Class 6 Science Chapter 2 Question Answer -Short and Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1 Are fats, proteins and starch present in all food items?

Answer 1- No, fats, proteins and starch are not present in all food items. Some food items have fat, some have protein or starch or some have varying proportions of these nutrients.

Question 2 Does a food item contain more than one nutrient?

Answer 2 Yes, food items such as cooked pulse, milk, groundnut etc. contain more than one nutrient.

Question 3 Is there any food item that does not contain three nutrients ?

Answer 3 Yes, food items like a slice of vegetable or fruit do not contain any of these three nutrients.

Question 4 Do people of all ages need the same type of diet?

Answer 4 No, people of all ages do not need the same type of diet. It depends on the physical work done and age of a person. A person of growing age needs more protein in their diet as compared to an old person.

Question 5  Does animal food also consist of different components and do they also need a balanced diet?

Answer 5 Yes, animal food also consists of different components in the form of nutrients. They also need a balanced diet for their maintenance and growth.

Question 6  Are there any fresh vegetables or fruits that do not contain some amount of water?

Answer 6  No, fresh vegetables or fruits do contain some amount of water and our body needs are met by this water.

Question 7 Does the need for a balanced diet depend on the amount of physical work that we do?

Answer 8 Yes, the balanced diet intake depends on the physical work level, age, gender. A balanced diet gives the nutrients to our body it needs to function properly.

Question 9 Do some nutrients get lost in the process of cooking and preparations ?

Answer 9 Yes, the processes that expose foods to high levels of heat, light i.e. cooking, reheating etc. reduce the amount of nutrients in food.

Question 10 Do you think that fat-rich foods are harmful for us if eaten two much?

Answer 10 Yes, I think that fat-rich foods are harmful for us if eaten too much, because too much fat causes obesity.

Also Check – Class 6- Science Chapter -2 -Question Answer- (Very Short)

Question 11 Why is it important to cook food?

Answer 11 It is important to cook food due to the following reasons:

1. Cooking kills various germs present in food items.
2. It makes food easily digestible.
3. It makes food tasty.

Question 12  What is dehydration ? Does a person’s body weight increase or decrease when suffering from dehydration ?

Answer 12 Removal of water from the body in excess quantity is called dehydration. It reduces the body weight of a person.

Question 13 How do we test fat and starch in food samples ?Give one test for each.

Answer 13 Take a small quantity of food item and wrap it in a piece of paper and crush it. An oily patch on paper shows the presence of fat in that food item. 

Starch testing is done by using iodine solution. Appearance of blue black color shows the presence of starch.

Question 14 Describe the symptoms, cause and cure of ‘Beri- Beri’ disease.

Answer 14 In Beri-Beri, the nervous system is affected which causes weak muscles and little energy to work. It is caused due to deficiency of vitamin B, found in seafood, milk, meat, peas, cereals and green vegetables.

Question 15 Why do living organisms need food?

Answer 15 Living organisms need food for their survival, growth and to keep themselves healthy.

Question 17 Tasty food is not always nutritious and nutritious food may not always be tasty to eat. Comment with examples. – NCERT Exemplar- HOTS

Answer. Tasty food is not always nutritious and nutritious food may not always be tasty to eat. Certain examples in favor of the above statement are

• Potato chips are tasty to eat but not nutritious as they contain a huge amount of fats and salt.
• Green leafy vegetables are very nutritious but are not so tasty to eat and can not be digested. However it maintains the normal functioning of the digestive system. It helps in preventing constipation.
• Certain fast foods like pizza, burger, etc., are very good to taste but are not nutritious as they contain huge amounts of fat.

Question 18 List all those components of food that provide nutrients. 

Answer 18  The components of food that provide nutrients are given below 

• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Proteins
• Vitamins
• Minerals

Also Check – Class 6 – Science – Chapter 2 –Components of Food- Notes

Question 19 Mention two components of food that do not provide nutrients. –[NCERT Exemplar]

Answer 19 The two components of food that do not provide nutrients are :

1. Roughage
2. Water

Question 20 ‘Minerals and vitamins are needed in very small quantities by our body as compared to other components, yet, they are an important part of a balanced diet.’ Explain the statement.

Answer 20  ‘Minerals and vitamins are needed in very small quantities by our body as compared to other components, yet, they are an important part of a balanced diet, because if our body does not get sufficient amount of a certain mineral or vitamin for a prolonged duration of time, then we might suffer from certain diseases called deficiency diseases.

