Diversity in the Living World Class 6 important questions with answers PDF download
FAQs on CBSE Important Questions for Class 6 Science Diversity in the Living World - 2025-26
1. What are the key differences between terrestrial and aquatic habitats that are frequently asked in exams?
The key differences between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, important for your exams, are:
- Medium: Terrestrial habitats are land-based (e.g., forests, deserts), while aquatic habitats are water-based (e.g., oceans, ponds).
- Oxygen Availability: Oxygen is more freely available in the air for terrestrial organisms, whereas aquatic organisms extract dissolved oxygen from water.
- Support and Movement: Water provides buoyancy for aquatic life, affecting their structure. Terrestrial animals need strong limbs and skeletons to support their weight against gravity.
- Temperature Variation: Terrestrial environments often experience more extreme and rapid temperature changes compared to water bodies, which have a more stable temperature.
2. List five key characteristics of living organisms. How many marks would a question on this topic typically carry?
A question on the characteristics of living organisms can typically carry 3 to 5 marks. For a 5-mark question, you should list and briefly explain the following five characteristics:
- Growth: All living beings grow from a smaller to a larger size over time.
- Respiration: They take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide to get energy from food.
- Response to Stimuli: Living organisms react to changes in their environment, such as a plant growing towards sunlight.
- Excretion: They get rid of waste products from their body.
- Reproduction: They produce young ones of their own kind.
3. Why do plants in desert regions often have spines instead of leaves? Explain this adaptation's importance for survival.
Desert plants, like cacti, have spines instead of leaves as a crucial adaptation for survival. The primary reason is to conserve water. Broad leaves lose a lot of water through a process called transpiration. Spines have a very small surface area, which significantly reduces water loss. This adaptation is vital in the hot, dry conditions of a desert where water is scarce. Additionally, the sharp spines protect the plant from being eaten by animals.
4. What are some expected 3-mark questions from the topic of adaptations in aquatic animals for the 2025-26 exams?
For 3 marks, you can expect questions focusing on specific adaptations of aquatic animals. Important examples include:
- Streamlined Body: Explain how the streamlined (boat-shaped) body of a fish helps it in water. (Answer: It reduces water resistance and allows for easy movement).
- Gills for Respiration: Describe the function of gills in aquatic animals. (Answer: Gills are special organs that help fish absorb oxygen dissolved in the water).
- Fins and Tails: What is the role of fins and a tail for a fish? (Answer: Fins help in maintaining balance, while the tail helps in changing direction).
5. What is a common mistake students make when differentiating between biotic and abiotic components?
A very common mistake is confusing non-living things that were once part of a living organism with abiotic components. For example, students might incorrectly label wood or fallen leaves as abiotic. While they are not alive, they are of biological origin. The correct understanding is:
- Biotic components are all the living or once-living parts of an ecosystem, like plants, animals, and microorganisms.
- Abiotic components are the non-living chemical and physical factors, such as sunlight, water, soil, and air, which were never alive.
6. Define 'adaptation' and provide two examples of animal adaptations, one for mountain regions and one for deserts, as per the CBSE syllabus.
Adaptation refers to the special features or habits that help a plant or an animal to survive in its particular habitat. These are important to learn for short-answer questions. As per the CBSE syllabus:
- Mountain Adaptation: Mountain goats have strong hooves for running up rocky slopes and a thick fur coat to protect them from the cold.
- Desert Adaptation: Camels have long eyelashes to protect their eyes from sand, can store fat in their hump for energy, and can drink large amounts of water at once.
7. How can different species of birds show diverse adaptations even if they all share the common ability to fly?
This is a higher-order thinking question. While most birds can fly, they show remarkable adaptations based on their specific habitat and food source. For example:
- An eagle has sharp talons and a hooked beak to catch and tear prey.
- A duck has webbed feet for swimming in water and a broad, flat beak for filtering food from mud.
- A hummingbird has a long, thin beak to get nectar from deep inside flowers and can hover in place.
This shows that even within one group of animals, adaptation leads to great diversity based on the specific challenges of their environment.
8. Explain the importance of biodiversity for a healthy ecosystem. Why is this a recurring theme in Class 6 Science questions?
Biodiversity, or the variety of life in a habitat, is crucial for a healthy ecosystem. This is a recurring theme because it highlights the interdependence of living things. A habitat with high biodiversity is more stable and resilient. For example, if a predator has multiple sources of food, the disappearance of one prey species won't cause the predator's population to collapse. Similarly, a variety of plants ensures better soil health and provides food and shelter for many different animals.
9. If a pond ecosystem starts to dry up, how would this impact its biotic and abiotic components?
This is an application-based question that tests your understanding of ecosystem interdependence. If a pond dries up:
- The primary abiotic component affected is water, which disappears. This also changes the soil at the bottom, the humidity, and temperature.
- The biotic components are severely impacted. Fish and other aquatic animals that rely on water for breathing and living would die. Plants rooted in the pond would wither. Animals like frogs that need water for reproduction would be unable to breed. This shows how a change in a key abiotic factor can lead to the collapse of the entire biotic community in that habitat.
