The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings | Science 6th | Chapter 9 | Questions and Answers

JANDKNCERT | Science 6^th |

The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings | Science 6th | Chapter 9 | Questions and Answers

 

Chapter 9: The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings

 

Introduction

In the previous chapter, you learnt about, Body Movements, in which you learnt about the bones and their functions in our body. You also learnt about the joints and their functions. Movement of insects – Invertebrates and Vertebrates, bones of the skull, vertebral column, and different parts of our body.

This chapter is about, The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings. The following points will help you to understand this chapter easily.

o   The surroundings where plants and animals live is called their habitat.

o   Several kinds of plants and animals may share the same habitat.

o   The presence of specific features and habits, which enable a plant or an animal to live in a particular habitat, is called adaptation.

o   There are many types of habitats; however, these may be broadly grouped as terrestrial (on the land) and aquatic (in water).

o   There is a wide variety of organisms present in different habitats.

o   Plants, animals and microorganisms together constitute biotic components.

o   Rocks, soil, air, water, light and temperature are some of the abiotic components of our surroundings.

o   Living things have certain common characteristics — they need food, they respire and, excrete, respond to their environment, reproduce, grow and show movement. The surroundings where plants and animals live is called their habitat.

 

Let us try to answer some questions taken from the NCERT Book of Science Class 6th. This Exercise is taken from the same book.

 

Exercises

Q1. What is a habitat?

 

Answer.

The surroundings, such as air, water, trees etc. where organisms live is called habitat. Habitat means a dwelling place or a home of an organism.

 

Q2. Why is the adaptation necessary?

 

Answer.

Adaptation is necessary because it enables an organism, plant or animal, to live in the variable conditions or factors in its surroundings.

 

Q3. How is cactus adapted to survive in a desert?

 

Answer.

The roots of a cactus plant go deep into the soil for absorbing water. Leaves are absent in the cactus plant so the water loss is very low. The leaf-like stem of the cactus plant carries out photosynthesis. This stem is covered with a thick waxy layer which helps it to retain water. These features of adaptation help a cactus plant to survive in a desert.

 

Q4. Why is the body of water plants covered with mucilage?

 

Answer.

The cover of mucilage in water plants prevents water absorption and hence protects it from decaying. It also helps the plant to float on water easily.

 

Q5. Fill up the blanks

(a) The presence of specific features, which enable a plant or an animal to live in a particular habitat, is called ________.

(b) The habitats of the plants and animals that live on land are called ______ habitat.

(c) The habitats of plants and animals that live in water are called _________ habitat.

(d) Soil, water and air are the ________ factors of a habitat.

(e) Changes in our surroundings that make us respond to them are called ________.

(f) Water lily plant shows __________adaptation.

 

Answer.

(a) The presence of specific features, which enable a plant or an animal to live in a particular habitat, is called adaptation.

(b) The habitats of the plants and animals that live on land are called terrestrial habitats.

(c) The habitats of plants and animals that live in water are called aquatic habitats.

(d) Soil, water and air are the abiotic factors of a habitat.

(e) Changes in our surroundings that make us respond to them are called stimuli.

(f) Water lily plant shows aquatic adaptation.

 

Q6. Which of the things in the following list is non-living?

Plough, Mushroom, Sewing machine, Radio, Boat, Water hyacinth, Earthworm

 

Answer.

Non-living things: Plough, Sewing machine, Radio, Boat

Living Things: Mushroom, Water hyacinth, Earthworm

 

Q7. Give an example of a non-living thing, which shows any two characteristics of living things.

 

Answer.

Cloud is a non-living thing that shows the two characteristics of a living thing because it shows growth and movement.

 

Q8. Which of the non-living things listed below, were once part of a living thing?

Butter, Leather, Soil, Wool, Electric bulb, Cooking oil, Salt, Apple, Rubber

 

Answer.

Butter, leather, wool, cooking oil, apple and rubber are the non-living things that were once part of living things.

 

Q9. List the common characteristics of the living things.

 

Answer.

Common characteristics of living things:

a. Living things grow.

b. They need food, water and air to live.

c. They reproduce their kind.

d. They show movement.

e. They respire.

f. They excrete.

g. They die.

 

Q10. Explain why speed is important for survival in the grasslands for animals that live there. (Hint: There are few trees or places for animals to hide in grasslands habitats.)

 

Answer.

There are few trees or places for animals to hide in grassland habitats, therefore to protect themselves to be the prey they need speed to run faster than their predators

 

Q11. How do plants differ from animals? Give important differences?

 

Answer.

 

Plants	Animals
i. Plants cannot move from one place to another place.	i. Animals can move from one place to another place.
ii. Plants are autotrophs.	ii. Animals are heterotrophs.
iii. Plants produce oxygen during photosynthesis.	iii. Animals breathe out carbon dioxide during respiration.