Skip to main content
Super TutorResources
Chapter 12 of 13
QuestionsNotesFlashcardsSummaryFormulasQuizConceptsSyllabusPlan
NCERT Solutions

Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification

CBSE · Class 9 · Science

NCERT Solutions for Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification — CBSE Class 9 Science.

80 questions72 flashcards5 concepts

Interactive on Super Tutor

Studying Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification? Get the full interactive chapter.

Quizzes, flashcards, AI doubt-solver and a step-by-step study plan — built for ncert solutions and more.

Try Super Tutor — Free

1,000+ Class 9 students started this chapter today

70 Questions Solved · 14 Sections

35 worked solutions below. Unlock all 70 free in Super Tutor

Think It Over

1What do you understand by biodiversity?Show solution
This means the immense variety of living organisms found on Earth.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

2How does the grouping of organisms help us understand diversity?Show solution
Grouping organisms helps us study the vast variety of life in a systematic way. It makes the study of living organisms more organised, helps us see similarities and differences, and shows how organisms are related to one another. It also helps scientists identify and name new organisms and use this knowledge in conservation, ecosystem management and farming.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3- On what basis, are plants and animals classified?Show solution
According to the chapter, scientists classify organisms based on cell structure, number of cells, mode of nutrition and the organism’s ecological role.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

4How does classification help address problems in farming?Show solution
Classification helps farmers by helping them choose and conserve crop varieties with useful features such as drought tolerance, pest resistance and the ability to grow in nutrient-poor soils. Diversity in crops reduces the risk of crop failure and strengthens food security.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3On what basis, are plants and animals classified?Show solution
Plants and animals are classified on the basis of features such as cell structure, number of cells, mode of nutrition and ecological role.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

Activity 12.1: Let us compare and classify

1(i)Which animals can you identify in the given picture?Show solution
From the ecosystem picture, the animals that can be identified include owl, eagle, tiger, leopard, deer and other visible organisms shown in the scene.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

1(ii)Where are they seen?Show solution
In the picture, organisms are seen in different places such as tree, water, forest floor, flying high in air and flying near the ground.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

1(iii)Which animals in the picture seem active:
(i) during the day?
(ii) during the night?
(iii) both during the day and the night?Show solution
From the activity table in the chapter, owl is active at night, while organisms such as eagle, tiger and leopard are grouped as active in the day in the example. Some organisms may appear active both during the day and at night depending on the picture and observation.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

2Record your observations in Table 12.1.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3Now, try grouping the same organisms in more than one way. Each time change the criterion you are using for grouping (Table 12.2).Show solution
The same organisms can be grouped in more than one way depending on the criterion used. For example, they may be grouped by habitat (tree, water, forest floor), by time of activity (day or night), by feeding habit (carnivore, herbivore), or by visible features such as feathers, fur or wings. This shows that classification depends on the feature or pattern chosen.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

Pause and Ponder

1If many organisms share common features, could they also share a common ancestry?Show solution
Yes. The chapter explains that similar features in organisms suggest that they may have evolved from common ancestors. So, if many organisms share common features, they could also share a common ancestry.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

2How can a single-celled organism carry out all its life processes when billions of cells are required to perform similar functions in multicellular organisms like us?Show solution
A single-celled organism carries out all life processes within one cell because that one cell performs all the necessary functions. In multicellular organisms, billions of cells divide the work among themselves, but in unicellular organisms, the single cell must do nutrition, respiration, excretion, movement and reproduction by itself.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3Which plant features reduce their dependence on water but still require moist conditions?Show solution
Bryophytes are the plant group that reduced dependence on water by beginning to colonise land, but they still need moisture. They have slight body differentiation and lack vascular tissues.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

4Why do taller plants need specialised transport tissues?Show solution
Taller plants need specialised transport tissues because food and water must be carried to all parts of a large body. In plants like ferns and higher plants, xylem transports water and phloem transports food. Without these tissues, materials would not move efficiently over long distances.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

5How do seeds and fruits affect, where and how plants can survive?Show solution
Seeds protect the developing embryo and contain stored food, while fruits help in seed dispersal. These features allow plants to survive in new places and spread to a wide range of environments, so seeds and fruits increase where and how plants can live.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

6An earthworm (annelida) and a beetle (arthropoda), both have segmented bodies but the beetle has a hard external skeleton. How does the beetle's external skeleton help it survive?Show solution
The beetle’s external skeleton provides protection, reduces water loss and supports powerful muscles. This helps it survive in dry and exposed environments better than an animal without such a covering.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