A small quantity of minerals and vitamins is required for maintaining good health and they

protect us from various diseases. For example, vitamin A is necessary to keep eyes healthy and

calcium is essential for the development of healthy bones and teeth.

Question 21 ‘Water does not provide nutrients, yet it is an important component of food’. Explain. NCERT Exemplar

Answer 21 Water does not provide nutrients, yet it is an important component of food due to the following reasons:

1. It helps our body in absorbing nutrients.
2. It helps in transporting substances inside our body.
3. It helps in the removal of wastes from our body in the form of urine.
4. It helps in regulating our body temperature. 

Question 15 What are vitamins ? State the function of vitamin A and C in our body.

Answer 15 Vitamins are complex organic compounds that are essential for maintaining good health of our body and they also protect us from various diseases.

Function of Vitamin A keeps our skin and eyes healthy. 

Function of Vitamin C helps the body to fight against diseases.

Question 16 What are carbohydrates ? Give an example.

Answer 16  Carbohydrates are compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. These are formed in plants during photosynthesis, e.g. glucose.

Question 17 In which forms are carbohydrates found in our food?

Answer 17 Carbohydrates found in our food are in the form of starch and sugar.

Question 18 Why should we eat a balanced diet? Name the vitamin that gets destroyed on heating.

Answer 18 Our body needs all the nutrients in the right amount, hence we should eat a balanced diet. Vitamin C gets destroyed on heating.

Question 19 Name two sources of animal fats. From where are they derived?

Answer 19  The two sources of animal fats are- Meat and cheese

• Meat from different animals like hens, fish, lamb , pigs, etc.
• Cheese from milk produced by cows, buffaloes , goats etc .

Question 20 Can you test and identify which of the following food items are fatty foods, i.e. food which is rich in fats? How will you test them?

Pulses, oil, wheat grains, butter, meat, rice, chapati, cucumber, pizza, poori and groundnuts.

Answer 20  Fats can be tested by a simple test:

• Take small amounts of all food materials one by one.
• Place them on a clean white paper and rub with mild force.
• Hold the paper towards light.
• If a greasy translucent spot appears, it indicates the food component is rich in fats.

Out of all food items, the following are fat rich foods:

Oil, butter, meat, pizza, poori, groundnuts.

Question 21 While using iodine in the laboratory, some drops of iodine fell on Paheli’s socks and some fell on her teacher’s saree. The drops of iodine on the saree turned blue-black while their color did not change on the socks. What can be the possible reason? –NCERT Exemplar-HOTS

Answer 21  The drops of iodine are used to detect the presence of starch in the food item. The possible reason for the appearance of blue-black color on teacher’s saree is due to the presence of starch. The saree would have been starched. Paheli’s socks did not have starch on it, thereby their color did not change.

Question 22 Paheli avoids eating vegetables but likes to eat biscuits, noodles and white bread. She frequently complains of stomach ache and constipation. What are the food items that she should include it in her diet to get rid of the problem? Give reason for your answer. – NCERT Exemplar; HOTS

Answer 22 Paheli should include roughage in her diet. 

Roughage is the fibrous matter in food which cannot be digested. It has no nutritive value but its presence is essential for normal functioning of the digestive system.

Thus, Paheli must include whole grains, pulses, fresh fruits and vegetables in her diet as fiber (roughage) is found in these food items.

Question 23 Minerals and vitamins are needed in very small quantities by our body as compared to other components, yet these are important parts of a balanced diet. Explain theStatement. -NCERT Exemplar

Answer 23 Though minerals and vitamins are needed in very small quantities by our body yet these are important parts of balanced diet because

• Vitamins are necessary for good eyesight (vitamin-A), growth (vitamin-B₁), keeping teeth gums and joints healthy (vitamin-C) and normal growth of bones (vitamin-D).
• Minerals are needed in our body for building bones and teeth (calcium and phosphorus), formation of blood (iron), coagulation of blood and functioning of muscles (calcium) and functioning of thyroid gland (iron).

Question 24 A mineral causes Anemia when it is not present in sufficient concentration. Name

this mineral. What are symptoms associated with this disease? Also list few sources of this mineral.

Ans. Anemia occurs in the absence of iron.

This mineral is essential for making haemoglobin in red blood cells. Its deficiency results in blood with little hemoglobin. Thus, the blood of person is not able to carry sufficient oxygen to all parts of the body.

