Chapter 4 of 20

20%

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 6 Science★ 6-10 marks in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam through book-back MCQs, true/false and short answers

The World of Plants

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Science — Term 1 Chapter 4, The World of Plants. The root system (taproot in dicots, fibrous root in monocots) and the shoot system (stem and leaves), the parts and functions of a leaf including stomata, and the modifications of roots, stems and leaves, with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

⏱ 14 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

Worksheet

Podcast

Listen as a conversation

A teacher & a student talk through the chapter — in your language.

Mind Map

The chapter at a glance

Every concept and exam-favourite branch — revisable in 5 minutes.

…

Study Guide

Night-before notes

Key points, glossary and the questions most likely to show up.

…

VocabularyBuild your vocabularyLexiGenome mines the key words and schedules them with spaced repetition.Mine words →

By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Differentiate taproot and fibrous root systems
2Describe the shoot system
3Identify the parts and function of a leaf
4Explain stomata
5Give examples of root, stem and leaf modifications

💡

Why this chapter matters

The World of Plants explains the parts of a plant and how they are adapted. Root systems, leaf structure and modifications are directly tested book-back content in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

🔗

Class 5 — Parts of a Plant

Roots, stems and leaves.

The World of Plants — Class 6 Science (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 6 Science, Term 1 — Chapter 4. Roots, shoots, leaves and their modifications.

1. About this chapter

This chapter covers the root system and the shoot system, the parts of a leaf, and the modifications of roots, stems and leaves.

2. The root system

The root is the underground part of the main axis of a plant. It anchors the plant and absorbs water and minerals.
Taproot system: a single main root with smaller branches — present in dicot plants (bean, mango).
Fibrous root system: a cluster of roots arising from the base of the stem — present in monocot plants such as maize and grass.

3. The shoot system and the leaf

The shoot system is the part above the ground — the stem, leaves, flowers and fruits.
A leaf makes food by photosynthesis. On the lower side of a leaf are tiny pores called stomata, through which gases are exchanged.

4. Modifications

Roots can be modified for storage (carrot, radish).
Stems can be modified — e.g. an underground stem (ginger, potato) or a tendril.
Leaves can be modified into spines (as in cactus) to reduce water loss.

5. Worked examples

Example 1. What kind of root does maize have? A fibrous root.

Example 2. What are the pores on the lower side of a leaf called? Stomata.

Example 3. Into what are the leaves of a cactus modified? Spines.

6. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)

I. Choose the correct answer

Maize has a — (a) taproot / (b) fibrous root. Ans: (b) fibrous root.
The underground part of the main axis of a plant is the — (a) stem / (b) root. Ans: (b) root.
The tiny pores on the lower side of a leaf are the — (a) veins / (b) stomata. Ans: (b) stomata.

II. Fill in the blanks 4. The taproot system is present in dicot plants. 5. A cluster of roots arising from the base of the stem is the fibrous root.

III. True or False 6. The taproot consists of a cluster of roots arising from the base of the stem. — False (that is the fibrous root). 7. Roots are modified into spines. — False (leaves are modified into spines).

IV. Answer briefly 8. Differentiate taproot and fibrous root. — A taproot has one main root with branches (dicots); a fibrous root is a cluster of thin roots from the stem base (monocots). 9. What is the function of stomata? — To allow the exchange of gases in the leaf.

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Saying roots are modified into spines. Fix: Leaves are modified into spines (e.g. cactus).
Mistake: Calling maize a taproot plant. Fix: Maize (a monocot) has a fibrous root.
Mistake: Confusing taproot and fibrous root. Fix: Taproot = one main root (dicots); fibrous = cluster from the stem base (monocots).

8. Quick revision

Term 1 · Ch 4 · the world of plants.
Root = underground main axis; taproot (dicots, single main root) vs fibrous root (monocots like maize, cluster from stem base).
Shoot = stem, leaves, flowers, fruits; leaf makes food; stomata on the lower side exchange gases.
Modifications: roots store food (carrot), stems go underground (ginger), leaves become spines (cactus).

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Root system

taproot (dicots) vs fibrous (monocots)

Maize = fibrous.

Root

underground main axis

Anchors and absorbs.

Leaf / stomata

stomata on the lower side exchange gases

Leaf makes food.

Modifications

roots store, stems go underground, leaves become spines

Carrot, ginger, cactus.

⚠️

Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Saying roots are modified into spines

✓ Leaves are modified into spines (e.g. cactus).

