Natural World refers to the 'Natural Environment' that surrounds us in various forms like the earth, sun, moon, stars, forests, rivers, animals etc. It can be described as the Earth's environment which includes everything which is not man made and / or which has not been substantially altered by Humans. It can also be described as Everything that occurs in its' Natural Form like the rocks, mountains, vegetation etc. which have originated on their own and have survived for centuries. Sometimes Natural World is also referred to as Nature which is one and the same thing. Natural World is composed of various Natural Elements which can be in the form of an Organism, a Geographical Area, Space etc. Many times, the extent of natural world is limited when a common misconception is harboured amongst the general public. This misconception is that 'Natural world is all forests, woods and shrubs'. Natural world is more than just what has been told in the previous sentence. In real terms natural world is so vast that we human beings have yet to fully understand it. But whatever has been understood has been presented here in brief.
Components of Natural World
Within the Components or Elements of Nature occur various Geological and Biological Processes. These Geological and Biological Processes are important for the funtioning of a Natural World as a unit.
Natural Word also encompasses various Geological and Biological Processes.
Biological Process - It is a Process occurring in Living Organisms. Biological Processes are made up of any number of chemical reactions or other events that results in a Transformation.
Some of the Biological Processes:
- Fermentation
- Fertilisation
- Germination
- Metamorphosis
- Nitrogen Cycle
- Photosynthesis
- Regeneration
- Tropism
- Transpiration
Geological Process - Geological Process which are caused by Nature's Internal and external Forces. It is a Natural Process whereby Geological Features are modified, like shaping the physical make up of a Planet.
Some of the Geological Processes:
- Clouds
- Earthquakes
- Hailstorm
- Volcanoes
- Rainfall
- Tsunami
- Tornado
- Wind
Both the Geological and Biological Processes have shaped up the Earth in their own independent manner. They have changed the Environment which was different from what it is today. This is evident from the presence of Pre-Historic Rocks and Fossils of Animals and Plants. They give ample Proof that the Earth that we see today was unlike the Earth which has witnessed various Ages of varied Natural Environments categorised as Jurrasic Age, Cretaceous Age etc. The study of these Processese has led to significat Findings. Scientists can discover considerable information about the history of Geological Processes long before the time of humans. The Natrural Processes are still shaping and changing the environment.
History of the Natural World
Life is only known to exist on the planet Earth. The origin of life is still a poorly understood process, but it is thought to have occurred about 3.9 to 3.5 billion years ago during the Hadean or Archean Eons on a Primordial Earth that had a substantially different environment than is found at present. These life forms possessed the basic traits of self-replication and inheritable traits. Once life had appeared, the process of evolution by natural selection resulted in the development of ever-more diverse life forms. Current fossil and DNA evidence shows that all Existing Species can trace a continual ancestry back to the first Primitive Life Forms. The advent of Photosynthesis in very basic forms of plant life worldwide allowed the sun's energy to be harvested to create conditions allowing for more complex life. The resultant oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere and gave rise to the Ozone Layer. The incorporation of smaller cells within larger ones resulted in the development of yet more complex cells called Eukaryotes. Cells within colonies became increasingly specialized, resulting in true multicellular organisms. With the Ozone Layer absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation, life colonized the surface of Earth.
