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Std 6 General Science · Chapter 1

1. Characteristics of Living Organisms

Complete solutions to the Exercises. Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six General Science.

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About the chapter

This chapter tells us how living things are different from non-living things. All living organisms show some common characteristics. They need food, they breathe, they grow and they reproduce. We also learn the life cycle of a frog.

Key points

  • The body of every living organism is made up of cells.
  • Living organisms need food for growth and energy.
  • They breathe, remove wastes and respond to stimuli.
  • They grow, develop and reproduce.
  • Animals move from place to place on their own. Plants show movement only in some parts.

Words to remember

  • cell – the smallest unit of a living body
  • stimulus – a change around a living thing that makes it react
  • excretion – removal of waste substances from the body
  • reproduction – producing young ones like oneself
  • development – changes in the body and skills that come with growth

Exercises

1Suggest the appropriate word for the blanks.

(a) Every living organism produces another living organism like itself is called as reproduction.

(b) Growth and reproduction are the main characteristics of living organisms.

(c) The growth and development of living organisms due to food is called the nutrition of living organisms.

(d) The body of living organism is made up of cells.

2Birds, fish and animals can move and change their position on their own. Shed leaves, as well as vehicles like tractors and bullock carts can also change their position. What are the important differences between these two types of movements?

Birds, fish and animals:

  1. They move on their own.
  2. They get energy for movement from food.
  3. They move to get food, shelter and safety.
  4. Their movement is a life process.

Shed leaves, tractors and bullock carts:

  1. They move only due to an outside force.
  2. Leaves are moved by wind. A tractor runs on fuel. A bullock cart is pulled by bullocks.
  3. They do not move for any need of their own.
  4. Their movement is not a life process.
3Germs of many diseases are extremely microscopic. They are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Do such living organisms reproduce? What do you think? Explain how you decided this.

Yes, germs reproduce.

  1. Germs are living organisms, so they reproduce.
  2. Only a few germs enter the body, but the person soon becomes very ill.
  3. This means the germs have multiplied inside the body.
  4. One sick person can spread the disease to many people.
4Explain that animals like rats, cats and dogs show awareness of their surroundings through their behaviour. Write down your experiences about it and observations of how they behave in different situations.

Animals sense changes around them and change their behaviour.

  1. A dog barks when a stranger comes to the gate.
  2. A dog wags its tail when its owner comes home.
  3. A cat runs and hides when there is a loud noise.
  4. A cat jumps on a mouse when it sees one.
  5. A rat runs into its hole when the light is switched on.

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5Make a list of different types of animal movements along with the animals that move in those ways.
  1. Walking – cow, dog, elephant, hen
  2. Running – horse, deer, cheetah
  3. Crawling – snake, earthworm, snail
  4. Flying – crow, parrot, butterfly, bat
  5. Swimming – fish, duck, frog
  6. Jumping – frog, kangaroo, grasshopper
  7. Climbing – monkey, squirrel, lizard
6Plants respond to stimuli. Write down as many observations and experiences as you can which demonstrate this.
  1. The leaves of touch-me-not (lajalu) close when touched.
  2. A plant kept near a window bends towards light.
  3. Roots grow towards water.
  4. Roots grow downwards and the stem grows upwards.
  5. Tamarind leaves fold at night and open in the morning.
  6. Lotus flowers open in sunlight and close at night.
  7. Tendrils of creepers coil around a support.
7Turtles stay in water for a long time. Why do they come to the surface repeatedly and poke their heads out of the water? Fish, however, do not try this. Why?

Turtle: A turtle breathes with lungs. Lungs take oxygen only from air. So the turtle comes to the surface to breathe.

Fish: A fish breathes with gills. Gills take the oxygen dissolved in water. So the fish does not need to come up.

8The life cycle of a frog is given below in a jumbled order. Give the correct number in the boxes to put them in the proper sequence.
1Eggslaid in water2Tadpoletail, breathes by gills3Tadpole withtwo hind legs4Frogletfour legs, tail left5Adult froglungs, no tailThe adult frog lays eggs again and the cycle repeats

Life cycle of a frog in the correct order.

Numbers in the boxes (pictures from left to right):

  1. Tadpoles with tails – 2
  2. Adult frog – 5
  3. Cluster of eggs – 1
  4. Tadpole with two hind legs – 3
  5. Froglet with four legs and a tail – 4
9Classify the following into living and non-living groups based on their characteristics. (Stone, butterfly, bicycle, book, fish, air, tree, kite, bus)

Living: Butterfly, fish, tree

Non-living: Stone, bicycle, book, air, kite, bus

Living things grow, breathe and reproduce. Non-living things do not.

10Write answers to the following questions.

(A) What are the effects on the animals when there is a drought and there is no food or water available for them?

  1. Animals become weak due to hunger and thirst.
  2. Their growth stops.
  3. They fall ill easily.
  4. Cattle give less milk.
  5. Animals move far away in search of water and fodder.
  6. Many animals die.

(B) A tiger cub grows; does it also develop? Explain this statement.

Yes, the tiger cub grows and also develops.

  1. Growth: Its size, height and weight increase.
  2. Development: It learns to walk, run, hunt and roar.
  3. Growth stops at a certain age. Development continues after that.
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