NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science (Curiosity) Chapter 10: Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics (NCERT 2026–27)

These Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 10 solutions cover Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics from the new NCF textbook (2026–27). The chapter teaches you how to tell living beings apart from non-living things, the conditions needed for seed germination, how plants grow and move, and the life cycles of plants, mosquitoes and frogs. Every question of the “Let us enhance our learning” exercise is reproduced exactly and solved below in simple, exam-ready language.

Class: 6 Subject: Science Book: Curiosity Chapter: 10 Type: Exercise (Let us enhance our learning) Session: 2026–27
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Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 10 Solutions – Overview

Chapter 10 of Curiosity, Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics, begins with a simple puzzle — how can a still seashell be part of a living snail? It then explores the features that set living beings apart from non-living things: they move, need food (nutrition), grow, respire (breathe), excrete, respond to stimuli, reproduce and finally die. The chapter shows that even plants move (Drosera traps insects, touch-me-not folds its leaves) and respire (through tiny pores called stomata). Through activities, it studies the conditions needed for seed germination (water and air, with light not essential for most seeds), how shoots grow towards light and roots grow downward, and the life cycles of a bean plant, a mosquito (egg → larva → pupa → adult) and a frog (egg → tadpole → froglet → adult).

Key Concepts & Definitions

Living beings: things that show all the life characteristics — movement, nutrition, growth, respiration, excretion, response to stimuli, reproduction and death (e.g. a pigeon, a plant, a child).

Non-living things: things that do not show these characteristics (e.g. a pencil, a car, a chair). A car can move but does not grow, respire or reproduce, so it is non-living.

Respiration: the life process of which breathing is a part; air moves in when we inhale and out when we exhale. Plants take air in and out through pores called stomata on their leaves.

Excretion: removal of waste products from the body — for example, sweat and urine in animals, and droplets of excess water and minerals on leaves in plants.

Stimulus: anything or any event that prompts a living being to respond (e.g. stepping on a thorn or touching a hot cup). Touch-me-not folds its leaves when touched.

Reproduction: the process of producing new ones of one’s own kind; it is necessary for the continuity of life.

Germination: the process in which a seed turns into a sprout. It needs the right amount of water and air; light is generally not needed for germination.

Life cycle: the whole journey from a seed/egg through various growth stages to an adult that produces the next generation, and finally death.

“Let us enhance our learning” — NCERT Solutions

All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Curiosity textbook (Reprint 2026–27); the answers are original and written in simple exam-ready language.

1. List the similarities and differences in life cycles of plants and animals.

ANSWER Similarities: Both plants and animals begin life from a starting stage (a seed in plants, an egg or newborn in animals), pass through several stages of growth and development, reach an adult stage, reproduce to give rise to the next generation, and finally die. In both, reproduction maintains the continuity of their kind. Differences: A plant’s life cycle starts with germination of a seed and proceeds through seedling, growth of leaves, flowering and seed/fruit formation; the new seeds germinate into new plants. An animal’s life cycle begins with a newborn (or egg) and proceeds through young stages to the adult. In some animals such as mosquitoes and frogs there are striking changes in body shape, structure and even habitat between stages (e.g. a tadpole living in water becomes a frog living on land and water), whereas plants change mainly in size and number of parts, not in basic body plan.

2. The table on the next page shows some data. Study the data and try to find out examples appropriate for the conditions given in the second and third columns. If you think that an example for any of the conditions given below is not possible, explain why.

ANSWER A thing that respires must be alive, and all living beings grow at some stage. So a thing that does not grow but respires (row 2) is not possible, because respiration is a characteristic of living beings, and every living being grows.
S. no.Does it grow?Does it respire?ExampleRemarks
1.NoNoA stone / a pencil / a carNon-living thing — it neither grows nor respires.
2.NoYesNot possibleAnything that respires is living, and all living beings grow; so something that respires but does not grow cannot exist.
3.YesNoA crystal / an icicle (or a non-living thing that increases in size)Such growth is only an increase in size by addition of material from outside; it is not true biological growth and the thing does not respire, so it is non-living.
4.YesYesA plant / a dog / a human beingLiving being — it grows and respires, and shows all other life characteristics.

3. You have learnt that different conditions are required for seed germination. How can we use this knowledge for proper storage of grains and pulses?

