AP 6th Class Science Textbook Solutions – 2. Diversity in the Living World (2026-27)

2 Diversity in the Living World

Page 18

Activity 2.1: Let us explore and record

• Why is it necessary to observe the weather during a nature walk?
  Weather influences the behaviour and activity of living organisms. For example, insects like butterflies and honeybees are active on bright, sunny days, whereas earthworms and snails come out of the soil after rainfall. Observing the weather helps us understand how environmental conditions affect living organisms.

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Table 2.1: Observations of different plants around us

S. no.	Local name of plant	Stem	Leaves (shape/arrangement of leaves)	Flowers	Any other observations and features
1.	Common grass	Soft and thin	A single leaf grows alternatively from different points on the stem	Small, green/whitish	Green leaves
2.	Tulsi	Hard and thin	Arrangement of a pair of leaves in the opposite directions	Pinkish purple	Strong pleasant aroma, medicinal value
3.	Hibiscus	Hard	Broad with toothed margins, alternate arrangement	Large, red/brightly coloured with prominent stamen	Shrub with woody branches
4.	Neem	Hard and thick	Arranged in pairs along a stalk (pinnate), serrated edges	Small, white, sweet-scented	Leaves with smooth surface
5.	Rose	Hard, thin and woody	Oval-shaped with serrated edges	Red/pink, fragrant petals	Stem has sharp thorns (prickles)

• What similarities and differences did you find among the plants that you observed?
  Similarities: All plants have basic organs like roots, stems, and green leaves that make food through sunlight.
  
  Differences: They differ in height (short herbs, medium shrubs, tall trees), stem nature (soft green vs. hard woody), leaf shape and venation, and flower colour, size, and fragrance.

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Table 2.2: Observations of different animals around us

Name of the animal (local name)	Place where they live	Food they eat	The way they move around	Any other observations and features
Crow	Tree	Insects	Fly and walk	Carrying a twig in its beak
Ant	Nest in soil and burrow	Leaves, seeds and insects	Crawl/Walk in lines	Have six legs
Cow	Shed / Land	Grasses, leaves	Walks and runs using four legs	Chews cud, gives milk
Fish	Pond / Water	Small aquatic plants and insects	Swims using fins	Has scales and breathes through gills

• What are the similarities and differences among the animals that you have observed and recorded in Table 2.2?
  Similarities: All animals need food, water, and shelter to survive and show movement.
  
  Differences: They live in different habitats (trees, soil, land, water), eat different foods (plants, grains, insects), and move using different body parts (wings to fly, legs to walk, fins to swim).

Activity 2.2: Let us appreciate

• What are your observations about the various plants and animals that have been drawn?
  The drawings show a huge variety of living organisms with diverse sizes, shapes, colours, body structures, and living places.
• How many different plants and animals did the entire class draw on the blackboard?
  The entire class drew over 20 to 30 different kinds of plants (like neem, banyan, rose, tulsi, mango) and animals (like dog, cat, butterfly, parrot, fish, cow).
• Do you think that there may be many more varieties of plants and animals other than those drawn on the board?
  Yes, there are millions of varieties of plants and animals existing in nature in different habitats like forests, oceans, deserts, and polar regions beyond what was drawn on the board.

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• Can you imagine that there is another living world beyond our naked eyes?
  Yes, there is a rich microscopic living world consisting of tiny organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, and microscopic algae that cannot be seen with the naked eye but can be viewed using a microscope.
• Can you think of more such examples of interdependency among members of biodiversity?
  1. Earthworms burrow through the soil, making it loose and fertile for plant roots.
  2. Birds and bats eat fruits and disperse seeds over wide areas, helping plants reproduce.
  3. Animals breathe out carbon dioxide which plants use for photosynthesis, and plants produce oxygen which animals breathe in.
• Why do butterflies and honeybees roam around the flowers?
  Butterflies and honeybees visit flowers to suck sweet nectar for food. While doing so, pollen grains stick to their bodies and get transferred to other flowers, aiding in pollination.
• How would you arrange your books and notebooks in groups? Would arranging them in groups help you better organise your school bag?
  I would arrange books and notebooks by subject (e.g., Science, Maths, English) or by size/type (textbooks together, notebooks together). Yes, grouping helps find things quickly and keeps the school bag well-organised.

