Ch.3: Diversity in Living Things and their Classification

Diversity in Living Things and their Classification | Class 6 | Science | Chapter 3 | Maharashtra State Board

Welcome to this informative video on the diversity in living things and their classifications. In this video, we will take a closer look at the vast range of living organisms that inhabit our planet and how they are classified. We will begin our lesson by studying the diversity in plants and explaining their structure. We will explore the different types of plant life, including trees, shrubs, herbs, and vines. We will discuss their unique characteristics and how they differ from one another. Next, we will move on to the diversity and classification of animals. We will examine the various types of animals, such as unicellular, multicellular, vertebrates, invertebrates, oviparous, viviparous, terrestrial, aquatic, amphibious, and aerial modes of life. We will explore their unique features and discuss their place in the animal kingdom. Throughout the video, we will explain the classification systems used to categorize living things, including the Linnaean and modern classification systems. We will also discuss the importance of understanding the diversity in living things and how it can help us to better understand the world around us. By the end of this video, you will have a better understanding of the vast diversity of living organisms on our planet and how they are classified. So, join us on this journey of exploration and learn more about the fascinating world of biology!

Questions & Answer

1. Match the pairs.

'A' Group	Answer	'B' Group
Amphibian	A frog	A monkey
Vertebrate	A Monkey	A Snake
With scales	A Snake	A frog

2. Who is the odd one out?

(a) Fungus, mushroom, chrysanthemum, spirogyra.

Ans. Chrysanthemum (only flowering plants, others are not) OR Spirogyra (only aquatic plant, others are not)

(b) Mango, banyan, palm, chickpea.

Ans. Chickpea (shrub, others are not) OR Palm (tall tree without any branches, others have branches)

(c) Grape, orange, lemon, hibiscus.

Ans. Grape (only creeper, others are not) OR

Hibiscus (flower, others have fruits)

(d) Sunflower, banyan, jowar, bajra.

Ans. Banyan (perennial, others are not)

(e) Guava, radish, carrot, beetroot.

Ans. Guava (fruit, others are roots)

(f) Deer, fish, man, worms.

Ans. Worms (invertebrate, others are not) OR

Fish (aquatic animal, others are terrestrial animals)

3. What is the difference?

(a)	Flowering plant	Non-flowering plant
1.	Plants that bear flowers are called flowering plants.	Plants that do not bear flowers are called Non-flowering plants.
2.	They have roots, stems and leaves.	They may not have roots, stems or leaves.
3.	e.g. Rose, sunflower, lotus, etc.	e.g. Pine, fern, algae, etc.

​(b)	Tree	Shrub
1.	They have branches at some height above the ground.	They give out branches close to the ground.
2.	They grow very tall compared to shrubs.	They grow up to 2 to 3 meters in height.
3.	They have strong and hard stems.	They have thick hard stems.
4.	e.g. Mango tree, Banyan tree, etc.	e.g. Hibiscus, oleander, etc.

(c)	Vertebrates	Invertebrates
1.	They have vertebral column.	They do not have vertebral column.
2.	The brain is well developed.	The brain if present may not be developed.
3.	e.g. Human, dog, fishes, etc.	e.g. Earthworm, insects, etc.

4. True or false?

(a) The snail is an aquatic animal.

Ans. False.

(b) Amphibians can live in air and in water.

Ans. False.

(c) The function of the brain is well developed in vertebrate.

Ans. True

(d) The amoeba is a multicellular animal.

Ans. False.

5. Write two names of each.

(a) A flowering plant

Ans. Rose, hibiscus.

(b) A non-flowering plant

Ans. Fern, algae.

(c) A tree

Ans. Mango, banyan.

(d) A shrub

Ans. Oleander, hibiscus.

(e) A creeper

Ans. Pumpkin, watermelon.

(f) An annual plant

Ans. Jowar, sunflower.

(g) A biennial plant

Ans. Carrot, beetroot.

(h) A perennial plant

Ans. Mango, gulmohar.

6. Write answers to the following.

(a) What are the parts of the plants?

Ans. The parts of a plant are: Root, stem, leaves, flowers, fruit and seed.

(b) What are the functions of root?

Ans. The functions of root are:

• The root hold the soil firmly and anchor the plant.

• They absorb water, salt and minerals from the soil and transport it to stem.

• Some roots store food. e.g. Carrot, radish.

(c) Why is it necessary to classify living things?

Ans. There is a great diversity in living things- both plants and animals on the earth. In order to identify them and to study their characteristics, systematic classification is necessary.

(d) What are the criteria used to classify living things?

Ans. Following are the criteria used to classify living things:

a) Plants:

Mode of nutrition.

Similarities and differences in structure.