Symptoms of this disease are

• Paler appearance, nails turn white.
• Weakness is profound.
• Tires easily.
• Weight loss is significant.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1 Boojho was having difficulty in seeing things in dim light. The doctor tested his eyesight and prescribed a particular vitamin supplement. He also advised him to include a few food items in his diet.

1. Which deficiency disease is he suffering from?
2. Which food component may be lacking in his diet?
3. Suggest some food items that he should include in his diet. – NCERT Exemplar

Answer 1

1. Boojho is suffering from night blindness.
2. The food component which may be lacking in his diet is vitamin-A.
3. The food items that he should include in his diet to overcome the deficiency of vitamins are carrot, papaya, milk, mango and fish oil.

Question 2 Radha came back from school hungry and went to her mother in the kitchen. Radha’s mother was peeling vegetables. She noted that the peels were very thick and her mother then started washing vegetables. Radha asked her to stop washing the vegetables. Her mother was surprised and asked why? Radha told her all she knew about how nutrients are washed away if we peel and then wash them.

1. If thick peels are removed from vegetables, what happens?
2. Washing vegetables after peeling is not a good practice. Can you tell why?
3. What are those components that get washed away?
4. Give two examples of vitamins and minerals containing food.
5. Do you think Radha has any values? Name them. Value Based Question

Answer 2 

1. Many vegetables contain most of the nutrients just below their skin surface. Thick peeling may lead to their removal.
2. Washing of vegetables after peeling or cutting removes the water-soluble vitamins and minerals from them and lowers their nutritional value.
3. These components are called nutrients like minerals (iron, calcium, phosphorus) and vitamins (B, A, C, D, E).
4. Vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, green leafy vegetables, etc.
5. Yes, Radha is sincere, observant, helpful and knowledgeable. She used her knowledge in the right place and stopped her mother for doing incorrect work.

Question 3  Manvi was going to her friend’s birthday. She enjoyed parties but today she was not feeling good. When her friend’s mother observed this, she asked Manvi whether she is all right.

Manvi told her that she has not eaten any food from the morning as she waited for the party. Manvi’s friend told her to sit down and have some food. She obeyed and finished her food.

1. Why was Manvi not feeling well?
2. Name the components present in food.
3. Out of these components, which are energy yielding ones?
4. What values do you observe in Manvi? – Value Based Question

Answer 3 

1. Manvi had not eaten any food since morning. She was tired as no energy giving food has been eaten by her. Lack of food leads to no energy and restlessness.
2. The components present in food are carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats and minerals.
3. Carbohydrates and fats are energy yielding components in food.
4.  Manvi is a humble, fun loving girl who realized her mistakes. She respects her elders and tries to follow instructions given by them.

Question 4  

1. A lot of awareness is being spread about the use of iodised salt in food. Why so?
2. What happens if iodine is not incorporated with our diet?
3. Iodine deficiency is common in which place?

Answer 4 

1. Use of iodised salt is very important as iodine is an important mineral nutrient needed in the body for supporting functions of the thyroid gland and other growth related functions.
2. If iodine is not incorporated in our diet, it will lead to its deficiency. Thyroid functions will be impaired along with growth and development. It causes swelling of thyroid gland presentin the neck.
3. In hilly areas, the food and drinking water both are lacking in iodine. Thus, this deficiency is observed there more.

Question 5  List all the sources and importance of the following minerals in food.

1. Calcium
2. Magnesium
3. Potassium
4. Zinc
5. Iron

Ans.

1. Calcium – The main sources of calcium minerals are milk, cheese, eggs and green vegetables. It is also found in flour and bread. It helps in the formation of bone, teeth and blood clotting.
2.  Magnesium- It is found in cheese, green vegetables, bread and fish. It helps in the formation of bone, teeth and blood clotting. It helps in energy transfer and muscle activity. It works with calcium and vitamin-C.
3. Potassium- It  is found in meat, fruit, eggs, milk, etc. The main function of potassium is balance in tissue fluid and blood. It also helps in nerve impulse conduction.
4. Zinc- It is mainly found in onions, liver and green vegetables. It works as an enzyme activator in our body.
5. Iron- It is found in green vegetables, fresh fruits, etc. Iron is needed to make hemoglobin present in red blood cells which carry oxygen from the lungs to the body parts.