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Activity 2.3: Let us group

• What do you think are the reasons behind the different bases used by different groups for grouping?
  Different students look at different characteristics as their reference point. Some focus on physical size/height, others on the presence of flowers, stem hardness, eating habits, habitat, or mode of movement.
• What is the importance of grouping?
  Grouping makes the study of a vast variety of plants and animals systematic, simple, and easy to understand based on their similarities and differences.

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Activity 2.4: Let us group

Table 2.3: Grouping of plants based on height and nature of stem

S. no.	Name of the plant	Height (Short/Medium/Tall)	Nature of stem		Appearance of branches		Name of plant group
			Green/Brown Tender/Hard	Thick/Thin	Close to the ground	Higher up on the stem
1.	Mango	Tall	Brown Hard	Thick	-	Yes	Tree
2.	Rose	Medium	Brown Hard	Thin	Yes	-	Shrub
3.	Tomato	Short	Tender Green	Thin	Yes	-	Herb
4.	Neem	Tall	Brown Hard	Thick	-	Yes	Tree
5.	Tulsi	Short	Green/Brown Tender	Thin	Yes	-	Herb
6.	Hibiscus	Medium	Brown Hard	Thin	Yes	-	Shrub

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• What differences do you observe among herbs, shrubs, and trees? How can you group plants as herbs, shrubs, and trees based on the data entered in Table 2.3?
  1. Herbs: Short in height with green, soft, and tender stems (e.g., Tomato, Tulsi).
  2. Shrubs: Medium height with thin, hard, woody stems branching out close to the ground (e.g., Rose, Hibiscus).
  3. Trees: Tall with a thick, hard, brown woody stem (trunk) with branches arising high up on the stem (e.g., Mango, Neem).
• What can be other features on the basis of which you can group plants?
  Plants can also be grouped based on:
  - Presence or absence of flowers (Flowering / Non-flowering)
  - Leaf venation (Reticulate / Parallel)
  - Type of root system (Taproot / Fibrous root)
  - Number of cotyledons in seeds (Monocot / Dicot)
  - Habitat (Terrestrial / Aquatic)

Activity 2.5: Let us compare

• Do you notice any variation in the shape and structure of these leaves?
  Yes, leaves vary widely in their shape (oval, heart-shaped, linear, broad), edge/margin (smooth, serrated), and arrangement of veins.
• What differences do you see in the veins of leaves shown in Fig. 2.4(a) and Fig. 2.4(d)?
  In Fig. 2.4(a) (Peepal leaf), the veins form a net-like webbed structure called reticulate venation. In Fig. 2.4(d) (Grass leaf), the veins run parallel side-by-side from the base to the tip called parallel venation.

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• Do you think that plants can be grouped on the basis of venation present in their leaves?
  Yes, plants can be grouped into two categories: plants with reticulate venation and plants with parallel venation.
• Do all plants have roots? Are these roots similar?
  Yes, almost all green plants growing in soil have roots. No, their roots are not all similar; they mainly have two types of root systems: taproot and fibrous root.

Activity 2.6: Let us find out

• What are the similarities and differences in the roots of the plants collected by you? What differences do you see in the roots of plants shown in Fig. 2.5(a) and Fig. 2.5(b)?
  Similarities: Both types of roots anchor the plant firmly in the soil and absorb water and minerals.
  
  Differences:
  - Fig. 2.5(a) (Mustard plant): Has one prominent main primary root called a taproot with smaller lateral side roots.
  - Fig. 2.5(b) (Common grass): Has a cluster/bunch of thin, similarly-sized roots arising together from the base of the stem called fibrous roots.
• Does your collection include any other grasses? What kind of roots do they have?
  Yes, other grasses like lemongrass, wheat, and paddy have fibrous root systems.
• Is there any relation between the type of leaf venation and the type of root of the same plant? How do we find this out?
  Yes, there is a direct relationship. Plants with reticulate venation generally have a taproot system, while plants with parallel venation have a fibrous root system. We can verify this by observing the leaves and roots of various plants.

