Ch.2: The Living World

The living world | Class 6 | Science | Chapter 2 | Maharashtra State Board

In this video, we will explore the fascinating world of living beings and their unique characteristics. We will delve into the basic features of living things such as growth, nutrition, respiration, and excretion. You will get to know how living beings respond to their environment in different ways. We will discuss the process of reproduction and the significance of the cellular structure in living organisms. Furthermore, we will explore the classification of living things into useful, harmful, and wild animals. You will learn about the importance of beneficial living beings in our ecosystem and the adverse effects of harmful ones. We will also discuss the various types of wild animals and their habitats. This video is perfect for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the living world and the unique characteristics of living beings.

Questions & Answers

1. Write the answers to the following questions in your own words.

(a) What are the differences between plants and animals?

	Plants	Animals
1.	Plants cannot move from one place to another. They are anchored to the soil.	Animals can move from one place to another.
2.	Plants prepare their own food with help of chlorophyll and sunlight.	Animals move in search of food from one place to another.
3.	Plants grow throughout their life.	Animals grow only up to a certain period of their life.
4.	Plants repsire with the help of microscopic pores present on their leaves and stems.	Animals respire with the help of special organs like lungs, gills trachea, etc.
5.	Plants excrete their waste by storing them in the leaves and bark of plants and then shedding them seasonally.	Animals excrete their waste with the help of special organs regularly.
6.	Plants are only living things which take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen during photosynthesis.	Animals take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide through out their life.
7.	Plants reproduce with the help of seeds, stems, spores, bulbs, etc.	Animals reproduce by laying eggs or giving birth to young ones.

(b) What are the similarities between plants and animals?

Ans.

1. Both plants and animals increase in height, size and weight as they grow into an adult.

2. They require food to supply energy to carry out the various life processes.

3. They have a fixed life span after which they die.

4. All plants and animals respire.

5. All the plants and animals excrete their wastes produced in their body.

6. All plants and animals have ability to reproduce.

7. All plants and animals show responsiveness to their external stimuli.

(c) How is plant kingdom useful to us?

Ans.

1. Plants are used for household as well as industrial purposes.

2. They are used as food e.g. potato, methi, bhendi, etc. and also as medicines e.g. adulsa, hirada, behada, etc.

3. Plants prepare their own food, hence, they support many animals like goats, sheep, cows, etc. which feed on them.

4. They also support birds which build their nest.

5. World of trees like oak, fir, birch etc. are used to make furniture, in building homes etc. wood pulp is used to make paper.

(d) How is the animal kingdom useful to us?

Ans.

1. Dogs, cats, cows etc. are domesticated. Dogs and cats are used as pets.

2. Cows, buffaloes, goats etc. are used for getting their milk.

3. Sheep is used for obtaining wool.

4. Horses, oxen, camels and donkeys are used to carry burden and for various other occupation.

5. Earthworm is useful in agriculture.

6. Birds like hens, turkeys and ducks provide their eggs to us for food.

7. Insects like bees provide us with honey, silkworms provides us with silk.

(e) What makes living things different from non-living things?

Ans.

	Living things	Non-living things
1.	Living things can grow on their own in size, height and weight.	Non-living things do not grow on their own in size height and weight.
2.	Living things can move from one place to another on their own.	Non-living things can move only if some moves them.
3.	Living things can reproduce.	Non-living things cannot reproduce.
4.	Living things exhibit response to various stimuli.	Non-living things do not exhibit respone to various stimuli.
5.	Living things require foof for their growth.	Non-living things do not require any food.

2. What helps them to breath?

(a) A fish -

Ans. Gills

(b) A snake -

Ans. External nostrils and Lungs

(c) A crane -

Ans. External nose and air sacs in lungs

(d) An earthworm -

Ans. Moist skin

(e) Man -

Ans. Nose and lungs

(f) A banyan tree -

Ans. Microscopic pores on leaves and stems

(g) A caterpillar -

Ans. Trachea which opens at the side in their skin

3. Fill in the blanks with the proper words from the brackets.

(oxygen, dies, excretion, carbon dioxide, responsiveness, photosynthesis, stimuli)

1. The process by which plants make their own food is called photosynthesis.

2. To inhale oxygen and to exhale carbon-dioxide is called respiration.

3. The elimination of waste substance from the body is called excertion.

4. The ability to respond to an event is called responsiveness to stimuli.

5. On completing their lifespan, every living thing dies.

4. Write the uses of these animals & plants.

Uses of Animals:

1. Honeybees :

Used for getting honey and wax.