WATCH OUT

✗ Calling maize a taproot plant

✓ Maize (a monocot) has a fibrous root.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing taproot and fibrous root

✓ Taproot = one main root (dicots); fibrous = cluster from the stem base (monocots).

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Choose the correct answer

Book-back MCQs on maize's root, the underground axis and stomata.

Questions

Fill in the blanks

Taproot in dicots and the fibrous root.

Questions

True or False / Answer briefly

Root systems, spines, and the function of stomata.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· MCQ

Maize has a ____ root.

▶ Show solution

fibrous.

Q2EASY· MCQ

The tiny pores on the lower side of a leaf are the ____.

▶ Show solution

stomata.

Q3EASY· Fill in the blanks

The taproot system is present in ____ plants.

▶ Show solution

dicot.

Q4EASY· True/False

True or False: Roots are modified into spines.

▶ Show solution

False — leaves are modified into spines.

Q5MEDIUM· Answer briefly

Differentiate taproot and fibrous root.

▶ Show solution

A taproot has a single main root with smaller branches and is found in dicots, while a fibrous root is a cluster of thin roots arising from the base of the stem and is found in monocots like maize.

Q6EASY· Answer briefly

What is the function of stomata?

▶ Show solution

Stomata are tiny pores on the lower side of a leaf that allow the exchange of gases for photosynthesis and respiration.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Term 1 Chapter 4 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 6 Science.
•The root is the underground main axis; it anchors the plant and absorbs water.
•Taproot (one main root) is found in dicots; fibrous root (cluster from the stem base) in monocots like maize.
•The shoot system is the stem, leaves, flowers and fruits.
•Stomata are tiny pores on the lower side of a leaf for gas exchange.
•Modifications: roots store food (carrot), stems go underground (ginger), leaves become spines (cactus).

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 6-10 marks across book-back MCQ, true/false and short answers

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ / Fill	1	4-6	Root systems, leaf, stomata
True / False	1	1-2	Root vs leaf modifications
Short Answer	2	1-2	Root systems, stomata

Prep strategy

Pair taproot with dicots, fibrous with monocots
Remember stomata are on the lower leaf
Note leaves (not roots) become spines
Give examples for each modification

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Agriculture

Knowing root types helps in growing crops.

Food

Modified roots and stems (carrot, ginger) are eaten.

Gardening

Understanding plant parts aids plant care.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Pair root types with monocot/dicot
Locate stomata on the lower leaf
Correct the spines statement (leaves, not roots)
Give one example per modification

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Classify five plants as taproot or fibrous-root.
Explain how a potato is a modified stem, not a root.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 6 Term 1 ExamHigh

NMMS / Foundation ScienceMedium

School unit testsHigh

AI helpers for this chapter

Generate more practice on the fly, or have the chapter explained at a different level.

⚡

Generate 5 more questions

Fresh MCQs + short-answer items based on this chapter, plus answer keys.

🧠

Explain at a different level

Re-explain the chapter at the level you actually want.

📝 My notes

Saved on this device — sign in to sync · how this works

0/600

Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

In a desert, broad leaves would lose too much water, so a cactus has its leaves modified into spines to reduce water loss, while its green stem carries out photosynthesis.

A taproot plant has one thick main root growing down with smaller side roots (like a carrot), while a fibrous-root plant has many thin roots of similar size spreading from the base of the stem (like grass or maize).

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) Class 6 mock tests

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) Class 6 PYQs

Ask in Q&A

Science flashcards

Related chapters

Students who read The World of Plants usually read these next.

Measurements

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Science — Term 1 Chapter 1, Measurements. Physical quantities, the SI system and units of length, mass and time, the instruments used to measure them, unit conversions, and measuring the volume of irregular objects by displacement, with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

Force and Motion

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Science — Term 1 Chapter 2, Force and Motion. The effects of force, contact and non-contact forces, the types of motion (rectilinear, circular, rotational, oscillatory/periodic), uniform and non-uniform motion, and speed (= distance ÷ time), with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

Matter Around Us

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Science — Term 1 Chapter 3, Matter Around Us. What matter is (it has mass and occupies space), pure substances and mixtures, and the methods of separating mixtures — hand-picking, winnowing, sieving, filtration, decantation and churning — with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

The World of Animals

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Science — Term 1 Chapter 5, The World of Animals. How animals are adapted to their habitats (aquatic, desert, aerial, forest and snowy regions), the camel as the ship of the desert, migration and aestivation, and bird sanctuaries like Vedanthangal, with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.