Textbook: The Living World | General Science Class 6 (Maharashtra Board) PDF Download

 Page 1


9
2.1 : Various things in our environment 
A baby grows up to become an adult person - woman or man. During the period 
of its growth, the baby gains in height, weight and strength. In the same manner, all 
animals grow into adults in a certain period. Generally, humans require 18 to 21 years 
for this growth.
Find out how long it takes for the young ones of hens, cows and dogs to grow 
into adults. 
2.2 : Growth in living things
Growth
Characteristics of living 
things
There are many kinds of 
plants and animals around us. 
They show some similarities 
and some differences. Yet, 
with the help of certain 
features, we can tell that 
they are all living things. 
These features are not seen in  
non-living things. Such 
features are said to be the 
characteristics of living 
things. Let us study these 
characteristics.
What differences do we see between the young ones and the 
adults in the picture ?
2. The Living World
List the things seen in the picture. Say whether they are 
living or non-living things. Can you recall ?
Can you tell ?    
Page 2


9
2.1 : Various things in our environment 
A baby grows up to become an adult person - woman or man. During the period 
of its growth, the baby gains in height, weight and strength. In the same manner, all 
animals grow into adults in a certain period. Generally, humans require 18 to 21 years 
for this growth.
Find out how long it takes for the young ones of hens, cows and dogs to grow 
into adults. 
2.2 : Growth in living things
Growth
Characteristics of living 
things
There are many kinds of 
plants and animals around us. 
They show some similarities 
and some differences. Yet, 
with the help of certain 
features, we can tell that 
they are all living things. 
These features are not seen in  
non-living things. Such 
features are said to be the 
characteristics of living 
things. Let us study these 
characteristics.
What differences do we see between the young ones and the 
adults in the picture ?
2. The Living World
List the things seen in the picture. Say whether they are 
living or non-living things. Can you recall ?
Can you tell ?    
10
Tie a thread to the tip of a potted sapling. 
Keep the thread stretched and tie it to a peg or 
nail above the plant. What do you observe after 
ten to fifteen days ?
What tells us that the plant has grown taller ? 
In all plants, it is mainly the width and height 
of the stem that grows. As they grow, some plants 
develop branches while others do not.
Though all living things grow, animals grow 
only for a certain period. Plants, on the other 
hand, grow as long as they live. The growth of 
living things occurs from within the body, which 
means that growth occurs in all parts of the body.
Food is necessary for growth
Plants make their own food in 
sunlight. Plants produce food from 
water, nutrients in the soil and the 
carbon dioxide present in the air. 
This process takes place in the 
leaves of plants. It is brought about 
in the presence of sunlight, with the 
help of the chlorophyll in the leaves. 
This process of food production is 
called photosynthesis. During this 
process, plants give out oxygen. 
Plants appear mainly green in 
colour due to the chlorophyll in 
them.  
2.4 : Growth in banyan and coconut trees
2.3 : Sapling in a pot
Loose 
thread
Stretched 
thread
What differences do you see in the growth of trees like the mango, banyan 
and peepal and that of the bamboo, coconut and toddy palms.
Sunlight
Carbon 
dioxide
Water and 
nutrients
Oxygen
2.5 : Photosynthesis
Try this.
Use your brain power !
Page 3


