Introduction

At present, the concept ‘health’ and ‘environment’ have been undoubtedly a great issue and focal point for human survival. Both developed and undeveloped or developing world are very much concerned about how to ensure sound health and sound environment. Let’s discuss in detail.

Subject Matter of ELL & the Significance of Studying Health & Environment

The ELL program aims at dealing with the English language and literature. Literature is the mirror of society. This mirror is related to some media such as electronic media (TV, Radio, Internet etc.) and print media (Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, articles, books etc.). In this mirror, we can see the existing social problems resulting from that sort of social change which draws the concentration of the thinkers (See the Next Slide).

Social Change

Social Problems

Drawing the Concentration of Writers

So, the concern of the writers are to think about why individuals behave/ act or what the social problems are. And literature is the reflection of their thinking. Notably, writers are very often concerned about the most significant problem of society. Accordingly, the thinkers of the present world are more concerned about two issues: one is health (subjective condition) and another is environment (objective condition). These two are the driving forces or motto of accelerating the development. If we cast our glance at the literature of the present world, we’ll find that this is dominated by the two voices: health and environment. So, this course “Health and Environment” demands a greater attention of the students of ELL program, no doubt.

Definition of Health

WHO defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (illness).”

Definition of Environment

Simply, environment means surrounding. Broadly speaking, environment is the complex of all those things and a set of conditions which directly and indirectly influence ~ i) the development and quality of life of individual organisms and ii) the communities at a particular

place.

Classification of Environment

Environment may be classified into major two types:

1. Social environment and 2. Natural environment

1.Social environment is the similar social positions and social roles as a whole that influence the individuals of a group. The social environment of an individual is the culture in which he/she was educated and socialized with significant others (family, peers, school teachers, and so on).

2. Natural environment is a term that encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. The natural environment of all organisms on the earth includes three main media atmosphere (air), lithosphere (soil) and hydrosphere (water) and a variety of other physical factors like light, temperature, pH etc.

Environmental Factors

On the basis of the above two types of environment, environmental factors may be divided into two parts: biotic (living organismic) factors and abiotic (nonliving organismic) factors as evident from the figure given below:

Fig: Factors of Environment

Environmental Factors

Biotic/ Living

organismic Abiotic/ Nonliving

Organismic

Climatic factors

(related to Air)

Edaphic factors

(related to soil)

Physiographic factors

1. Climatic Factors

i) Light (sunlight, moonlight, star light etc.). Light has an important impact on ~

atmosphere water suspended particle such as dust, smoke etc.

layers of vegetation and fauna etc.

Light, through its impact on these, influences indirectly on social behavior.

ii) Temperature has an important impact on the metabolic (liquidity- transformation of substance) rate and the survival of species in a particular region iii) Precipitation (to earth, the falling of any form of water e.g., rain or snow or hail or fog and

iv) Atmospheric humidity

Air and Layers of the Earth's atmosphere

2. Edaphic (Soil related) FactorsThe earth is divided into four main layers. The thickness of each layer and chemical composition of each layer has been the subject of research for many years. This project is another effort that helps students gain knowledge and visualize the earth layers.

Crust: Outer part of earth Upper mantle (anything that covers):

Upper part of mantle that covers core

Lower Mantle: Lower part of mantle that covers core

Outer core (Centre): Outer part of centre of the Earth

Inner core: Inner part of centre of the Earth

Important Edaphic Factors Which Affect the vegetation are as follows:

i) Soil Moistureii) Soil Reactionsiii) Soil nutrientsiv) Soil Temperaturev) Soil atmospherevi) Biotic components of the soil.

3. Physiographic Factors Physiography may be understood by the

structure, conformity and behavior of the earth’s surface. So, physiographic factors are elevation (height or altitude), slopes, silting and erosion. For example, at high altitude, the velocity of wind is high, temperature and air pressure decrease, humidity as well as intensity of light increases.

4. Biotic Factors • The biotic factors signify producers,

consumers, decomposers or reducers and transformers.

• The influence of these factors may be understood through the interaction ~

1. Between the plants, local animals and man

2. Among plants growing in a community and

3. Between plants and soil micro-organisms

Interaction between the plants, local animals and man may be understood under the following heads:

i. Eating away of grasses and shrubs or trees by animals.

ii. Pollination by animals .iii. Dispersal of fruits & seeds by animals

such as birds, monkeys and ants etc. iv. Insects and carnivorous plants which

have specialized organs and mechanisms for assimilating the preys

v. Effects of human activities on vegetation such as deforestation, fire on grasslands and forests.

vi. Myremecophily i.e., sometimes ants act as bodyguards of Mango, lichi etc. against any disturbing agent.

Interactions among plants growing in a community may have the following impacts:

i. Some plants in a community react with one another for water, essential minerals, organic compounds and light & air.

ii.From the injury by strong wind, taller plants protect the smaller ones by casting shadow, by increasing atmospheric humidity, and by determining the harmful content of soil.

iii.Liana (a sort of plant) affect other plants by casting shadow and checking the light from reaching to the lower plants.

iv.Epiphytes grow on the leaves of other plants. v.Parasitic plants are dependent on other

plants for their food requirements.

Interactions between plants & micro-organisms may have the following impacts:

i. Various kinds of bacteria, protoza, fungi, worms, nematodes and other soil microbes act as important agents which alter the physical and chemical properties of the soils, and increase or decrease their fertility. These changes have a great impact on the nature & growth of vegetation and also cause many diseases in the underground parts of plants.

ii.Symbiotic influence: Sometimes, they live in close association being interdependent, both benefiting each other and then they don’t harm each other.

iii. Mycorrhizal association: Sometimes fungi grow on the surface or inside the roots of higher plants.