunger and thirst.

Hind Brain:
 It acts as a controller for maintaining the body balance and making precise and accurate
movements. It also controls many functions like sleep, swallowing, equilibrium and taste.
It also controls heartbeat, breathing and digestion.
(fig 1.4)
Q.no.8 What is the difference b/w cranial and spinal nerve?
Cranial Nerves Spinal Nerves
1. The nerves which arise from brain 1. The nerves which arise from
are called cranial nerves spinal cord are called spinal
nerves.
2. There are 12 pairs of cranial 2. There are 31 pairs of spinal
nerves nerves.

Q.no.9 What is the difference between receptors and effectors?

Receptors Effectors
DEFINITION
The special organs, tissues or cells The parts of the body which produce
which detect stimuli are called responses are called effectors.
receptors.
EXAMPLE
sense organs muscles and glands

Q.no.10 Differentiate b/w voluntary and involuntary action?

Voluntary Actions Involuntary Actions

DEFINITION
The body actions which are The body actions which are not
performed under conscious control. performed under conscious control.
THINKING
They are done after thinking The body actions which are performed
over them. without involvement of thinking
process.
EXAMPLE
• speaking • heart beat
• eating • breathing
• reading • digestion
 Differentiate b/w reflex action and reflex arc?
Reflex Action Reflex Arc
1. An immediate and involuntary 1. The pathway of nerve impulses
response to a stimulus is called which complete a reflex action is
reflex action. called reflex arc.
2. e.g. quick pulling of hand after 2. It consists of sensory
touching any hot object. neuron(receptors), inter-neurons,
motor neuron(effectors)
(fig reflex arc)
Q.no.11 Differentiate b/w kidney and lungs?
Kidney Lungs
1. Kidneys are excretory organs 1. Lungs are respiratory organs
2. Two dark brown bean shaped 2. They are located within the chest
kidneys are located in the and are surrounded by rib cage
abdominal region
3. Each kidney is divided into three 3. They are made of spongy elastic
regions i.e. tissues.
• Renal Cortex
• Renal Medulla
• Renal Pelvis
4. They remove nitrogenous 4. They give oxygen to produce
materials and extra waste from the energy from the food and remove
body. carbon dioxide from the body.
(fig kidney)
Q.no.12 Define nephron and name its parts?
Nephrons are the functional units of the kidneys. They are tubules where urine is formed.
There are two parts of nephron as follows:
• Renal Corpuscle
• Renal Tubule

Q.no.13 Differentiate b/w lithotripsy and dialysis?

Lithotripsy Dialysis
Definition: Definition:
Medium sized stones can be removed by Cleaning of blood by artificial method is called
lithotripsy dialysis.
Mechanism: Mechanism:
It includes bombardment of shock waves on stones The blood of patient is passed through the dialyzer
from outside. Shock waves break the stones into which contains dialysis fluid. The waste materials
smaller pieces which are passed out of the body move from blood to the dialysis fluid. Clean blood
through urine. is returned in the body.
Diagram: Diagram:
(stone in bladder and kidney) (treatment)
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 Chapter 2: Cell Division

Q.no.1 What is cell division?

Ans: Cell division is a process by which a cell divided into two daughter cells.

Q.no.2 What are the two phases of cell division?

Ans: The process of cell division involves two phases.
1. Nuclear division.
2. Cytokinesis.
Nuclear division:
It is the division of nucleus which is followed by cytokinesis.
Cytokinesis:
It is the division of cytoplasm.

Q.no.3 What is DNA? Why it is hereditary material?

Ans: DNA stands for "Deoxyribonucleic Acid".
DNA is the material that contains complete set of instructions for developing a
new cell or organism. That is why DNA is called hereditary material
.
Q.no.4 What is interphase?
Ans: Before the start of the cell division, the parent cell passes through a phase called
interphase.
During interphase chromosomes in the nucleus are duplicated .i.e. copies of all are
developed.

Q.no.5 What is heredity?

Ans: The transmission of characters from parents to offspring is called heredity.

Q.no.6 What are genes?

Ans: Genes are the basic physical unit of heredity. Genes are the sections of DNA
molecules and are located on chromosomes. The genes occurs in pairs.

Q.no.7 What is haploid cell?

Ans: Haploid cells are eggs or sperms having half number of chromosomes produced as a
result of meiosis.
• Draw figures of Mitosis and Meiosis.