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Activity 2.7: Let us relate and analyse

Table 2.4: Types of leaf venation and roots

S. no.	Name of the plant	Type of leaf venation (reticulate/parallel)	Type of root (fibrous/tap)
1.	Common grass	Parallel	Fibrous
2.	Lemongrass	Parallel	Fibrous
3.	Sadabahar (Periwinkle)	Reticulate	Tap
4.	Marigold	Reticulate	Tap
5.	Mustard	Reticulate	Tap

• Do you observe any relation between the leaf venation and types of root in these plants? Do other plants with reticulate venation have taproots too? Do other plants with parallel venation have fibrous roots too?
  Yes. Plants having leaves with reticulate venation consistently possess a taproot system. Similarly, plants having leaves with parallel venation consistently possess a fibrous root system.
• Is there any relation among the seed of a plant, types of root and leaf venation? Are all seeds similar?
  Yes. No, all seeds are not similar. Dicot seeds (2 cotyledons) develop plants with taproots and reticulate leaf venation. Monocot seeds (1 cotyledon) develop plants with fibrous roots and parallel leaf venation.

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Activity 2.8: Let us compare

• Remove the seed coat of a chickpea. Now, observe the structure of the chickpea and maize seeds. Are they similar or different?
  They are different. A chickpea seed easily splits into two equal fleshy seed leaves (two cotyledons — dicot), whereas a maize seed consists of only a single cotyledon and cannot be split into two halves (monocot).
• What relation do you observe among leaf venation, root types and the number of cotyledons in seeds of a plant?
  1. Dicotyledonous (Dicot) Plants: Seeds have 2 cotyledons, leaves show reticulate venation, and roots are taproots.
  2. Monocotyledonous (Monocot) Plants: Seeds have 1 cotyledon, leaves show parallel venation, and roots are fibrous roots.
• How can we group such a wide variety of animals? What features can you think of to group them?
  Animals can be grouped based on:
  - Mode of movement and body parts used (walking, flying, crawling, swimming)
  - Habitat (terrestrial, aquatic, amphibious, aerial, arboreal)
  - Food habits (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores)
  - Body covering/structure (presence of feathers, scales, fur, shells)

Activity 2.9: Let us find out

• Which body parts are used by the animals in the poster you created and those in Fig. 2.7 for movement?
  Animals use different body parts for movement: Birds use wings and legs; Cows, goats, and rabbits use legs; Fish use fins and tails; Earthworms and snakes use whole body muscles/scales; Frogs use webbed hind legs.

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Table 2.5: Movements in animals and their body parts involved

S. no.	Name of the animal	Type of movement	Body parts used for movement
1.	Ant	Walks / Crawls	Legs
2.	Goat	Walks and jumps	Legs
3.	Pigeon	Walks and flies	Legs and wings
4.	Housefly	Walks and flies	Legs and wings
5.	Fish	Swims	Fins
6.	Snake	Slithers / Crawls	Whole body / Scales and muscles
7.	Frog	Hops, jumps, and swims	Hind legs / Webbed feet
8.	Duck	Walks, flies, and swims	Webbed feet and wings

• What conclusions can you draw from the data given in Table 2.5? How can we group animals based on their movements?
  Different animals possess different body structures adapted to their specific mode of movement. Animals can be grouped by movement as:
  - Walkers / Runners: Goat, cow, dog (use legs)
  - Flyers: Pigeon, sparrow, housefly (use wings)
  - Swimmers: Fish, duck (use fins/webbed feet)
  - Crawlers / Slitherers: Ant, snake, earthworm

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• Does the movement of these animals depend upon their surroundings?
  Yes. An animal's method of movement and body parts are adapted directly to its surrounding habitat. For example, fish have streamlined bodies and fins to propel through water, while land animals like goats have strong legs to walk and run on solid ground.

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Activity 2.10: Let us compare and analyse

Table 2.6: Animals and plants found in different surroundings

S. no.	In the desert	On mountains	In the ocean	In the forest	Any other region (Pond/Plains)
1.	Camel	Deodar tree	Fish	Tiger	Cow
2.	Cactus	Mountain goat	Whale	Teak tree	Lotus
3.	Rattlesnake	Pine tree	Crab	Elephant	Frog

• What are your observations regarding plants and animals found in various regions? Discuss your observations with your classmates.
  Plants and animals in each region have special body features adapted to the climate and conditions of that specific habitat (e.g., cacti and camels in hot dry deserts; deodar and mountain goats in cold snowy mountains).
• Why does the biodiversity of a region vary from that of another?
  Biodiversity varies because environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, availability of water, sunlight, soil type, and terrain differ significantly from one geographic region to another.