ANSWER Seeds need water (moisture) and air to germinate. To stop stored grains and pulses from germinating (or rotting), we must keep these conditions away from them. Grains should be dried thoroughly in the sun to remove moisture and then stored in clean, dry, airtight containers in a cool, dry place away from dampness and rain. Without moisture the seeds cannot germinate, so they stay safe and edible for a long time. Dryness also prevents the growth of fungi and pests.

4. You have learnt that a tail is present in a tadpole but it disappears as it grows into a frog. What is the advantage of having a tail in the tadpole stage?

ANSWER A tadpole lives completely in water in its early life. Its tail helps it to swim easily through the water to find food and to move away from danger. As the tadpole grows into a froglet and then an adult frog, it develops strong legs and begins to live on land as well; the tail is no longer needed for swimming, so it gradually disappears. Thus the tail is a useful adaptation for life in water during the tadpole stage.

5. Charan says that a wooden log is non-living as it cannot move. Charu counters it by saying that it is living because it is made of wood obtained from trees. Give your arguments in favour or against the two statements given by Charan and Charu.

ANSWER Both Charan and Charu are partly wrong in their reasoning, but the conclusion that a wooden log is non-living is correct. Charan is right that a wooden log is non-living, but his reason is weak. Inability to move on its own is not enough — plants also do not move from place to place, yet they are living. The correct reason is that a wooden log does not grow, respire, take food, excrete, respond to stimuli or reproduce. Charu is wrong. Although wood comes from a tree (which was living), once the wood is cut and made into a log it no longer shows any life characteristics. A part separated from a living being does not remain living. So the wooden log is a non-living thing.

6. What are the similarities and distinguishing features in the life cycles of a mosquito and a frog?

ANSWER Similarities: Both the mosquito and the frog begin life as eggs laid in or near water, pass through distinct intermediate stages, show striking changes in body shape and structure, and finally become adults that reproduce. In both, the early stages live in water. Distinguishing features: A mosquito passes through four stages — egg, larva, pupa and adult, and the larva and pupa both live in water and come to the surface to breathe air. A frog passes through the stages egg → tadpole → froglet → adult; the tadpole has a tail and lives only in water, while the adult frog has four legs and lives both in water and on land. So the frog clearly changes its habitat during its life cycle, and a mosquito is an insect while a frog is an amphibian.

7. A plant is provided with all the conditions suitable for its growth (Fig. 10.9). Draw what you expect to see in the shoot and the root of the plant after one week. Write down the reasons.

ANSWER In Fig. 10.9 the pot is kept lying along the ground, so the plant is on its side. After one week we would see that the shoot bends and grows upward (away from the ground, towards the light), while the root bends and grows downward (into the soil). Reason: Plant parts respond to stimuli like sunlight and gravity. The shoot always grows upward and moves towards sunlight, and the root always grows downward into the soil, no matter in which direction the pot is placed. This is the same result we saw in Activity 10.3 with the inverted plant.

8. Tara and Vijay set up the experiment shown in the picture (Fig. 10.10). What do you think they want to find out? How will they know if they are correct?

ANSWER In Fig. 10.10 the seedling is placed inside a box with a small hole that lets light enter from one direction only. Tara and Vijay want to find out whether the shoot of a plant grows towards the direction of light (whether sunlight affects the direction of growth of the shoot). How they will know: They will observe the plant after a few days. If the shoot has bent and grown towards the hole (towards the light), their idea is correct — plant shoots grow in the direction of light, while the root continues to grow downward.

9. Design an experiment to check if temperature has an effect on seed germination.

ANSWER Aim: To find out whether temperature affects the germination of seeds. Method: Take three identical pots (or jars) with the same garden soil and sow the same number of similar bean seeds in each. Keep all other conditions the same — give each pot the same moderate amount of water regularly and the same amount of air. Keep the three pots at different temperatures: Pot A in a refrigerator (cold), Pot B at normal room temperature, and Pot C in a warm place. Change only the temperature; keep water, air and soil the same so it is a fair test. Observation: Watch all three pots for 7–10 days and note in which pot the seeds germinate and how quickly. If seeds germinate well at the normal/warm temperature but poorly (or not at all) in the very cold pot, it shows that temperature does affect seed germination.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Watch out for these