9
2.1 : Various things in our environment 
A baby grows up to become an adult person - woman or man. During the period 
of its growth, the baby gains in height, weight and strength. In the same manner, all 
animals grow into adults in a certain period. Generally, humans require 18 to 21 years 
for this growth.
Find out how long it takes for the young ones of hens, cows and dogs to grow 
into adults. 
2.2 : Growth in living things
Growth
Characteristics of living 
things
There are many kinds of 
plants and animals around us. 
They show some similarities 
and some differences. Yet, 
with the help of certain 
features, we can tell that 
they are all living things. 
These features are not seen in  
non-living things. Such 
features are said to be the 
characteristics of living 
things. Let us study these 
characteristics.
What differences do we see between the young ones and the 
adults in the picture ?
2. The Living World
List the things seen in the picture. Say whether they are 
living or non-living things. Can you recall ?
Can you tell ?    
10
Tie a thread to the tip of a potted sapling. 
Keep the thread stretched and tie it to a peg or 
nail above the plant. What do you observe after 
ten to fifteen days ?
What tells us that the plant has grown taller ? 
In all plants, it is mainly the width and height 
of the stem that grows. As they grow, some plants 
develop branches while others do not.
Though all living things grow, animals grow 
only for a certain period. Plants, on the other 
hand, grow as long as they live. The growth of 
living things occurs from within the body, which 
means that growth occurs in all parts of the body.
Food is necessary for growth
Plants make their own food in 
sunlight. Plants produce food from 
water, nutrients in the soil and the 
carbon dioxide present in the air. 
This process takes place in the 
leaves of plants. It is brought about 
in the presence of sunlight, with the 
help of the chlorophyll in the leaves. 
This process of food production is 
called photosynthesis. During this 
process, plants give out oxygen. 
Plants appear mainly green in 
colour due to the chlorophyll in 
them.  
2.4 : Growth in banyan and coconut trees
2.3 : Sapling in a pot
Loose 
thread
Stretched 
thread
What differences do you see in the growth of trees like the mango, banyan 
and peepal and that of the bamboo, coconut and toddy palms.
Sunlight
Carbon 
dioxide
Water and 
nutrients
Oxygen
2.5 : Photosynthesis
Try this.
Use your brain power !
11
Animals, however, do not have chlorophyll. 
They do not produce their own food. They search 
for food. Animals such as goats, sheep, horses eat 
grass while wild animals such as tigers and lions 
meet their need for food by hunting other animals 
which live on plants. 
2.6 : Intake of food by animals
The intake of food and 
the resultant growth is an 
important characteristic of 
living things.
Respiration
1.  Hold your hand in front of your nose or 
keep your hand on your chest. What do 
you feel ?
2. If we observe a sleeping dog, what 
movement of its belly do we see ?
Living things need oxygen in order 
to live. Inhaling oxygen and exhaling the 
carbon dioxide formed in the body due 
to the use of oxygen is called respiration. 
Animals such as fish, snake, mouse, etc. 
have specific organs for respiration. On 
the other hand, plants respire by means 
of microscopic pores on their stems and 
leaves.
2.8 : A tree shedding leaves
1. Is all the food we eat used by the body ?
2. What is the unused part of food converted into ?
A leaf of a plant
Gills
Nose
Can you recall ?
Observe and discuss.
Respiration is a characteristic of 
living things.
Excretion
Waste substances are formed during the many processes 
that take place in the bodies of animals. These are called excreta 
and the process of eliminating them from the body is called 
excretion. Animals have specific organs for excretion.
Plants, too, excrete. For example, some plants shed leaves  
in a specific season. Waste substances stored in the leaves of 
plants are shed along with the leaves.
2.7 : Respiration in living things
Page 4


9
2.1 : Various things in our environment 
A baby grows up to become an adult person - woman or man. During the period 
of its growth, the baby gains in height, weight and strength. In the same manner, all 
animals grow into adults in a certain period. Generally, humans require 18 to 21 years 
for this growth.
Find out how long it takes for the young ones of hens, cows and dogs to grow 
into adults. 
2.2 : Growth in living things
Growth
Characteristics of living 
things
There are many kinds of 
plants and animals around us. 
They show some similarities 
and some differences. Yet, 
with the help of certain 
features, we can tell that 
they are all living things. 
These features are not seen in  
non-living things. Such 
features are said to be the 
characteristics of living 
things. Let us study these 
characteristics.
What differences do we see between the young ones and the 
adults in the picture ?
2. The Living World
List the things seen in the picture. Say whether they are 
living or non-living things. Can you recall ?
Can you tell ?    
10
Tie a thread to the tip of a potted sapling. 
Keep the thread stretched and tie it to a peg or 
nail above the plant. What do you observe after 
ten to fifteen days ?
What tells us that the plant has grown taller ? 
In all plants, it is mainly the width and height 
of the stem that grows. As they grow, some plants 
develop branches while others do not.
Though all living things grow, animals grow 
only for a certain period. Plants, on the other 
hand, grow as long as they live. The growth of 
living things occurs from within the body, which 
means that growth occurs in all parts of the body.
Food is necessary for growth
Plants make their own food in 
sunlight. Plants produce food from 
water, nutrients in the soil and the 
carbon dioxide present in the air. 
This process takes place in the 
leaves of plants. It is brought about 
in the presence of sunlight, with the 
help of the chlorophyll in the leaves. 
This process of food production is 
called photosynthesis. During this 
process, plants give out oxygen. 
Plants appear mainly green in 
colour due to the chlorophyll in 
them.  
2.4 : Growth in banyan and coconut trees
2.3 : Sapling in a pot
Loose 
thread
Stretched 
thread
What differences do you see in the growth of trees like the mango, banyan 
and peepal and that of the bamboo, coconut and toddy palms.
Sunlight
Carbon 
dioxide
Water and 
nutrients
Oxygen
2.5 : Photosynthesis
Try this.
Use your brain power !
11
Animals, however, do not have chlorophyll. 
They do not produce their own food. They search 
for food. Animals such as goats, sheep, horses eat 
grass while wild animals such as tigers and lions 
meet their need for food by hunting other animals 
which live on plants. 
2.6 : Intake of food by animals
The intake of food and 
the resultant growth is an 
important characteristic of 
living things.
Respiration
1.  Hold your hand in front of your nose or 
keep your hand on your chest. What do 
you feel ?
2. If we observe a sleeping dog, what 
movement of its belly do we see ?
Living things need oxygen in order 
to live. Inhaling oxygen and exhaling the 
carbon dioxide formed in the body due 
to the use of oxygen is called respiration. 
Animals such as fish, snake, mouse, etc. 
have specific organs for respiration. On 
the other hand, plants respire by means 
of microscopic pores on their stems and 
leaves.
2.8 : A tree shedding leaves
1. Is all the food we eat used by the body ?
2. What is the unused part of food converted into ?
A leaf of a plant
Gills
Nose
Can you recall ?
Observe and discuss.
Respiration is a characteristic of 
living things.
Excretion
Waste substances are formed during the many processes 
that take place in the bodies of animals. These are called excreta 
and the process of eliminating them from the body is called 
excretion. Animals have specific organs for excretion.
Plants, too, excrete. For example, some plants shed leaves  
in a specific season. Waste substances stored in the leaves of 
plants are shed along with the leaves.
2.7 : Respiration in living things
12
Take a transparent plastic bag. Tie it over a leaf of a 
plant as shown in the picture. Observe it after six to seven 
hours. What do you see ?
Droplets of water collect on the inside of the bag. It 
means that, plants excrete water in the form of vapour. 
 
