Chapter 9 The Living Organisms – Characteristics and Habitats

NCERT Solutions for Chapter 9 The Living Organisms – Characteristics and Habitats for Class 6

Question 1. What is a habitat?

Answer  The surroundings where organisms live is called a habitat. The organisms depend for their food, water, air, shelter and other needs on their habitat.

Question 2. How are cactus adapted to survive in a desert?

Answer 

1) Cactus lose very little water through transpiration.

2) The leaves in cactus plants are present in the shape of spines.

3) Its stem is converted into a leaf-like structure. Photosynthesis in these plants is usually carried out by the stems.

4) The stem is also covered with a thick waxy layer, which helps to retain water

5) Cactus plants have roots that go very deep into the soil for absorbing water.

Question 3. 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________

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 habitat.

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

(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.

Question 4. Which of the things in the following list are non-living?
Plough, Mushroom, Sewing machine, Radio, Boat, Water hyacinth, Earthworm

Answer  Plough, Sewing machine, Radio, Boat.

Question 5. Give an example of a non-living thing, which shows any two characteristics of
living things.

Answer  Bus and Machine both shows movement and consume energy.

Question 6. 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, Rubber.

Question 7. List the common characteristics of the living things.

Answer The common characteristics of the living things are they respire, show movement, response to stimuli, reproduce, grow, excrete, need nutrition etc.

Question 8. 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  As we look into grasslands habitats, there are fewer trees or few places for animals to ride and move from one place to another. When their enemy (for example: if carnivores attack herbivores) attacks they should run fast to reach the safer place to live their life. They lose their life if they are really slow. They can only survive and escape if they can run faster. Thus, the speed is the important factor for animals to survive in grasslands habitat as the speed makes them live their life.