7Does the term 'biodiversity' relate only to the variety of organisms, or does it encompass other elements?Show solution
Biodiversity does not mean only the variety of organisms. The chapter explains that it also includes the interconnections among organisms and their roles in keeping nature stable and functioning. So biodiversity includes the living variety as well as the relationships and roles that support ecosystems.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

8If you find a new organism in a pond, what features will you observe to classify it and why?Show solution
To classify a new pond organism, I would observe external features, cell structure, number of cells, mode of nutrition, movement, and whether it has a cell wall or a true nucleus. These features help place it in the correct group because classification is based on similarities and differences in such characteristics.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

9Why do genetic studies provide deep information about living beings?Show solution
Genetic studies give deep information because they compare organisms at the level of DNA. Organisms with similar DNA are considered to have a common ancestry. So genetic studies reveal relationships that may not be visible from external features alone.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

10How can changes in climate affect the biodiversity?Show solution
Changes in climate can affect biodiversity because organisms may no longer be able to survive in changed conditions of temperature, rainfall and habitat. Some species may adapt, but others may decline or disappear. The chapter also states that human activities and climate change are reducing biodiversity.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

Activity 12.3: Let us study

1Study the concept map (Fig. 12.5).Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

2List the criteria which form the basis of five kingdom classification.Show solution
The basis of five-kingdom classification includes cell type (prokaryote or eukaryote), cell structure (presence or absence of a cell wall), level of organisation (unicellular or multicellular) and mode of nutrition (autotrophic or heterotrophic).

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3Compare the criteria you have listed after studying the concept map and the criteria given below:Show solution
The listed criteria are the same as those given in the chapter. The five-kingdom classification is based mainly on cell type, cell structure, level of organisation and mode of nutrition. So the criteria from the concept map match the criteria given below.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

Activity 12.4: Let us explore

1In the school laboratory, observe the available permanent slides of bacteria and cyanobacteria under the microscope.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

2Compare them with Fig. 12.6.Show solution
Bacteria and cyanobacteria are single-celled prokaryotes grouped under Monera. Bacteria are found in many places, and cyanobacteria are autotrophs and decomposers. Thus, the figure shows Monera with unicellular prokaryotic organisms.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3What do you observe?Show solution
The correct observation is that bacteria and cyanobacteria are single-celled prokaryotes and are grouped under Monera.

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

Activity 12.5: Let us make

1Collect a small sample of grass after the lawn has been mowed, or collect straw or fodder.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

2Take a small glass bottle and fill one fourth of it with the grass, straw or fodder.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3Fill the bottle with stagnant water or pond water and mix it with the collected plant material.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

4Cover the bottle with a muslin cloth and tie it using a thread.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

5Keep the bottle aside undisturbed for a week.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

6Slightly open the mouth of the bottle by removing the muslin cloth, just enough to insert a dropper inside it and carefully take a drop of water.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

7Put the drop of water on a clean slide and observe it under a microscope.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

Activity 12.6: Let us explore

1Observe some bryophytes with the help of a hand lens. Collect them in a watch glass.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

2Put a drop of water on it and observe it under a dissecting microscope. A dissecting microscope enables us to view magnified images of live specimens.Show solution

Not sure why a step works? check your working in Super Tutor

3How do they differ from the leaves that you usually observe in plants in your surroundings?

Activity 12.7: Let us compare

1Recall the cross section of the sunflower stem you have studied in Chapter 3 (Fig. 3.7).
2Compare the cross section of the stem of a fern, a pteridophytic plant (Fig. 12.11) with a cross section of sunflower stem you studied in Chapter 3 (Fig. 3.7).
3What difference do you observe in the vascular tissue of the fern stem and of the stem of higher plants? Write your observations. Share and discuss them in class.

Activity 12.8: Let us discuss

1Discuss how their structures help them adapt in different conditions to survive.
1Collect different leaves from your surroundings, and observe their shape and venation. Group them as monocots or dicots.

Activity 12.9: Let us study

1Carefully study the salient features of each plant group.
2Analyse the salient features, and write the advantages for survival of the group and the exceptions or challenges faced in the given columns.

