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

1. What is a habitat?

Answer: Habitat is surrounding where plants and animals live. Habitat in general is dwelling place of living organisms providing air, food, shelter and other needs. The habitat of organisms living on land are terrestrial habitat. The habitat of organisms living in water are called aquatic habitat.

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

Answer: Roots of cactus plants are long and goes deep inside the soil for water absorption. Also, leaves of cactus are present in the form of spines and stem of cactus is covered with waxy layer, that reduces loss of water due to transpiration.

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 ________.

Answer: adaptation

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

Answer: terrestrial

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

Answer: aquatic

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

Answer: abiotic

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

Answer: stimuli

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

Answer: Non-living things – Plough, Sewing machine, Radio, Boat.

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

Answer: Motorcycle is non living thing which shows two characteristics of living things that are –

1. It moves from one place to another.
2. It need energy just like living things.

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.

7. List the common characteristics of the living things.

Answer: Common characteristics of living things –

1. Needs food
2. Respiration
3. Excretion
4. Respond to environment
5. Reproduce
6. Show growth and movement

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: In grassland, there are very few places for animals to hide from carnivores animals like tiger, lions, etc. who eat other animals. So, to survive from such animals in grassland speed is important.

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Download free NCERT textbook class 6 Science – Chapter 9 The Living Organisms – Characteristics and Habitats