2. Sharks :

Used for getting liver oil to get vitamins, used as food.

3. Yaks :

Used for transport, provide milk and meat.

4. Sheep :

Used for getting wool, used as food.

5. Earthworms :

They make soil fertile, thus useful in agriculture.

6. Dogs :

Used as pet to guard house and farms.

7. Bivalves :

Used to obtained pearls used in jewellery making. Also used as food.

8. Horses :

Used for transport.

9. Mice :

Mice are used in research to test medicines, vaccines.

Uses of Plants:

1. Ginger :

Used as spices in food and as a medicine.

2. Mango :

Used as a food.

3. Eucalyptus :

Used as a medicine.

4. Babul (Acacia) :

Used as a medicine.

5. Teak :

Used for making furniture.

6. Spinach :

Used as a food.

7. Aloe vera :

Used as a medicine.

8. Turmeric :

Used as a medicine and in food.

9. Holy basil :

Used as a medicine.

10. Karanja :

Used as a medicine.

11. Moh :

Used as a medicine, flowers are used for alcoholic drinks.

12. Mulberry :

Fruits are used as food. Leaves are used as food for silkworms.

13. Grapevine :

Grapes are used as food.

5. What are the peculiarities of the movements of these living things?

Living things:

1. Snakes :

Snakes do not have limbs, they move in a wavy pattern.

2. Tortoises :

Tortoises move very slowly and steadily using their limbs.

3. Kangaroos :

They use hind limbs to jump and run.

4. Eagles :

Eagle flies in air using its wings.

5. Chameleons :

Chameleon can change colour of their skin and camouflage (hide) in surroundings. They move slowly.

6. Frogs :

Frogs can swim in water and can also jump on land using their long and strong limbs.

7. Gulmohur :

Gulmohar plant cannot move on its own, however its branches, leaves can move a light breeze.

8. Sweet Potato Creeper :

Sweet potato creeper does not move on its own. However, it can respond to stimulus of support and twines around it.

9. Dolphins :

Dolphins swim in water using their fins which helps them to balance their body and change directions.

10. Ants :

Ants usually walk in a straight line in an organized manner.

11. Rattlesnakes :

Rattlesnakes vibrate their rattle present at the tip of their tails as a warning signal predators.

12. Grasshoppers :

Grasshoppers have six jointed legs and two pair of wings which help them to walk, jump or fly.

13. Earthworms :

Earthworms have small bristles which help in their movement.

6. Write in detail about how the plants and animals found in your surroundings prove useful or harmful.

Ans. Useful plants in our surrounding.

1. We get fruits from mango tree, jamun tree, coconut tree etc.

2. Trees like banyan, peepal provide shelter to many birds.

3. Many plants such as roses, shoe flower, jasmine are used as ornamental plants.

4. Leaves of Tulsi plant, aloe vera is used for medicinal purposes.

• Harmful plants in our surrounding.

1. Parthenium is a weed plant. Thus, it affects the growth of main crops in a field.

2. Plants like datura are poisonous. Consumption of its seed can cause death.

3. Uncontrolled growth of algae and fungi pollutes water and may cause disease.

4. Pods of nettle and Colocasia leaves can cause itching.

• Useful animals in our surrounding.

1. Dogs and cats are used as pets.

2. Cows, buffaloes, goats etc. are used for getting their milk.

3. Sheep is used for obtaining wool.

4. Horses, oxen, camels and donkeys are used to carry burden and for various other occupation.

5. Earthworm is useful in agriculture.

6. Birds like hens, turkeys and ducks provide their eggs to us for food.

7. Insects like bees provide us with honey, silkworms provides us with silk.

• Harmful animals in our surrounding.

1. Disease like malaria is spread by mosquitoes.

2. Flies contaminate our food and spread diseases.

3. Some snakes, spiders, lizards and scorpions are poisonous, thus their bite may cause death.

4. Mice, rate, cockroaches destroy our food.

5. Dog bite from a rabid dog can cause rabies.

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