  • Thinking that anything which moves is living — a car moves but does not grow, respire or reproduce, so it is non-living.
  • Thinking that plants are non-living because they do not move from place to place — plants do show movements (opening flowers, folding leaves) and have all life characteristics.
  • Forgetting that light is not essential for the germination of most seeds — seeds mainly need water and air; light is needed for the seedling to grow afterwards.
  • Mixing up the life-cycle stages — mosquito: egg → larva → pupa → adult; frog: egg → tadpole → froglet → adult.
  • Saying excretion happens only in animals — plants also excrete (droplets of excess water and minerals on leaves).
  • Confusing the increase in size of a non-living thing (like a crystal) with true biological growth.

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Name any four characteristics of living beings.

ANSWERLiving beings move, need food (nutrition), grow, respire, excrete, respond to stimuli, reproduce and finally die. (Any four.)

Q2. What is a stimulus? Give one example of a plant responding to a stimulus.

ANSWERA stimulus is anything or any event that prompts a living being to respond. Example: the touch-me-not (chhui-mui) plant folds its leaves when we touch them.

Q3. Why do mosquito larvae and pupae come up to the surface of water?

ANSWERThey live in water but need air to respire, so they repeatedly come to the surface of the water to take in air.

Q4. Why does spraying kerosene oil on stagnant water kill mosquito larvae and pupae?

ANSWERKerosene oil forms a thin layer over the water surface. This layer separates water from air and stops the larvae and pupae from inhaling air, so they die.

Q5. Through which tiny pores do plants take air in and out?

ANSWERPlants take air in and out through tiny pores called stomata present on the surface of their leaves.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Explain how an experiment with four pots of bean seeds shows the conditions needed for seed germination.

ANSWERFour pots of bean seeds are kept in different conditions. Pot A is kept in sunlight without water, Pot B in sunlight with excess water, Pot C in the dark with moist soil, and Pot D in sunlight with moist soil. After a few days the seeds germinate in Pot C and Pot D, where the soil is just moist and air is available. In Pot A the seeds get no water, so they do not germinate. In Pot B the excess water fills all the spaces between soil particles, so air cannot reach the seeds and they do not germinate. Pot C germinates even in the dark, showing that light is not essential for germination. This proves that seeds need the right amount of water and air to germinate, while light is not necessary for germination (though it is needed for the seedling to grow afterwards).

Q2. Describe the life cycle of a frog.

ANSWERThe life cycle of a frog has four main stages. It begins with the egg stage — a frog lays a cluster of jelly-like eggs called spawn in water, which progresses to the embryo. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, which first have a tail and no legs and live only in water, swimming with the help of the tail. As they grow, the tadpoles develop legs (first hind legs) and become froglets that still have a shrinking tail and begin to spend some time on land. Finally the tail disappears completely, the legs grow strong, and the froglet becomes a fully developed adult frog that lives both in water and on land. The adult frog reproduces and the cycle continues, showing changes in body shape, structure and even habitat.

Q3. How do living beings differ from non-living things? Explain with examples.

ANSWERLiving beings show a set of common characteristics that non-living things do not. Living beings move (animals move from place to place, and even plants show movements such as opening of flowers and folding of leaves), they need food for energy and growth, they grow in size, they respire (take in air and release it — plants do this through stomata), they excrete waste (sweat and urine in animals, droplets of excess water on leaves in plants), they respond to stimuli (we pull back our hand from a hot cup; touch-me-not folds its leaves), they reproduce to produce new ones of their kind, and finally they die. Non-living things such as a pencil, a chair or a car do not show all these features — a car can move but cannot grow, respire or reproduce. The absence of these characteristics tells us that a thing is non-living, while their presence tells us it is a living being.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Which of the following is a non-living thing?