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• Look at the images of a camel from the hot desert of Rajasthan (Fig. 2.11) and a camel from the cold desert of Ladakh (Fig. 2.12). What are the differences you observe between them? What advantages do these differences provide to these camels?
  Differences & Advantages:
  1. Humps: The hot desert camel has a single hump to store fat, while the cold desert (Bactrian) camel has two humps that store fat to survive food scarcity in harsh winters.
  2. Legs & Height: The hot desert camel has long legs to keep its body away from hot sand; the cold desert camel has shorter, sturdier legs to navigate rocky, mountainous terrain easily.
  3. Hair Coat: The cold desert camel grows a thick coat of long hair from head to neck to protect against extreme freezing temperatures, whereas hot desert camels have short coats.

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• What other features can help camels to survive in the desert?
  1. They excrete very little urine, their dung is dry, and they do not sweat, helping them conserve water.
  2. Their broad, cushioned hooves prevent them from sinking into soft sand.
  3. Long eyelashes and nostrils that can close tightly protect them from blowing sand.

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• What would happen if the habitat of a plant or an animal is damaged?
  When a habitat is damaged, living organisms lose their shelter, food sources, breeding grounds, and protection. This forces them to migrate or leads to a steep decline in their population and loss of biodiversity.
• What would happen if a goat does not get grass to eat?
  If a goat cannot get grass (its primary food source), it will starve, become weak, and eventually die of hunger.
• Can a fish survive without water?
  No, a fish cannot survive without water because it uses gills to absorb dissolved oxygen directly from water. In the air, gills collapse and dry up, leading to suffocation.

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• Find out about the sacred groves in your region.
  In Andhra Pradesh, Thimmamma Marrimanu located in Sri Sathya Sai district is a world-renowned sacred grove centered around a massive banyan tree. Other sacred groves are protected by village communities across rural India as holy abodes of local deities where cutting trees and hunting animals are strictly forbidden.

Page 54

Let us enhance our learning

• 1. Which combination of features is correctly matched with a dicot plant?
  a) Parallel venation - fibrous root one cotyledon

  b) reticulate venation - tap root - two cotyledons

  c) Parallel venation - tap root - two cotyledons

  d) reticulate venation - fibrous root one cotyledon
  Answer: b) reticulate venation - tap root - two cotyledons
• 2. Names of some animals are given below. Group them based on their habitats. Write the names of aquatic animals in the area marked 'A' and terrestrial animals in the area marked 'B'. Enter the names of animals living in both habitats in part 'C'.
  
  Horse, Dolphin, Frog, Sheep, Crocodile, Squirrel, Whale, Earthworm, Pigeon, Tortoise
  Area A (Aquatic Animals): Dolphin, Whale
  
  Area B (Terrestrial Animals): Horse, Sheep, Squirrel, Earthworm, Pigeon
  
  Part C (Animals living in both habitats / Amphibious): Frog, Crocodile, Tortoise
• 3. Apply stem type and branching pattern to classify these plant into appropriate groups: rose, mango, wheat, coconut.
  1. Rose: Shrub (Medium height, hard woody stem, branches arise close to the ground).
  2. Mango: Tree (Tall height, thick hard woody trunk, branches start higher up on the stem).
  3. Wheat: Herb (Short height, soft, thin, green stem with no woody branches).
  4. Coconut: Tree without branches (Tall height, hard woody single unbranched trunk crowned with leaves at the top).

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• 4. Based on the information in the table, find out examples of these plants for each group.

  Group	Type of seed	Type of root	Examples
  A	Dicot	Taproot	Mango, Chickpea (Gram), Mustard, Pea, Hibiscus
  B	Monocot	Fibrous roots	Maize, Wheat, Grass, Rice, Lemongrass

  (a) What other similarities do plants of group A have?
  Plants of Group A (Dicots) have leaves showing reticulate venation and their seeds have two cotyledons.
  
  (b) What other similarities do plants of group B have?
  Plants of Group B (Monocots) have leaves showing parallel venation and their seeds have a single (one) cotyledon.
• 5. Look at the image of a mountain goat and a goat found in the plains. Point out the similarities and differences between them. What are the reasons for these differences?
  Similarities: Both have four legs, hooves, horns, feed on vegetation (herbivores), and are mammals.
  