Revise, Reflect, Refine

1Meena and Hari observed an animal in their garden. Hari called it an insect while Meena said it was an earthworm. Choose the correct option which confirms that it is an insect.
2Sponges represent one of the simplest animal body plans. Their bodies lack true tissues and organs. Which feature of sponge cells supports its classification under the animal kingdom?
3Observe two different animals in your immediate environment. What features help you distinguish between them? How do these features help place them into different groups?
4How would a scientist justify choosing cellular organisation as a more fundamental characteristic for the basis of classification rather than the presence of xylem and phloem?
5You find an unlabelled slide of a single-celled organism that has a well-defined nucleus and multiple cilia. Which group would it most likely belong to? Give reasons.
6How does the diversity of organisms contribute to the balance and stability of an ecosystem?
7If all unicellular organisms were grouped into a single kingdom, what problems would arise?
8Viruses were studied in earlier classes. Why are they not placed in any of the five kingdoms? Give reasons.
9If you were asked to revise the five kingdom classification, would you create a separate category for viruses or keep them outside the system? Justify your answer and explain what this indicates about the evolving nature of scientific classification.
10Viruses contain genetic material like living organisms but lack cellular organisation. Which features prevent them from fitting into the five kingdom system? What does this tell us about the limitations of classification systems?
11Both pteridophytes and bryophytes lack flowers and seeds, yet they are placed in different groups. Explain this classification using their key features.
12In the classification hierarchy, which group—class or genus—has fewer members but more features in common? Explain your answer.
13A scientist discovers a new organism with the characteristic features of locomotion and autotrophic nutrition. Which character(s) would help the scientist identify the organism belonging to Protista according to the five kingdom classification?
14A researcher identified a unicellular eukaryotic organism as fungi. What identification key would you suggest according to the five kingdom classification to keep a unicellular organism in the Kingdom Fungi?
15(i)Identify one organism that clearly belongs to the Kingdom Fungi. State one observation that supports your answer.
15(ii)Which organism would be placed in the Kingdom Monera? Mention one characteristic that justifies this placement.
15(iii)Organisms R and Q are both eukaryotic, yet they are placed in different kingdoms. Analyse the criteria that separate them.
15(iv)Explain why organism S cannot be classified using the mode of nutrition alone.
15(v)Organism T does not fit into any of the five kingdoms. Which fundamental characteristic used in classification does it lack and what does this reveal about the limitations of classification systems?
15(vi)If classification were based only on habitat, which organisms might be incorrectly grouped together? Explain the scientific consequences of such a classification.
15(vii)Imagine scientists discover a new organism that is multicellular, eukaryotic, lacks chlorophyll and absorbs nutrients from a host externally. Should it be placed under fungi or animalia? Justify your reasoning using classification criteria.
15During a long-term ecological study, students examined organisms collected from three different environments—a freshwater pond, damp soil near decaying logs and the digestive tract of animals. Instead of naming organisms directly, scientists recorded only structural, cellular and nutritional features as given in the table below.

1. Ponder on the questions given below:

1(iii)Which animals in the picture seem active:

Think and discuss the case based on the following questions—

(i)How can scientists keep track of so many species?
(ii)The four hornbills look similar in some ways. What features can help scientists distinguish them from one another?
(iii)What would happen if the large, old trees disappeared from the forest?

The Quest Continues...

1What knowledge do you think scientists would come up with further and how would it affect the classification system?

35 more solved questions in Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification

Every remaining exercise is solved step by step in Super Tutor, plus practice quizzes and flashcards for this chapter. Free to start.

Stuck on a step?

Ask Super Tutor AI to explain any solution on this page in a simpler way — free, 24x7.

Ask a Doubt Free

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the important topics in Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification for CBSE Class 9 Science?
Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification covers several key topics that are frequently asked in CBSE Class 9 board exams. Focus on the core concepts listed on this page and practise related questions to build confidence.
How to score full marks in Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification — CBSE Class 9 Science?
Understand the core concepts first, then work through the 80 practice questions available for this chapter. Revise formulas and definitions regularly, and use flashcards for quick recall before the exam.
Where can I get free NCERT Solutions for Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification Class 9 Science?
This page has free step-by-step NCERT Solutions for every exercise question in Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification (CBSE Class 9 Science) — written the way examiners award marks: given, formula, working, answer.

Sources & Official References

Content is aligned to the official syllabus. Refer to the board website for the latest curriculum.

More resources for Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification

All 13 chapters — CBSE Class 9 Science NCERT Solutions

For serious students

Get the full Patterns in Life : Diversity and Classification chapter — for free.

Quizzes, flashcards, AI doubt-solver and a step-by-step study plan for CBSE Class 9 Science.

Try Super Tutor Free
Try the full chapter — Free