(a) pigeon    (b) plant    (c) car    (d) child

2. The process of removal of waste products from the body is called:

(a) respiration    (b) excretion    (c) reproduction    (d) germination

3. Tiny pores on the surface of leaves that help plants take air in and out are called:

(a) stomata    (b) spawn    (c) embryo    (d) seed coat

4. Which condition is NOT essential for the germination of most seeds?

(a) water    (b) air    (c) light    (d) suitable warmth

5. The folding of leaves of the touch-me-not plant when touched is an example of:

(a) excretion    (b) reproduction    (c) response to a stimulus    (d) respiration

6. The correct order of stages in the life cycle of a mosquito is:

(a) egg → pupa → larva → adult    (b) egg → larva → pupa → adult    (c) larva → egg → pupa → adult    (d) egg → adult → larva → pupa

7. In a germinating seed, the part that develops into a new plant is the:

(a) seed coat    (b) embryo    (c) stomata    (d) spawn

8. When a plant is kept upright with all suitable conditions, the root grows:

(a) upwards    (b) downwards    (c) towards light    (d) sideways only

9. The jelly-like cluster of frog eggs found on the surface of water is called:

(a) froglet    (b) tadpole    (c) spawn    (d) pupa

10. Reproduction is necessary because it ensures the:

(a) movement of living beings    (b) excretion of waste    (c) continuity of life    (d) breathing of plants

Answer key: 1-(c), 2-(b), 3-(a), 4-(c), 5-(c), 6-(b), 7-(b), 8-(b), 9-(c), 10-(c).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: A car is a non-living thing.

Reason: A car can move but it does not grow, respire or reproduce.

A-R 2. Assertion: Light is essential for the germination of most seeds.

Reason: Seeds need only water and air to germinate, and most seeds germinate even in the dark.

A-R 3. Assertion: Plants are living beings.

Reason: Plants grow, respire, excrete, respond to stimuli and reproduce.

A-R 4. Assertion: Seeds in a pot with excess water above the soil do not germinate well.

Reason: Excess water fills the spaces between soil particles, so air cannot reach the seeds.

A-R 5. Assertion: The tail of a tadpole disappears as it becomes an adult frog.

Reason: The adult frog develops strong legs and lives on land, so the tail is no longer needed for swimming.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(D), 3-(A), 4-(A), 5-(A).

Quick Revision Summary

  • Things around us are of two types — living and non-living.
  • Living beings move, eat, grow, respire, excrete, respond to stimuli, reproduce and die; absence of these features means a thing is non-living.
  • Plants also move (Drosera, touch-me-not), respire through stomata, and excrete excess water on their leaves.
  • Seed germination needs the right amount of water and air; light is generally not essential for germination.
  • In growing plants, roots grow downward and shoots grow upward and towards light.
  • A plant’s life cycle: seed → germination → growth → flowering → fruit/seeds → new plants.
  • Mosquito life cycle: egg → larva → pupa → adult; frog life cycle: egg → tadpole → froglet → adult.

Real-life Applications

Understanding the characteristics of living beings has many everyday uses. Knowing that seeds need moisture and air to germinate helps us store grains and pulses safely by drying them and keeping them in airtight, cool, dry containers. Knowing that mosquito larvae and pupae need air at the water surface explains why we remove stagnant water or spray a thin layer of kerosene oil to control mosquitoes and the diseases they spread, like malaria and dengue. Gardeners use the fact that shoots grow towards light and roots grow downward when they plant and train climbers. Recognising the life cycles of frogs and insects also helps us protect these creatures and their habitats, keeping the living world healthy.

How to score full marks in this chapter

Learn the eight characteristics of living beings in order and be ready to explain why a car or a wooden log is non-living. For experiment questions, always state the aim, what you change (only one factor), what you keep the same (fair test) and what you observe. Remember the exact stages of the mosquito and frog life cycles, and that shoots grow towards light while roots grow downward. Use the textbook’s own examples — touch-me-not, Drosera, stomata, kerosene oil — to show you have read the chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 10 about?

Chapter 10, Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics, explains how living beings differ from non-living things (movement, nutrition, growth, respiration, excretion, response to stimuli, reproduction and death), the conditions needed for seed germination, how plant roots and shoots grow, and the life cycles of a plant, a mosquito and a frog.

What conditions are needed for a seed to germinate?

Seeds mainly need the right amount of water and air to germinate. Light is generally not essential for germination — many seeds germinate even in the dark — but sunlight is needed for the seedling to grow afterwards.

What are the stages in the life cycle of a mosquito and a frog?

A mosquito passes through four stages: egg → larva → pupa → adult. A frog passes through egg → tadpole → froglet → adult frog, changing both its body shape and its habitat.

Are these Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 10 solutions free?

Yes. All solutions are free and follow the official NCERT Curiosity textbook for 2026–27.

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