2.10 : Responsiveness and movement
1. In each of the examples 
given above, what is the 
stimulus and what is the 
response ?
2. What is the main difference 
between the movements of 
plants and animals ?
Have you experienced this ? What happened 
immediately after the following actions ?
1.  Light flashed suddenly into your eyes.
2.  Suddenly you felt a pinprick.
3.  The leaves of the mimosa plant were touched.
4.  At sunset, lamps on the street or courtyard are lit 
and insects gather around the lamps.
Responsiveness to stimuli and movement 
Living things act in various ways when 
responding to a stimulus. If you suddenly enter a 
cowshed, the cows and buffalos stand up, begin to 
move, one or two may even start mooing. These 
are all movements.
A creeper planted in the courtyard leans towards 
a support. A potted plant placed in a window grows 
towards sunlight. It means that plants, too, show 
movement. Living things move of their own accord.
The movement or the change taking place in 
a living thing at such a time is their response to a 
stimulus. An event that occurs in our surroundings is 
a stimulus. The ability of living things to respond to 
a stimulus is called their responsiveness to stimuli.
The mimosa
A potted plant
What is the sticky substance 
seen on the stems of the babul  
(acacia) or drumstick trees ?
Responsiveness to stimuli  
is a characteristic of living things.
Try this.
Use your brain power !
Observe and discuss.
Use your brain power !
Excretion is a characteristic of living things.
2.9 : Excretion on the leaves 
of a plant
Page 5


