RESOURCES ON THE EARTH
Our planet, Earth is the only one on which life, as we know it, exists. Life on Earth is dependent on many factors. Most life-forms we know need an ambient temperature, water, and food. The resources available on the Earth and the energy from the Sun are necessary to meet the basic requirements of all life-forms on the Earth.
These are the land, the water, and the air. The outer crust of the Earth is called the lithosphere. Water covers 75% of the Earth’s surface. It is also found underground. These comprise the hydrosphere. The air that covers the whole of the Earth like a blanket, is called the atmosphere. Living things are found where these three exist. This life-supporting zone of the Earth where the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere interact and make life possible, is known as the biosphere. Living things constitute the biotic component of the biosphere. The air, the water, and the soil form the non-living or abiotic component of the biosphere. Let us study these abiotic components in detail in order to understand their role in sustaining life on Earth.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK