Living Organisms and Their Surroundings Class 6 Notes – Quick Revision

Living organisms are identified by a group of life processes such as nutrition, growth, respiration, excretion, movement, response to stimuli and reproduction. Every organism also lives in a particular habitat, where living and non-living factors together influence survival.

Updated for 2026–27: “The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings” is the title used in the older Class 6 NCERT Science sequence. The current Class VI science textbook is Curiosity. Related ideas are now reorganised across the newer book, especially Chapter 2 – Diversity in the Living World and Chapter 10 – Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics. We are keeping this established page and URL because students still search the older chapter title, while updating the science and linking the ideas to the current curriculum.

Concept	What to remember
Habitat	The natural place where an organism lives and obtains the conditions it needs.
Biotic factors	Living parts of a habitat, such as plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms.
Abiotic factors	Non-living factors such as water, air, light, soil and temperature.
Adaptation	A feature or behaviour that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
Aquatic habitat	A water-based habitat such as a pond, river, lake or ocean.
Terrestrial habitat	A land-based habitat such as a forest, grassland, desert or mountain region.
Living characteristics	Growth, nutrition, respiration, excretion, movement, response, reproduction and a life cycle.

Watch & Learn: English + Hindi Video Lessons

English: Living Creatures – Complete Class 6 Chapter

For the English lesson, we use a public video from the verified MooMooMath and Science channel. It explains the core question “What makes something alive?” through characteristics such as cells, growth, reproduction, energy use, organisation and response to stimuli, making it useful for learners following different school systems around the world.

हिंदी: Living Creatures – जीवों की विशेषताएँ

यह सार्वजनिक हिंदी कक्षा 6 विज्ञान पाठ सजीव और निर्जीव वस्तुओं, वृद्धि, श्वसन, गति, पोषण, उत्सर्जन, प्रजनन और वातावरण के प्रति प्रतिक्रिया को सरल तरीके से समझाता है।

Organisms and the Surroundings Where They Live

We all are surrounded by plants, trees, animals, birds, microbes, and other living and nonliving things based on certain parameters. Scientists were able to differentiate between :

• Living things
• Non-living things

Habitat and Adaptation

Animals get a lot of benefits from their habitats. For example, rabbits live in a forest habitat by building a burrow in the soil, they get food from the plant products, the fresh air they breathe in is obtained. Habitat provides air, food, water and shelter to an animal.

The place where an organism naturally lives and reproduces is called a habitat.

The soil  and climate conditions on land are different in different parts of the earth. It is necessary for organisms to adjust to the conditions and environment they live in. The special characteristics possessed by plants and animals that enable them to successfully survive in a particular environment is the adaptation.

Light :

• Sunlight is the primary energy source for most ecosystems because green plants use light to make food by photosynthesis.
• Light affects plant growth and development. A plant kept without enough light may become pale, elongated and weak because normal photosynthesis and healthy growth are reduced.
• Light also affects animals. Animals living in caves and burrows where sunlight cannot reach have very much reduced eyes e.g., Proteus. Amblyopsis do not have eyes.
• Nocturnal animals: Some animals like bats, cockroaches and owls are called nocturnal as they are active during night.

Temperature :

• Temperature regulates growth, movement, reproduction, morphology and other aspects of life.
• Desert animals use different water-saving adaptations. Reptiles have dry, scaly skin that reduces water loss, while many desert mammals conserve water through efficient kidneys and behaviour such as being active at cooler times.
• Desert animals e.g., camels have long legs. Long legs help them to lift their body above the ground. Thus, they are able to avoid direct contact with the hot ground.

Water :

All living organisms need water for their survival.

Aquatic plants:

Aquatic plants have the following adaptations:

• Root system is poorly developed.
  • Air filled cavities found inside the body make them spongy and buoyant.
  • Leaves in submerged plants are thin and narrow; while in floating plants, they are big and flat with waxy coating.

Desert plants:

Desert plantshave the following adaptations:

• Well-developed root systems.
  • Stem is succulent and spongy which helps in storage of water. It is also green and performs photosynthesis.
  • Stomata (sunken) are less in number.
  • Leaves are either very small or converted into spines.

Fish:

Fish has the following adaptation:

• Tapering ends.
  • A streamlined body and a mucus-covered surface help reduce resistance while swimming; fins and the tail help with balance, direction and propulsion.
  • Gills for respiration.

A Journey Through Different Habitats

Aquatic habitat

• When organisms live in water, this place of living is known as aquatic habitat.
• Ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans, etc., are examples of aquatic habitat.
• Water is a medium in aquatic habitat.

Terrestrial habitat

• When organisms live on land, this place of living is known as terrestrial habitat.
• Forests, deserts, orchards, tea gardens and mountains are examples of terrestrial habitat.
• Air is the medium in terrestrial habitat.

Mountain

• The mountain is a special terrestrial habitat where temperature is very low and most of the areas are covered with snow.
• The plants like grasses, mosses and lichens and animals like snow bear, fox, water fowl, musk deer and wolf are found commonly in this habitat.

Characteristics of Living Beings

Life is a process seen only in living objects in the form of growth, movement, feeding or eating, sensitivity, respiration, excretion and reproduction. All living things on this earth possess certain basic characteristics.