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 Chapter 3: Biotechnology

Q.no.1 What is biotechnology?

Ans: The technology in which living things are used in different ways to help or benefits human beings is
called biotechnology.
Q.no.2 What is genetic testing?
Ans: Genetic Testing:
Genetic testing is one of the latest biotechnological techniques used for genetic diagnosis of inherited
diseases. It involves the direct examination of DNA molecule. It is also used to determine a child’s
paternity or a person’s ancestory.
Q.no.3 Name at least two lifesaving products of biotechnology?
Ans: Lifesaving products:
Insulin: useful for diabetics.
Interferon: anti-viral proteins.
Q.no.4 Briefly describe gene therapy?
Ans: Gene Therapy:
Gene therapy is an advanced biotechnological technique which is used to cure genetic and acquired
diseases like cancer and AIDS. In this process defective genes are supplemented or replaced by normal
genes.

• Draw figure of production of Insulin by genetically modified bacterium

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Chapter 4: Pollutants and their effects on environment

Q.no.1 What are the main air pollutants?

Ans: Main air pollutants:
§ Carbon monoxide (CO)
§ Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
§ Oxides of Nitrogen (N and NO2)
§ Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Q.no.2 Name greenhouse gases?

Ans: Greenhouse gases:
i. Carbon dioxide.
ii. Methane.
iii. Oxides of nitrogen.
iv. Water vapors.
Fig: 4.5 pg#49

Q.no.3 Name the acids which are present in acid rain? Fig:4.8 pg#52
Ans: Acids in acid rain:
§ Sulphuric acid (H2SO4)
§ Nitric acid (HNO3)
Q.no.4 Ozone layer is important. Why?
Ans: Importance of ozone layer:
A layer of ozone (O3) in the upper atmosphere of the earth stops the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun
to the earth. In this way the living things on the earth remains safe from the harmful effects of the
ultraviolet radiations coming from the sun.
Fig:4.6 pg#50

Q.no.5 3R strategy stands for what?

Ans: 3R strategies:
§ Reduce
§ Reuse
§ Recycle
Fig: 4.12 pg#55

Q.no.6 Write down the name of three such products which can be recycled?
Ans: Recycled products:
Following are the recycled products.
§ Plastic items (like plastic bottles and polythene bags)
§ Glass pieces
§ Aluminium and steel cans
§ Copper wires

Q.no.7 Name common methods which are used for solid waste management?
Ans: Solid waste management:
The common methods of solid waste management are:
• Landfill.
• Incineration.
• Recycling.
Q.no.8 How does ozone depletion contribute towards global warming?
Ans: Effects of ozone depletion:
Through the thin ozone layer, ultraviolet rays of the sun pass and reach the earth where they affect the life
by causing serious diseases like skin cancer and eye problems etc. these ultraviolet rays also increase the
temperature of the earth.

Q.no.9 Sulphur dioxide is an important pollutant, from where does it enter the atmosphere?
Ans: Sources of Sulphur dioxide:
Sulphur dioxide is produced by burning of coal or oil in factories. Smoke released from thermal power
stations usually contain sulphur dioxide.
 LONG QUESTIONS:

Q.no.4.5 Point out the sources of air pollutants you find in your locality and suggest ways to reduce
air pollution produced from these?
Ans: Sources of air pollution in our locality:
• Vehicles smoke
• Industrial smoke
• CFC in aerosols
• Rotting of vegetation
Methods to reduce pollution:
Following measures can be taken to reduce air pollution:
i. Instead of personal cars public transport should be used.
ii. Sulphur and lead free fuels should be used in industries or vehicles
iii. Factories should be shifted away from urban areas.
iv. Deforestation should be avoided.

Q.no.4.6 Suggest what can following communities do to reduce air pollution?

Ans: Students:
Students can reduce pollution in the following ways:
• By keeping environment clean.
• By planting trees.
• By developing awareness among people about pollution.
Farmers:
• Farmers can help in reducing pollution by:
• Planting more trees
• Keeping the fields green throughout the year
• Making artificial forests.
Factory owners:
They can help in reduction of pollution by minimizing the production of
• Smoke
• Poisonous gases like :
a. Carbon monoxide (CO)
b. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
c. Oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2)
d. Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
e. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)

Scientists:
Scientists can reduce pollution by:
• Inventing such machines which produce less pollution.
• Making such fuels which cause less pollution.

