Diversity in the Living World — Class 6 Science NCERT Solutions (Free)
Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 6 Science chapter "Diversity in the Living World" — 8 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board exam preparation.
TL;DR: Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 6 Science chapter "Diversity in the Living World" — 8 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE b…
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NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science — Diversity in the Living World. Step-by-step answers to all 8 textbook questions from this chapter, written for CBSE board preparation and free to use.
Diversity in the Living World — All 8 Questions Solved
Q1. What is the difference between living and non-living things?
Living things grow, breathe, move, reproduce, respond to stimuli, and require food.
Non-living things do not have these characteristics and do not perform life activities.
Q2. Define habitat.
Habitat is the natural environment or home where a plant or animal lives and finds food, water, shelter, and suitable conditions to survive.
Q3. What are the main types of habitats?
Main habitats are:
- Terrestrial (land habitats like forest, desert, grassland, mountain)
- Aquatic (water habitats like ocean, river, pond, lake)
Q4. How are living organisms classified?
Living organisms are classified into:
- Plants (make own food using sunlight)
- Animals (eat plants or other animals for food)
- Microorganisms (microscopic, include bacteria and fungi)
Q5. What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of different plants, animals, and other living organisms found in a particular area or on Earth.
Q6. Name three characteristics of living things.
Three characteristics are:
- Growth (increase in size and complexity)
- Reproduction (ability to produce offspring)
- Respiration (process to obtain and use energy)
Q7. What are decomposers and why are they important?
Decomposers are organisms like bacteria and fungi that break down dead plants and animals into simple substances, returning nutrients to soil for new plant growth.
Q8. How do plants and animals depend on each other?
Plants produce oxygen and food through photosynthesis which animals need to survive. Animals help disperse seeds and provide carbon dioxide that plants need for photosynthesis.
Diversity in the Living World — Practice MCQs with Answers
Attempt these 20 multiple-choice questions after working through the solutions above. Each carries the correct option and the reasoning behind it, so a wrong answer tells you which idea to revisit.
MCQ 1. Which of the following is a characteristic feature of all living things?
- A. Can fly
- B. Can grow
- C. Is made of metal
- D. Stays in one place always
Answer: B. Can grow — Growth is a fundamental characteristic of all living organisms, from plants to animals, enabling them to increase in size and develop over time.
MCQ 2. What is a habitat?
- A. A type of food
- B. The specific place or environment where an organism naturally lives
- C. A kind of sport
- D. A large building
Answer: B. The specific place or environment where an organism naturally lives — A habitat is the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism, providing all its needs for survival and reproduction.
MCQ 3. Which of these is an example of a terrestrial habitat?
- A. Ocean
- B. River
- C. Forest
- D. Pond
Answer: C. Forest — Terrestrial habitats are found on land, and a forest is a prime example of such an environment supporting a variety of life forms, unlike aquatic habitats like oceans or rivers.
MCQ 4. Fish have gills to help them breathe. This is an adaptation for living in which type of habitat?
- A. Desert
- B. Mountain
- C. Aquatic
- D. Grassland
Answer: C. Aquatic — Gills are specialized organs that allow fish to extract oxygen from water, which is a crucial adaptation for survival in aquatic environments like oceans, rivers, and ponds.
MCQ 5. Which of the following groups includes only biotic components of a habitat?
- A. Water, soil, air
- B. Plants, animals, microbes
- C. Sunlight, temperature, rocks
- D. Wind, clouds, rain
Answer: B. Plants, animals, microbes — Biotic components are all the living organisms within an ecosystem, such as plants (producers), animals (consumers), and microbes (decomposers). The other options list abiotic (non-living) factors.
MCQ 6. A rock cannot move, grow, or reproduce. This means a rock is a:
- A. Living thing
- B. Biotic component
- C. Non-living thing
- D. Organism
Answer: C. Non-living thing — Non-living things lack the fundamental characteristics of life such as movement, growth, reproduction, respiration, and response to stimuli, which are present in living things.
MCQ 7. Desert plants like cacti have thick, waxy stems and spines instead of leaves. What is the main purpose of these adaptations?
- A. To attract insects
- B. To store water and reduce water loss
- C. To grow taller
- D. To provide shelter for animals
Answer: B. To store water and reduce water loss — The waxy coating on stems and spines on cacti help minimize water evaporation from the plant's surface, while the thick stems store water, crucial for survival in arid desert conditions.
MCQ 8. Which animal is known for its thick fur and blubber, adaptations that help it survive in extremely cold polar regions?
- A. Camel
- B. Lion
- C. Polar Bear
- D. Dolphin
Answer: C. Polar Bear — Polar bears have thick layers of fur and blubber (fat) to insulate their bodies and keep them warm in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic habitat, which is a polar region.
MCQ 9. Organisms in a habitat are often dependent on each other for food and shelter. This relationship is an example of:
- A. Competition
- B. Interdependence
- C. Isolation
- D. Evolution
Answer: B. Interdependence — Interdependence refers to the mutual reliance between different organisms within an ecosystem, where they depend on each other for various needs like food, shelter, and reproduction to survive.
