DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, JALANDHAR
ASSIGNMENT
SUBJECT- BIOLOGY
CLASS -VIII (2025-26)
CHAPTER- REACHING THE AGE OF ADOLESCENCE
General Instructions:
Solve the assignment in the class fair notebook after solving back exercise Q&A of NCERT.
Answer the following questions:
Directions: Tick the correct option.
1. The voice box is also known as:
a) Pharynx
b) Larynx
c) Trachea
d) Adam’s apple
2. Which hormone is responsible for metabolism and requires iodine?
a) Adrenalin
b) Thyroxine
c) Estrogen
d) Testosterone
Directions: Mark the correct choice as: (a)Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is the
correct explanation of assertion. (b) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is not the
correct explanation of assertion (A). (c) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false. (d) Assertion (A) is
false but reason (R) is true.
3. Assertion: Adolescents need balanced food.
Reason: It helps maintain blood pressure.
4. Assertion: All human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Reason: Two of these are sex chromosomes that determine gender.
5. What causes the voice to crack in boys?
6. Why are endocrine glands called ductless glands? Give two examples of endocrine glands.
7. What is menstruation? When does it usually start?
8. Explain the mechanism by which the sex of an unborn child is determined at fertilisation.
9. Discuss the consequences of iodine deficiency in adolescents and its relation to hormonal health.
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10. Look at the diagram below and answer the following questions.
a) Label part B.
b) What is the name of the hormone released by B?
c) What disease is caused by the deficiency of the above hormone and how can it be prevented?
11. Rani, a 14-year-old student, was always active and performed well in sports. However, over the past
few months, she started feeling tired quickly, lost interest in games, and her concentration in class
dropped. Her teacher noticed that she looked pale and asked her to meet the school nurse. After a
quick dietary discussion, the nurse found that Rani often skipped breakfast, had irregular meals, and
preferred packaged snacks and aerated drinks over home-cooked food. She hardly consumed green
vegetables or fruits and rarely drank milk. The nurse told Rani to follow a diet plan which included
three well balanced meals and two snacks a day.
Based on this, answer the following questions.
a) Why is a balanced diet especially important during adolescence?
b) Name any three iron-rich foods that Rani should include in her diet.
c) Why should packaged snacks and soft drinks not replace regular meals?
12. During a family gathering, Ananya overheard her mother and aunt talking about their cousin who
was expecting a baby. The aunt casually remarked, “Let us hope it is a boy this time. Maybe it
depends on what the mother eats.” Ananya, curious and now informed from her science lessons,
asked her mother if that was really true. Her mother hesitated and said it was a common belief.
Ananya decided to clarify things with her science teacher the next day. The teacher clarified that it
was incorrect and that the sex of the baby actually depended upon the fertilisation process. The
teacher also explained the entire process to her. Based on the explanation, answer the following
questions.
a) Who determines the sex of the unborn child—mother or father? Why?
b) What combination of sex chromosomes results in a female child?
c) Why is it scientifically incorrect to blame mothers for the sex of a baby?
d) What message does this concept give to society?
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