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 Chapter 5 (Chemical Reactions)

Q.no.1. Define chemical reaction?

The process in which substance changes entirely into new substance with different chemical
composition and properties is called chemical reaction.
Q.no.2. What are reactants?
The substances which take part in chemical reactions are called reactants.
Example: C + O2 à CO2
This chemical has carbon and oxygen as reactants.
Q.no.3. What are products?
The substances which are formed as a result of a chemical reaction are called products.
Example: C + O2 à CO2
This chemical reaction has carbon dioxide as product.
Q.no.4. What is chemical equation?
The representation of chemical reaction in terms of symbol, signs, and formulae used for indicating
physical states of the substances is called chemical equation.
Reactants and products are separated by an arrow
Zn + H2 SO4 à ZnSO4 + H2
(Reactants) (Products)
Q.no.5. What is fermentation reaction?
Conversion of milk into yogurt and formation of baking products involve the chemical changes which
are brought by micro-organisms. Such chemical reactions are called fermentation reactions.
The waste of fermentation is
CO2 + alcohol
Q.no.6. State law of conservation of mass?
It was put forward by a French chemist “Lavoisier” in 1785. This law states that
“During a chemical reaction, mass is neither created nor destroyed but it changes from one form to
another”.
In other words, “total mass of the products is equal to total mass of reactants”.
Q.no.7. Define a chemical change?
In a chemical change entirely new substances are formed with different chemical composition and
properties. This change is difficult to reverse. Compound is an example of chemical change.
For example:
• rusting of iron
• Burning of wood
• Boiling an egg
Q.no.8. When coal burns it leaves ash behind, ash so formed is lighter than the coal which has burnt.
Justify the decrease in mass in the light of conservation of mass?

When coal burns, it produces smoke, heat, carbon dioxide, gas and ash. If they all are weighed, their
weight is equal to unburned coal. This proves the law of conservation of mass.

Q.no.9. Write at least two examples of each :

Addition reaction
1. H2 + Cl2 à 2HCl
2. N2 + 3 H2 à 2 NH3
Decomposition reaction
1. CaCO3 à CaO + CO2
2. 2 KClO3 à 2KCl + 3 O2
 Exothermic reaction
1. C + O2 à CO2 + heat
2. Fe + S à FeS + heat
Endothermic reaction
1. N2 + O2 + heat à 2 NO
2. H 2 + I2 + heat à 2 HI
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Chapter 6: Acids, Alkalis/Bases and salts

Q.no.1 Name a salt which can reduce the acidity in the stomach?
Ans: Sodium bi-carbonate in the form of tablets is called "soda mint". It is used to reduce
acidity in stomach.

Q.no.2 What happens when a salt like copper sulphate reacts with water?
Ans: CuSO4 + H2O à CuO + H2SO4

Q.no.3 Is soda water acidic or basic?

Ans: Soda water is acidic.

Q.no.4 Which alkali is commonly used to open a drain?

Ans: NaOH(caustic soda).

Q.no.5 Write down the chemical equation showing the reaction of ammonia and water?
Ans: NH3 + H2O à NH4OH

Q.no.6 How is litmus solution prepared?

Ans: Litmus is the most common indicator. It is obtained from Lichens.
Preparations:
The dye is prepared by crushing lichens and then fermenting them into the
mixture of ammonia and potash.

Q.no.7 Why are the aqueous solution of NaHCO3and Na2CO3 basic in nature?
Ans: Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) are basic in nature
because they form a strong base in their aqueous solution.
Na2CO3 + 2H2O à 2NaOH + H2CO3

Q.no.8 How does the soil become acidic?

Ans: Acid rain turns soil acidic.

Q.no.9 What happens when:

i. magnesium reacts with dilute HCl
Mg + 2HCl à MgCl2 + H2
 ii. Sodium hydrogen carbonate reacts with dilute H2SO4?
2NaHCO3 + H2SO4 à Na2SO4 +2H2O + 2CO2
iii. Copper oxide reacts with Sulphuric acid?
CuO + H2SO4 à CuSO4 + H2O
iv. Sodium reacts with chlorine?
2Na + Cl2 à 2NaCl
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Chapter #: 7 Force and pressure

Question no1: Define the following.