MCQ 10. The streamlined body shape of fish is an adaptation that helps them:
- A. Walk on land
- B. Jump out of water
- C. Move easily through water
- D. Store food for winter
Answer: C. Move easily through water — A streamlined body reduces resistance when moving through water, allowing fish to swim efficiently and with less effort, which is vital for hunting and escaping predators in their aquatic environment.
MCQ 11. A chameleon changes its skin color to match its surroundings, while a camel has a hump to store fat. Both are adaptations. What is the key difference in their primary function?
- A. Chameleon's adaptation is for movement, camel's for reproduction.
- B. Chameleon's adaptation is for camouflage, camel's for energy storage and water conservation.
- C. Chameleon's adaptation is for breathing, camel's for protection.
- D. Chameleon's adaptation is for attracting mates, camel's for regulating body temperature.
Answer: B. Chameleon's adaptation is for camouflage, camel's for energy storage and water conservation. — The chameleon's color change is primarily for camouflage, helping it hide from predators and prey. The camel's hump stores fat, which can be metabolized for energy and produces metabolic water, aiding survival in deserts.
MCQ 12. While most living things move, which of the following living organisms usually remains fixed in one place and shows very limited movement of its body parts?
- A. Bird
- B. Fish
- C. Tree
- D. Butterfly
Answer: C. Tree — Trees are living organisms that are typically rooted in the ground and do not move from place to place. While they exhibit growth and subtle movements like leaves turning towards sunlight, their overall locomotion is absent.
MCQ 13. In a desert habitat, how does the lack of rainfall (an abiotic factor) directly influence the adaptations of desert plants (biotic factor)?
- A. It causes plants to grow taller to reach clouds.
- B. It encourages plants to develop deep roots and store water to cope with scarcity.
- C. It makes plants produce more flowers to attract water-carrying insects.
- D. It forces plants to move to new locations to find water.
Answer: B. It encourages plants to develop deep roots and store water to cope with scarcity. — Low rainfall is a significant abiotic stressor in deserts. Plants adapt by developing long roots to reach groundwater and by storing water in succulent stems or leaves, along with reducing water loss through small or absent leaves.
MCQ 14. Which statement best describes what makes a seedling a living thing, unlike the soil it grows in?
- A. The seedling needs sunlight, the soil does not.
- B. The seedling respires, grows, and responds to light, while the soil does not.
- C. The seedling is green, the soil is brown.
- D. The seedling has roots, the soil does not.
Answer: B. The seedling respires, grows, and responds to light, while the soil does not. — Living things like seedlings exhibit multiple characteristics of life, including respiration (breathing), growth, and response to stimuli like light, which are absent in non-living things like soil.
MCQ 15. Ponds and lakes are examples of which type of habitat?
- A. Terrestrial habitat
- B. Aerial habitat
- C. Aquatic habitat
- D. Desert habitat
Answer: C. Aquatic habitat — Ponds and lakes are bodies of water, making them typical examples of aquatic habitats, which support a diverse range of water-dwelling organisms like fish, frogs, and water lilies.
MCQ 16. Which of these is a common characteristic of all living things?
- A. They can fly.
- B. They can make their own food.
- C. They can grow and reproduce.
- D. They live in water.
Answer: C. They can grow and reproduce. — All living things, whether plants or animals, show growth and have the ability to reproduce their own kind. Flying and making their own food are not universal characteristics.
MCQ 17. Which component of a habitat includes non-living things like soil, water, and air?
- A. Biotic components
- B. Abiotic components
- C. Producers
- D. Consumers
Answer: B. Abiotic components — Abiotic components are the non-living parts of an environment, such as soil, water, air, temperature, and light. Biotic components refer to living organisms.
MCQ 18. What is the primary habitat of a camel?
- A. Forest
- B. Desert
- C. Ocean
- D. Mountain
Answer: B. Desert — Camels are well-adapted to survive in deserts, where they can endure extreme heat and scarce water. Their physical features help them thrive in such arid conditions.
MCQ 19. Which of these animals breathes through gills?
- A. Dog
- B. Bird
- C. Fish
- D. Snake
Answer: C. Fish — Fish have gills that allow them to extract oxygen dissolved in water, which is essential for their survival in an aquatic environment.
MCQ 20. What do plants need sunlight for?
- A. To sleep
- B. To produce oxygen directly
- C. To make their food through photosynthesis
- D. To grow faster always
Answer: C. To make their food through photosynthesis — Plants use sunlight as an energy source for photosynthesis, the process by which they convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (food) and release oxygen.
How to Use These Solutions
Attempt each question yourself first and only then compare with the worked answer. Marks in the CBSE board exam are awarded for the METHOD as much as the final result, so reproduce the steps rather than memorising the last line. Where a solution states a law, a formula or a definition, learn that wording — examiners look for it.
Related practice for this chapter: chapter MCQs, previous-year questions, revision notes and sample papers.