Science · Class 6 · Chapter 2

Diversity in the Living World

• Biodiversity — Variety of plants and animals in a region.
• Habitat — The place where an organism lives.
• Adaptation — A feature that helps survival in a habitat.
• Taproot — One thick main root with side roots.
• Fibrous root — A bunch of thin, similar roots.
• Venation — The pattern of veins in a leaf.
• Dicot / Monocot — Plants with two / one seed cotyledon(s).
• Sacred grove — A community-protected forest patch.

Chapter 2 · Concept 1 of 9

The Variety of Life

• Biodiversity — The variety of plants and animals found in a particular region is called its biodiversity. Every member plays a role — trees give birds food and shelter, animals help spread seeds.
• Grouping (classification) — Arranging living things based on shared similarities and differences is called grouping. Different people may pick different features — height, colour, habitat — so groupings can vary.

Chapter 2 · Concept 2 of 9

Herbs, Shrubs and Trees

• | Height | Stem | Branches arise | Example
• Herb — Small — Soft, green — Near the ground — Tomato
• Shrub — Medium — Hard, thin, woody — Close to the ground — Rose
• Tree — Tall — Hard, thick, woody — High up — Mango
• Also worth knowing — Climbers need support to climb upward; creepers spread along the ground instead of standing upright.

Chapter 2 · Concept 3 of 9

Reticulate vs Parallel Venation

• Venation is the pattern of veins running through a leaf.
• Reticulate venation — net-like pattern (e.g. hibiscus)
• Parallel venation — veins run side by side (e.g. banana, grass)

Chapter 2 · Concept 4 of 9

Taproot vs Fibrous Root

• Generally, plants with reticulate venation have taproots, and plants with parallel venation have fibrous roots.
• Taproot — one thick main root with smaller side roots (e.g. mustard)
• Fibrous root — a bunch of thin, similar-sized roots (e.g. grass)

Chapter 2 · Concept 5 of 9

Dicot and Monocot Plants

• | Cotyledons | Leaf venation | Root type | Example
• Dicot — Two — Reticulate — Taproot — Chickpea, mango
• Monocot — One — Parallel — Fibrous — Maize, wheat
• Cotyledon — The seed-leaf part inside a seed. Seeds like chickpea split into two parts (two cotyledons — dicot); seeds like maize have just one cotyledon (monocot).

Chapter 2 · Concept 6 of 9

Movement and Body Parts

• Animal | Movement | Body part used
• Ant — Crawling — Six legs
• Pigeon — Walking & flying — Legs and wings
• Fish — Swimming — Fins
• Goat — Walking — Legs
• Body matches habitat — Fish have streamlined bodies and fins built for water; goats have legs built for walking on land.

Chapter 2 · Concept 7 of 9

Habitats: Land, Water and Both

• Terrestrial — Living on land — forests, deserts, grasslands, mountains. Example: camel, rhododendron.
• Aquatic — Living in water — ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans. Example: sea turtle, fish.
• Amphibians — Living both on land and in water. Example: frogs.

Chapter 2 · Concept 8 of 9

Adaptations: The Camel Example

• | Legs | Humps | Hair
• Hot-desert camel — Long — One — Short
• Cold-desert camel — Shorter — Two — Long
• Other examples — Desert plants store water in fleshy stems. The deodar tree's conical shape lets snow slide off instead of piling up.

Chapter 2 · Concept 9 of 9

When Habitats Are Lost

• Project Tiger (1973) — A major Indian conservation effort to protect tigers and their forest habitat.
• Cheetah Reintroduction (2022) — Brought cheetahs back to Indian grasslands after local extinction.
• Sacred groves — Forest patches protected by communities for generations — treasures of undisturbed biodiversity.

Quick Recap

Check Your Understanding

1. 1Wheat and Kidney beans — what differences do you find among the roots and leaf venation of their plants?
2. 2Group these animals by habitat — Horse, Dolphin, Frog, Sheep, Crocodile, Squirrel, Whale, Earthworm, Pigeon, Tortoise — into Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Both.
3. 3Manu's mother was digging out radish from the soil and said radish is a kind of root. What type of root is it, and what venation would you see in its leaves?