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Chapter 2: Components of Food

NCERT Class VI Science Chapter 2 in short: nutrients and their sources, tests for starch and protein, deficiency diseases and a balanced diet.

📅 15 Oct 2026·⏱ 8 min read
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NCERT Notes

Chapter 4: Maps

Chapter 4: Maps — NCERT Class VI Geography, Chapter 4, summarised for revision.

📅 15 Oct 2026·⏱ 5 min read
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NCERT Notes › Class VI › Science

Chapter 1: Food – Where Does It Come from?

SGS Team·14 Oct 2026·4 min readPrelims + Mains·
NCERT Class VI Science notes opened at the first chapter, on a desk

Source: NCERT Class VI Science, Chapter 1, Pages 1–7 Class: VI

Food Variety 🌿

🔑 Ingredients = the materials used to prepare a food item.

  • Food eaten varies across different regions of India.
  • Some food needs very few ingredients – boiled rice needs only raw rice and water.
  • Some food needs many ingredients – vegetable curry needs vegetables, salt, spices, and oil.

📊 Examples of Food Items and Their Ingredients

Food ItemIngredients
Roti / ChapatiAtta, water
DalPulses, water, salt, oil/ghee, spices

Food Materials and Sources 🌿

🔑 All food comes from two main sources: Plants and Animals.

  • Plants give us grains, cereals, vegetables, and fruits.
  • Animals give us milk, meat products, and eggs.

📊 Ingredients and Their Sources

Food ItemIngredientSource
IdliRicePlant
Chicken curryChickenAnimal
Chicken curryOil / gheePlants / Animals
KheerMilkAnimal
KheerRicePlant

Plant Parts as Food 🌿

🔑 Edible = eatable parts of plants or animals.

Plants give us food from different parts – leaves, fruits, roots, stems, and even flowers.

⚠️ Some plants have two or more edible parts – the mustard plant gives oil from its seeds AND a vegetable from its leaves.

📊 Plant Parts and Food Examples

Food ItemIngredientPlant Part That Gives the Ingredient
Brinjal curryBrinjalFruit
Brinjal curryChilli as spiceFruit
OilOil from groundnut, mustard, or soybeanSeed

Animal Products as Food 🌿

📊 Animal Products

ProductSource
MilkCows, goats, buffaloes
Butter, cream, cheese, curdMade from milk
MeatAnimals
EggsAnimals

🔑 Milk and milk products like butter, cream, cheese, and curd are used all over the world.

Sprouted Seeds and Honey 🌿

Sprouted Seeds

🔑 Sprouted seeds = seeds that show a small white growth after soaking – they have sprouted.

⚙️ How to Sprout Seeds (Moong or Chana):

Soak dry seeds in water for one day ↓ Drain the water completely ↓ Wrap seeds in a wet cloth and set aside ↓ Small white structures grow out – the seeds have sprouted ✅️

  • Sprouted seeds can be washed and eaten raw, or boiled and eaten with spices.

⚠️ Do NOT taste unknown plants – some plants could be poisonous.

Honey

🔑 Nectar = sweet juices collected by bees from flowers.

⚙️ How Honey Is Made:

Bees collect nectar from flowers ↓ Bees convert nectar into honey ↓ Honey is stored in the beehive ↓ Humans collect honey from the beehive ✅️

  • Flowers and nectar are available only for part of the year, so bees store honey for use throughout the year.

What Do Animals Eat? 🌿

🔑 Animals are grouped into three types based on what they eat.

📊 Classification of Animals by Food 📊

TypeDefinitionSource Example
HerbivoreEats only plants or plant productsCow
CarnivoreEats only other animalsLion
OmnivoreEats both plants and animalsDog

📊 Animals and Their Food

AnimalFood Eaten
BuffaloGrass, oilcake, hay, grains
CatSmall animals, birds, milk

Common Confusions ⚠️

ConfusionClarification
Herbivore eats only herbsHerbivore eats any plant or plant product – not just herbs
Honey is a plant productHoney is made by bees (animals) from nectar – it is an animal product
All plant parts are safe to eatOnly specific parts of specific plants are edible – some plants are poisonous
Carnivore and omnivore are the sameCarnivore eats ONLY animals; omnivore eats BOTH plants and animals

Memory Aids 💡

What to RememberMnemonic / Trick
Three types of animal eaters💡 "H-C-O: Herbivores eat Hay, Carnivores eat Chicken, Omnivores eat One of everything!"
Two main sources of food💡 "Think PA – Plants and Animals – our two food parents!"
How honey is made💡 "Bees are kitchen chefs – they collect flower juice (nectar) and cook it into honey in their hive!"
Sprouting steps💡 "Remember S-D-W: Soak the seeds, Drain the water, Wrap in wet cloth – then watch the tiny white tail grow!"

Exam Corner 🎯

Practice These from Your NCERT Textbook:

QuestionTopic TestedReference
Q1. Do all living beings need the same kind of food?Food varietyPage 6, Q1
Q2. Name five plants and their parts that we eat.Plant parts as foodPage 6, Q2
Q3. Match Column A (milk/curd/paneer/ghee; spinach/cauliflower/carrot; lions and tigers; herbivores) with Column B.Sources of food; animal classificationPage 6, Q3
Q4. Fill in the blanks using: herbivore, plant, milk, sugarcane, carnivore.Animal classification; food sourcesPage 7, Q4

Abbreviation Legend

AbbreviationFull Form
Fig.Figure
ncertclass-visciencefood

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