9
2.1 : Various things in our environment 
A baby grows up to become an adult person - woman or man. During the period 
of its growth, the baby gains in height, weight and strength. In the same manner, all 
animals grow into adults in a certain period. Generally, humans require 18 to 21 years 
for this growth.
Find out how long it takes for the young ones of hens, cows and dogs to grow 
into adults. 
2.2 : Growth in living things
Growth
Characteristics of living 
things
There are many kinds of 
plants and animals around us. 
They show some similarities 
and some differences. Yet, 
with the help of certain 
features, we can tell that 
they are all living things. 
These features are not seen in  
non-living things. Such 
features are said to be the 
characteristics of living 
things. Let us study these 
characteristics.
What differences do we see between the young ones and the 
adults in the picture ?
2. The Living World
List the things seen in the picture. Say whether they are 
living or non-living things. Can you recall ?
Can you tell ?    
10
Tie a thread to the tip of a potted sapling. 
Keep the thread stretched and tie it to a peg or 
nail above the plant. What do you observe after 
ten to fifteen days ?
What tells us that the plant has grown taller ? 
In all plants, it is mainly the width and height 
of the stem that grows. As they grow, some plants 
develop branches while others do not.
Though all living things grow, animals grow 
only for a certain period. Plants, on the other 
hand, grow as long as they live. The growth of 
living things occurs from within the body, which 
means that growth occurs in all parts of the body.
Food is necessary for growth
Plants make their own food in 
sunlight. Plants produce food from 
water, nutrients in the soil and the 
carbon dioxide present in the air. 
This process takes place in the 
leaves of plants. It is brought about 
in the presence of sunlight, with the 
help of the chlorophyll in the leaves. 
This process of food production is 
called photosynthesis. During this 
process, plants give out oxygen. 
Plants appear mainly green in 
colour due to the chlorophyll in 
them.  
2.4 : Growth in banyan and coconut trees
2.3 : Sapling in a pot
Loose 
thread
Stretched 
thread
What differences do you see in the growth of trees like the mango, banyan 
and peepal and that of the bamboo, coconut and toddy palms.
Sunlight
Carbon 
dioxide
Water and 
nutrients
Oxygen
2.5 : Photosynthesis
Try this.
Use your brain power !
11
Animals, however, do not have chlorophyll. 
They do not produce their own food. They search 
for food. Animals such as goats, sheep, horses eat 
grass while wild animals such as tigers and lions 
meet their need for food by hunting other animals 
which live on plants. 
2.6 : Intake of food by animals
The intake of food and 
the resultant growth is an 
important characteristic of 
living things.
Respiration
1.  Hold your hand in front of your nose or 
keep your hand on your chest. What do 
you feel ?
2. If we observe a sleeping dog, what 
movement of its belly do we see ?
Living things need oxygen in order 
to live. Inhaling oxygen and exhaling the 
carbon dioxide formed in the body due 
to the use of oxygen is called respiration. 
Animals such as fish, snake, mouse, etc. 
have specific organs for respiration. On 
the other hand, plants respire by means 
of microscopic pores on their stems and 
leaves.
2.8 : A tree shedding leaves
1. Is all the food we eat used by the body ?
2. What is the unused part of food converted into ?
A leaf of a plant
Gills
Nose
Can you recall ?
Observe and discuss.
Respiration is a characteristic of 
living things.
Excretion
Waste substances are formed during the many processes 
that take place in the bodies of animals. These are called excreta 
and the process of eliminating them from the body is called 
excretion. Animals have specific organs for excretion.
Plants, too, excrete. For example, some plants shed leaves  
in a specific season. Waste substances stored in the leaves of 
plants are shed along with the leaves.
2.7 : Respiration in living things
12
Take a transparent plastic bag. Tie it over a leaf of a 
plant as shown in the picture. Observe it after six to seven 
hours. What do you see ?
Droplets of water collect on the inside of the bag. It 
means that, plants excrete water in the form of vapour. 
 
2.10 : Responsiveness and movement
1. In each of the examples 
given above, what is the 
stimulus and what is the 
response ?
2. What is the main difference 
between the movements of 
plants and animals ?
Have you experienced this ? What happened 
immediately after the following actions ?
1.  Light flashed suddenly into your eyes.
2.  Suddenly you felt a pinprick.
3.  The leaves of the mimosa plant were touched.
4.  At sunset, lamps on the street or courtyard are lit 
and insects gather around the lamps.
Responsiveness to stimuli and movement 
Living things act in various ways when 
responding to a stimulus. If you suddenly enter a 
cowshed, the cows and buffalos stand up, begin to 
move, one or two may even start mooing. These 
are all movements.
A creeper planted in the courtyard leans towards 
a support. A potted plant placed in a window grows 
towards sunlight. It means that plants, too, show 
movement. Living things move of their own accord.
The movement or the change taking place in 
a living thing at such a time is their response to a 
stimulus. An event that occurs in our surroundings is 
a stimulus. The ability of living things to respond to 
a stimulus is called their responsiveness to stimuli.
The mimosa
A potted plant
What is the sticky substance 
seen on the stems of the babul  
(acacia) or drumstick trees ?
Responsiveness to stimuli  
is a characteristic of living things.
Try this.
Use your brain power !
Observe and discuss.
Use your brain power !
Excretion is a characteristic of living things.
2.9 : Excretion on the leaves 
of a plant
13
2.11 : Reproduction
A definite lifespan
At a certain stage of life, living things become capable of reproduction. Later on 
in life reproduction stage, their organs become weak and still later, their life comes to 
an end. In other words, living things die. The lifespans of different animals and plants 
are different. For example, the lifespan of the dog is about 12 to 18 years, while the 
ostrich lives for 50 years.
You may have wondered what exactly the living things are, how they came into 
being, and so on.
Reproduction
Living things produce other living 
things like themselves. Some animals 
give birth to their young ones. Some 
lay eggs. Their young ones hatch out 
of the eggs. New plants are produced 
from the seeds, stems or leaves of 
plants. 
The process by which a living thing 
generates a new living thing like itself 
is called reproduction or procreation. 
2.12 : Lifespan
Bryophyllum
Rose cuttings
A bird and its eggs
What do we learn from these pictures ?
Why have so many types of plants and 
animals been able to survive on the 
earth even today ?
Can you tell ?    
Use your brain power !
Observe and discuss.
A mare and her foal 
Reproduction is a characteristic of 
living things.