Organisms - Characteristics and Habitats Biology Vol-1 PDF

# Organisms - Characteristics and Habitats ## Biology (Vol-1) - Class VI ### How Plants Reproduce 1. **Through Seeds:** Most plants reproduce through seeds. When seeds are sown in moist soil, they germinate and grow into new plants. Examples include wheat, corn, paddy (rice), Bengal gram (chana)...

# Organisms - Characteristics and Habitats ## Biology (Vol-1) - Class VI ### How Plants Reproduce 1. **Through Seeds:** Most plants reproduce through seeds. When seeds are sown in moist soil, they germinate and grow into new plants. Examples include wheat, corn, paddy (rice), Bengal gram (chana). 2. **Through Tubers:** Some plants reproduce through tubers. A tuber is a thickened, underground stem (or root) of a plant swollen with stored food. * **Potato Stem Tuber:** Contains many buds (called eyes). When planted in the soil, each bud can produce a new potato plant. One tuber can produce many new potato plants. You can even plant cut pieces of the tuber if the piece has a bud. 3. **Through Cuttings:** A cutting is a small piece of a plant removed by making a cut with a sharp knife. Typically a piece of stem, root or even a leaf. The cutting should include a bud. Plant the cutting in the soil, and it will develop roots and grow into a new plant. Plants which can be grown from cuttings include: rose, henna (mehndi), grapes, sugarcane and cactus. ### Living Things Have a Definite Life Span * All living things are born or hatched from eggs, or grow from seeds. * Living things grow into adults, remain alive for a period of time and then die. * The **life-span** is the period of time a living thing remains alive. * All living things have a definite life-span. For example, the average life-span of a human is 60 to 70 years. * Different types of living things have different lifespans. A tortoise can live to be over 100 years old, while some insects only live for a few hours. * Non-living things do not have a definite life-span. They exist forever. ### The Case of a Seed - A seed is considered a living thing, but it doesn't show many characteristic of living things. * It doesn't require food, doesn't grow (seeds can remain as they are for a long period of time), can't move on its own, doesn't excrete, and doesn't reproduce. * However, seeds do respire. You can put your hand in a bag of wheat and feel the heat from the seeds respiring. ### Differences between Living and Non-Living Things: | **Living Things** | **Non-living Things** | |---|---| | Need food, air, and water | Do not need food, air, or water | | Grow | Do not grow | | Can move on their own | Cannot move on their own | | Respond to stimuli | Do not respond to stimuli | | Reproduce | Do not reproduce | | Respire | Do not respire | | Excrete | Do not excrete | | Have a definite life-span | Exist forever | ### Habitat * **Habitat:** The place or surroundings where a plant or animal lives. * **Factors in a habitat:** Food, water, air, light, shelter (protection), and a place for breeding. * **Types of Habitats:** Deserts, Mountain regions (or Hills), Forests, Grasslands, Gardens, Fields, Soil, Homes, Tree, Pond, Lake, River, Ocean (or Sea) and Sea-shore. * **Terrestrial Habitats:** Land based habitats. For example: Desert, Mountain, Forest, Field. * **Aquatic Habitats:** Water based habitats. For example: Pond, Lake, River, Ocean. ### Adaptation * The special body features which enable a plant or animal to live in a particular habitat. Adaptations help to: * * **Cactus:** Survives in hot, dry deserts. * * **Fish:** Survives in water. ### Biotic and Abiotic Components of a Habitat * **Biotic Components:** Living things within a habitat. Plants, animals and micro-organisms. * **Abiotic Components:** Non-living things within a habitat. Soil, rocks, air, water, sunlight and temperature ### Activity: The Germination of Moong Seeds This activity explores how some abiotic factors (water, light, temperature) affect seed germination: 1. Take a handful of moong seeds. 2. **Set up several experiments:** * **Experiment 1:** Keep some dry moong seeds in a sunny room.  * **Experiment 2:** Keep some dry moong seeds submerged in water. * **Experiment 3:** Soak some moong seeds in water for a day, drain the water, then place them in the following places: * Sunlight * Darkness * Refrigerator 3. **Observation:** Observe the moong seeds over several days. Note what happens to each experiment group: * **Experiment 1 (Dry Seeds):** No germination. Seeds need water. * **Experiment 2 (Submerged Seeds):** No germination. Seeds need air. * **Experiment 3 (Soaked Seeds):** * **Sunlight:** Germination and growth. * **Darkness:** No germination. Seeds need light. * **Refrigerator (Cold):** Slow germination. Seeds need warmth. ### Conclusion: This activity shows that abiotic factors such as air, water, sunlight, and temperature all play important roles in the growth of plants. ### Adaptations of Animals to Habitats * **Adaptations to a Desert Environment:** * Camels have long legs to stay away from the hot sand. * Camels drink large amounts of water when available and store it in their body. * Camels conserve water by excreting very little urine and not sweating. * Camels store fat in their hump to provide additional water. * Camels have flat feet so they don't sink on soft sand. * **Adaptations to a Water Environment:** * Fish have streamlined bodies to move efficiently through water. * Fish have gills to breathe oxygen dissolved in water. * Fish have scales to protect them from water. * Fish have a strong tail for swimming. * Fish have fins to help them change directions and keep their balance. ### Conclusion: The different types of plants and animals are well adapted to the environment of their habitats. ### End of Document