Answer:
1. Force
Definition:
A force is a push and pull. It is denoted by F
Unit:
Newton (N)
2. Area
Definition:
Area is a space occupied by unit square. It is denoted by (A)
Unit:
Square metre (m2)
3. Pressure
Definition:
The force per unit area acting normally on surface of an object is called pressure.
Mathematically it can be written as:
P=F/A
Unit:
Pressure is a physical quantity whose units can be expressed in terms of units of force and area.
So its units are Newton per square metre (Nm2). The SI unit of pressure is Pascal (Pa).
4. Hydraulics
Definition:
The branch of science which deals with the transmission of fluid pressure through the pipes as
a source of mechanical force is called Hydraulics. Such systems are often used to produce a
large force with the help of a small force.
5. Pneumatics
Definition:
The branch of science which deals with study and application of pressurized gas to produce
mechanical motion is called pneumatics.
(Draw fig pg#100,104,106)
Question no2: State Pascal’s law
Answer: Pascal’s Law:
This law states that:
“Fluid enclosed in a vessel exert pressure which is transmitted equally in all
direction”

Pascal’s law is only applied to the fluid filled in closed vessel.

(Fig page #103)

Question no3: Differentiate between Hydrostatic and atmospheric pressure.

Answer:
Hydrostatic pressure Atmospheric pressure
The pressure of liquid which increases The weight of air column (force) per unit
with depth of liquid in a container is area on the earth is pressure which is
called Hydrostatic pressure termed as atmospheric pressure.
Atmospheric pressure=weight of air/area
1 atm=101.3Kpa=101300Pa
Atmospheric pressure decrease with the
height above the ground.

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Chapter #: 10 Lenses

Question no1: What is refraction?

Answer: Refraction: When light enters from a lighter medium (air) into denser medium (glass
or water), it goes down and bends towards the normal.
Conversely when light enters from a denser medium into lighter medium it bends away from
normal. This is called refraction.
(fig refraction of light)

Question no2: What is reflection?

Answer: Reflection: When a light ray strikes on a smooth, shiny surface the light ray bounce
back. This bouncing back of light is called reflection.
(fig reflection of light)

Question no3: What is Lens?

Answer: Lens: A lens is a piece of glass or other transparent materials such as plastic of which
one or both surfaces are spherical. Each surface of a lens is a part of a sphere.
(Fig pg#138)
Question no4: Define the following:
Answer: Centre of curvature: The centre of the sphere whose part is the surface of a lens is
called centre of curvature.
Optical centre: Centre of the lens is called optical centre.
Principal Axis/ Optical Axis: A line which joins two centre of curvature and optical centre is
called principal axis.
Principal Focus: The point at which all the rays, passing through the lens, seem to meet is
Principal focus.
 Focal Length: The distance between focus point and optical centre is known as focal length.
Question no5: Is the real image formed in case of concave lens different if the object is
placed on different positions?
Answer: In case of concave lens, rays diverge out and do not meet on the other side of the lens
after refraction. Therefore, real image is not formed on the other side. In fact a virtual image is
formed on extending the rays backward. This image is always virtual, erect and smaller in size.
(fig concave)
Question no6: What happens when?
(Fig pg#141-142)
Answer:
a) Object is placed beyond 2F
When the object is placed beyond 2F the image is formed on the other side of
the lens between F and 2F. the image is real, inverted and smaller in size than
the object.

b) Object is at 2F
When the object is at 2F the image is also formed at 2F on the other side of
lens. The image is real inverted and equal in size to the object.

c) Object is between F and 2F

When the object is between F and 2Fthe image of an object is formed beyond
2F on the other side of the lens. The image is real inverted and larger in size
than the object.
d) Object is at F
When the object is at F, the image of the object is formed at infinity. It can not
be shown in the diagram because rays become parallel after refraction.
e) Object is between O and F
When the object is between O and F rays after refraction diverge out and do
not actually meet on the other side of the lens. A virtual image will be formed
at a point where the rays meet when extended backwards. These rays will
appear to come from the image. The image will be magnified and erect.

Question no7: What is short sightedness?

(Fig pg# 145)
Answer: A person with this defect can see near objects clearly but distant objects appear
blurred. This defect is corrected by using concave lens.
Question no8: What is long sightedness?
(Fig pg# 146)
Answer: A person with this defect can see distant objects clearly but near objects appear
blurred. This defect is corrected by using convex lens.

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