Presence of flowers or not.

Period of life cycles.

Habitat.

b) Animals:

Cell structure.

Presence of vertebral column.

Method of reproduction.

Habitat.

(e) Tell some characteristics of creepers.

Ans. The characteristics of creepers are:

• The stem of a creeper is very flexible, soft and green and need support to climb.

• Some climbers spread on the ground, e.g. Pumpkin.

• Some have aerial roots, e.g. Money plant.

• Some climbers develop tendrils, e.g. Cucumber.

(f) Explain the characteristics of herbs with examples.

Ans. Herbs grow 1 to 1.5 meter tall.

Their stem is green and quite flexible.

They may live for a few months or up to two years, e.g. Tulsi, oregano, etc.

(g) On the basis of which criteria will you classify plants and animals?

Ans. Plants are classified on the basis of -

• Height

• Shape of stems

• Period of the life cycle

• Habitat

Animals are classified on the basis of -

• Cell structure

• Vertebral column

• Method of reproduction

• Habitat

(h) What protects the body of animals?

Ans. Body of animals are protected by special covering such as skins, feathers, scales, hair fur, etc.

6. Draw figures.

Draw the figure of a plant to show the parts, namely, the root, stem and leaves in it.

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E X T R A

1. Define the following.

(a) Unicellular animal

Ans. Animals which have a single cell body performing all functions, are called unicellular animals, e.g. Amoeba.

(b) Multicellular animals

Ans. Animals which have many cells in their body, are called multicellular animals, e.g. Cat.

(c) Vertebrates

Ans. Animals with vertebral column are called vertebrates, e.g. Man.

(d) Invertebrate animals

Ans. Animals without vertebrate column are called invertebrate animals, e.g. Earthworm.

(e) Oviparous animals

Ans. Animals which lay eggs and hatch them are called oviparous animals, e.g. Hen.

(f) Viviparous animals

Ans. Animals which give birth to their young ones are called viviparous animals, e.g. Dog.

2. Answer the following.

(a) Give the functions of – Stem, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, Seeds.

Ans. a) Stem:

1. The stem gives support to the other parts of the plant.

2. The stem carries out the function of production, conduction and storage of the food.

3. In some cases it stores food.

b) Leaves: They play an important role in the production of food.

c) Flowers: The flowers are reproductive organ of plant.

d) Fruits: Fruits have seeds which give rise to new plant.

e) Seeds: From the seeds arise new plants.

3. Fill in the blanks.

1. Plants that can prepare their own food are called autotrophic plants.

2. Pitcher plants are insectivorous.

3. Animals that lay eggs are oviparous animals.

4. Animals that can live on land as well as water are called amphibians.

4. Answer the following in short.

(a) What type of plant is a fig?

Ans. Fig is a tree.

(b) Do ferns, algae and money plant bear flowers?

Ans. Ferns, algae and money plants do not bear flowers. They are non-flowering plants.

(c) Which is the largest flower and where is it found?

Ans. Rafflesia Arnoldi is the world’s largest flower. It is found in Indonesia.

(d) Where does pomegranate grow?

Ans. Pomegranate is a shrub which grows on land in soil.

(e) Where do bulrushes and railroad creepers grow?

Ans. Bulrushes is a water plant and railroad creepers grow along the ground.

(f) Where does the dodder plant grow?

Ans. Dodder is a parasitic plant and grows on other plants.

(g) Why is the stem of a cactus plant fleshy?

Ans. Cactus is a desert plant. As there is a shortage of water, cactus stores water in its stem and hence, stem of cactus is fleshy.

(h) Which spheres of the earth do living things exist?

Ans. Living things exists in all three spheres of earth, i.e. Atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.

(i) Why does water hyacinth float?

Ans. The stem of water hyacinth is filled with air and its leaves are specially modified, which helps it to float in water.

(j) What are the similarities between the hibiscus, oleander and lantana plants?

Ans. Hibiscus, oleander and lantana plants are shorter and smaller than trees.

(k) What are the similarities between fenugreek and periwinkle plants?

Ans. Fenugreek and periwinkle plants are smaller and shorter than trees and shrubs.

(l) What are the similarities between a mango, a banyan and a tamarind tree?

Ans. A mango, a banyan and a tamarind tree are tall, big and perennial plants.

(m) How do vines like the pumpkin, the railroad creeper, watermelon or the grapevine grow?

Ans. Vines have very soft, green and flexible stem. They grow with the help of a support.

(n) For how many years do crops like bajra, wheat, corn, radish, marigold live?

Ans. Crops like bajra, wheat, corn, radish, marigold live for about one year.

(o) What is the chain of bones in the centre of our back called?

Ans. A vertebral column.

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