Life Span: Each animal lives for a certain period. This period is referred to as life span.

These include the following:

• Growth
• Movement
• Feeding
• Responsiveness
• Excretion
• Respiration
• Cellular structure
• Reproduction
• Adaptation

Growth:

Growth in living organisms is a biological increase in size, mass or cell number as part of development. Animals usually have more limited growth periods, while many plants continue growing throughout life.

• Animals grow for a certain period.
• In the case of trees, growth takes place throughout life.
• Growth in plants and animals is influenced by several factors like food, climate, lifestyle, etc.

Movement:

Change in the position from one place to another is called movement.

• Locomotion: The movement involving change of place in animals is called locomotion.
• Animals use wings (bird), fins (fish), limbs (cow, horse, buffalo, man) for locomotion.
• Plants generally show movements of various parts, e.g., flower buds open, roots grow away from light, when we touch the leaves of mimosa (touch me not), they shrivel up.

Cellular Structure :

• Cells constitute plants and animal bodies.
• Cells are organised in various ways in different organisms.
• They help in carrying out various functions like nutrition, respiration, etc.
• They are called the structural and functional unit of all living organisms.

Nutrition:

The process of taking food by organisms is generally referred to as nutrition or nourishment. Food and water are essential for life. Food provides energy that helps in the growth of the body and its repair.

• Autotrophs: They are the living forms which can synthesize their own food by photosynthesis, e.g., green plants.
• Heterotrophs: They are the living organisms which cannot manufacture their own food, e.g., all animals.
• Saprophytes: The living organisms which obtain their nutrition from the dead plants and animals are called saprophytes.
• Parasites: The plants and animals that feed on the other living bodies are called parasites.

Respiration :

• Respiration is the cellular process that releases energy from food. In many organisms this commonly uses oxygen, although some organisms can release energy without oxygen for short periods or under special conditions.
• Breathing: Taking in air and releasing it in animals is referred to as breathing.
• We inhale oxygen (O2) and exhale carbon dioxide (CO2).

Excretion :

• The removal of excretory waste from the body of a living being is called excretion.
• Plants also remove waste materials in several ways, including through leaf pores and by storing some wastes in old leaves or bark that are later shed.
• Latex, resin and gum are wastes for the plant but useful for us.

Response to Stimuli :

• Living beings respond to changes in their surroundings.
• Stimuli: The factors like food, water, light, touch, gravitational force, etc., are stimuli (stimulus) to which plants and animals respond.

Reproduction :

• The process of a living being to produce of its own kind is called reproduction.
• Life produces life.
• Plants reproduce through seeds. Some plants also reproduce through vegetative parts.

Seed Germination and Life Cycles

The current Class 6 Curiosity treatment of living creatures also connects the characteristics of life with germination and life cycles. A seed generally needs water, air and a suitable temperature to germinate. As the young plant grows, it develops roots and shoots, matures and can eventually reproduce.

Animals also pass through life-cycle stages. For example, a mosquito develops through egg, larva, pupa and adult stages, while a frog develops from egg to tadpole and then to an adult frog. Life cycles show that growth, development and reproduction are connected parts of living systems.

Conclusion

• Adaptation: The change in specific features and habits which enable a plant or an animal to live in a particular habitat is called adaptation.
• Aquatic habitat: When organisms live in water, their place of living is known as aquatic habitat.
• Biotic component: Living things of a habitat form its biotic component.
• Excretion: The removal of metabolic waste substances from the body of a living organism is called excretion.
• Growth: Increase in size and total weight of the living organism is called growth.
• Habitat: The place where an organism survives, flourishes and reproduces is called its habitat.
• Living things: These are the things which need water, air and nutrients for their survival.
• Reproduction: The process of a living being to produce of its own kind is called reproduction.
• Respiration: Respiration is the cellular process by which organisms release usable energy from food.
• Stimulus: The factors like food, water, light, touch, gravitational force, etc., are stimuli to which plants and animals respond.

5-Minute Observation Activity

• Choose one plant, one animal and one non-living object around you.
• For each one, record whether it grows, needs nutrition, responds to changes and reproduces.
• Identify two biotic and two abiotic factors in the organism’s habitat.
• Write one adaptation that helps the organism survive there.

Related Class 6 Science Learning

• Getting to Know Plants Class 6 Notes
• Body Movements Class 6 Notes
• Living Organisms and Their Surroundings – Questions & Solutions
• Current NCERT Class 6 Science – Curiosity

Living Organisms and Their Surroundings – FAQs

What is a habitat?

A habitat is the natural place where an organism lives and finds the conditions and resources it needs, such as food, water, shelter, suitable temperature and space.

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

Biotic factors are the living components of a habitat. Abiotic factors are the non-living components, including air, water, soil, light and temperature.

What are the main characteristics of living things?

Living organisms show several life processes, including nutrition, growth, respiration, excretion, movement, response to stimuli and reproduction. No single characteristic such as movement alone is enough to decide whether something is living.

Is this still Chapter 9 in the current NCERT Class 6 Science book?

No. “The Living Organisms and Their Surroundings” belongs to the older NCERT Class 6 Science sequence. In the current Curiosity textbook, related ideas are reorganised, including Chapter 2 on diversity in the living world and Chapter 10 on living creatures and their characteristics.