  Differences:
  - Mountain Goat: Has a thick, long white fur coat to protect against extreme freezing mountain cold, and strong specialized hooves to climb steep rocky slopes.
  - Goat in Plains: Has short hair with thin skin adapted to warm/moderate climates, and long legs for walking in fields.
  
  Reasons: These differences are adaptations developed to help each goat survive in its specific climate and physical environment.
• 6. Here are two types of seeds. What differences do you find? Among the roots and leaf venation of their plants?
  (a) Wheat     (b) Kidney beans
  1. Wheat (Monocot):
  - Seed: Single cotyledon (cannot be split into two halves).
  - Root: Fibrous root system.
  - Leaf Venation: Parallel venation.
  
  2. Kidney beans / Rajma (Dicot):
  - Seed: Two cotyledons (splits into two equal halves).
  - Root: Taproot system.
  - Leaf Venation: Reticulate venation.
• 7. Manu's mother maintains a kitchen garden. One day, she was digging out radish from the soil. She told Manu that radish is a kind of root. Examine a radish and write what type of root it is. What type of venation would you observe in the leaves of radish plant?
  - Type of Root: Radish is a modified taproot (it has a primary thick central root with tiny lateral hair-like rootlets).
  - Leaf Venation: The leaves of a radish plant exhibit reticulate venation.

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• 8. Analyse the flowchart. What can be examples of 'A' and 'B'?
  - 'A' (Plant with reticulate venation): Mango, Peepal, Hibiscus, Rose, Mustard, Chickpea.
  - 'B' (Plant without reticulate venation, i.e., having parallel venation): Grass, Banana, Wheat, Maize, Bamboo.
• 9. Observe the labelled part of a duck in the picture given below. What differences do you observe in the feet of the duck compared to the other birds? Which activity would the duck be able to perform using this part?
  - Difference: The duck has webbed feet (skin connected between the toes), whereas birds like pigeons have separate, clawed toes adapted for perching and walking.
  - Activity: Webbed feet act like oars/paddles, enabling the duck to swim smoothly and efficiently in water.
• 10. Assertion (A): Plants with reticulate venation usually have a tap root system.
  Reason (R): Such plants generally have two cotyledons.
  
  Choose the correct option:
  a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

  b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

  c) A is true, but R is false

  d) A is false, but R is true
  Answer: b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
• 11. A plant with parallel venation and fibrous roots was placed in dicots. Evaluate this classification and state whether it is correct or not.
  This classification is incorrect.
  Reason: Plants with parallel venation and fibrous root systems are characteristic features of monocots (monocotyledonous plants), not dicots. Dicots possess reticulate venation and taproots.

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• 12. As the population grows and people want more comfortable lives, forests are being cut down to meet various needs. How can this affect our surroundings? How do you think we can address this challenge?
  Effects on surroundings:
  1. Loss of natural habitat leads to extinction and decline of wildlife and biodiversity.
  2. Soil erosion, increased pollution, and rise in global temperatures (climate change).
  3. Imbalance in oxygen-carbon dioxide levels and disruption of rainfall cycles.
  
  How to address the challenge:
  1. Afforestation: Planting more trees on a large scale.
  2. Conservation: Establishing protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, and national parks.
  3. Sustainable Living: Reducing wastage of paper and wood products and following the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).
• 13. Raj argues with his friend Sanjay that "udhal (hibiscus) plant is a shrub". What questions can Sanjay ask for calrification ?
  1. "Is the stem of the hibiscus plant soft and green, or is it hard and woody?"
  2. "Does the plant have a single tall main trunk like a tree, or do branches start branching out close to the ground?"
  3. "What is the height of the hibiscus plant compared to a human — is it medium-sized, very short, or very tall?"
• 14. Group the following animals into two groups based on any feature other than those discussed in the chapter.
  cow, cockroach, pigeon, bat, tortoise, whale, fish, grasshopper, lizard.
  Basis of Grouping: Animals with a Backbone (Vertebrates) vs Animals without a Backbone (Invertebrates)
  
  - Group 1: Vertebrates (Have a backbone): Cow, Pigeon, Bat, Tortoise, Whale, Fish, Lizard.
  - Group 2: Invertebrates (Do not have a backbone): Cockroach, Grasshopper.