What is life?

What is a Living organism?

 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation

Consciousness
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth  It is the increase in number & mass of

cells by cell division.
Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation

Consciousness
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation  In plants, growth continues throughout their lifespan.

 In animals, growth is only up to a certain age.
Consciousness However, cell division occurs to replace lost cells.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism
 Basically, growth is the increase in mass & size.
Thus non-living objects also grow (surface
Cellular organisation
accumulation of material). So growth is not a
defining property of living organisms.
Consciousness
 In living organisms, growth is from inside.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation
 It is the production of progeny having features
similar to those of parents.
Consciousness  Organisms reproduce asexually and sexually.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation
 In unicellular organisms, growth & reproduction are
Consciousness same because they reproduce by cell division.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Mule Worker Honeybee

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

 Many organisms do not reproduce (e.g. mules,

Cellular organisation
worker bees, infertile human couples, etc). Hence,
reproduction is not a perfect defining property of
Consciousness
living organisms.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation
 It is the sum total of all biochemical reactions
taking place inside a living system.
Consciousness
 It is the defining feature of living organisms.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation  Metabolic reactions can be demonstrated outside

the body in cell-free systems.
 Isolated metabolic reactions in vitro are not living
Consciousness
things but are living reactions.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation
• Organisms are made up of one or more cells.
Consciousness
• It is the defining feature of living organisms.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation  It is the ability of organisms to sense their

environment and respond to environmental stimuli
(like light, water, temperature, other organisms,
Consciousness
chemicals, pollutants, etc).
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation  All organisms are ‘aware’ of their surroundings.

So, it is the defining property of living
Consciousness organisms.
 PROPERTIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS

Growth

Reproduction

Metabolism

Cellular organisation

Human is the only organism having

Consciousness
self-consciousness.
DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

The number and types of

organisms present on earth
refer to biodiversity.
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

Number of species described is

1.7-1.8 million.
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

Taxonomy: It is the study of identification, classification &

nomenclature of organisms.
DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

Systematics (Latin ‘systema’ = systematic

arrangement) deals with evolutionary
relationships between organisms.
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

Systema Naturae is the book written by Linnaeus.

DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

Characterization

Identification
BASIC PROCESSES
OF TAXONOMY
Classification

Nomenclature
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD
BASIC PROCESSES OF TAXONOMY

Characterization

Identification

Classification
Understanding of characters of organisms such as
external and internal structure, structure of cell,
Nomenclature development process, ecological information etc.
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD
BASIC PROCESSES OF TAXONOMY

Characterization

Identification

Classification

It is the correct description of the organism so that the

Nomenclature naming is possible.
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD
BASIC PROCESSES OF TAXONOMY

Characterization

Identification

Classification
It is the grouping of organisms into convenient categories
Nomenclature (taxa) based on characters.
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD
BASIC PROCESSES OF TAXONOMY
I am
Characterization Mangifera indica

Identification
I am
Apis indica

Classification
It is the standardization of names of organisms such
that an organism is known by the same name all over
Nomenclature the world.
DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

 The system of naming with

two components is called
Binomial nomenclature.

 It is proposed by Linnaeus.
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

 Botanical names are based on

the rules in International Code Mangifera
for Botanical Nomenclature
indica
(ICBN).

 Zoological names are based on

International Code for Panthera
Zoological Nomenclature tigris
(ICZN).
 DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD

 Scientific names are in Latin or

Latinised and written in italics. When
handwritten, they are underlined
separately.
 The first word is genus name (Generic
name) and second word is the species
name (specific epithet).
 Genus name starts with capital letter
and species name with small letter.
 Author’s name (in abbreviated form)
appears at the end of biological name.
TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES

 Classification involves hierarchy of

steps in which each step represents a
taxonomic category (rank).
 All categories together constitute a
taxonomic hierarchy.
 Each category represents a unit of
classification.
 A group of organisms occupying a
particular category is called a taxon
(pl. taxa). E.g. Class Mammalia.
TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES
Taxonomic category Taxon
Kingdom Animalia

Phylum / Division Chordata

Class Mammalia

Order Primata

Family Hominidae

Genus Homo

Species sapiens
 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES Species
Common name Generic name Specific epithet

Mango Mangifera indica

Potato Solanum tuberosum

Nightshade Solanum nigrum

 It is a group of closely related
organisms capable of interbreeding Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
to produce fertile offspring. Brinjal Solanum melongena
 It is the lowest category. Lion Panthera leo

Tiger Panthera tigris

Leopard Panthera pardus

Modern man Homo sapiens

 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES Genus
 It is the aggregates of closely related species.

Genus Solanum Genus Panthera Genus Felis

Potato (S. tuberosum) Lion (Panthera leo) House Cat
(Felis domesticus)
Tomato (S. lycopersicum) Leopard (P. pardus)
Jungle cat
Brinjal (S. melongena) Tiger (P. tigris) (Felis chaus)
 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES Family

 It is a group of related genera.

Family Solanaceae Family Felidae

Genus Solanum
Genus Panthera
Genus Petunia
Genus Felis
Genus Datura
 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES Order

 It is the assemblage of related families.

Order Order
Polymoniales Carnivora
Family
Family Felidae
Convolvulaceae

Family
Family Canidae
Solanaceae
 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES Class

 It is the assemblage of related orders.

Class Class
Dicotyledonae Mammalia
Order Order
Polymoniales Primata

Order Order
Sapindales Carnivora
 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES Phylum/ Division
 It is the assemblage of related classes.
 In cases of plants the related classes form division.

Division Phylum
Angiospermae Chordata
Class Amphibia
Class
Dicotyledonae
Class Reptilia

Class Aves
Class
Monocotyledonae
Class Mammalia
 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES Kingdom
 The assemblage of related Phyla/Division.
 It is the highest category.

Kingdom Kingdom
Plantae Animalia
Division Phylum
Angiospermae Chordata

Division Phylum
Gymnospermae Arthropoda
Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Mammalia

Order Carnivora

Family Felidae

Genus Panthera

Species tigris
Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Mammalia

Order Carnivora

Family Felidae

Genus Panthera

Species tigris
 Organisms with their taxonomic categories

Common name Man Housefly Mango Wheat

Biological name Homo sapiens Musca domestica Mangifera indica Triticum aestivum
Genus Homo Musca Mangifera Triticum
Family Hominidae Muscidae Anacardiaceae Poaceae
Order Primata Diptera Sapindales Poales
Class Mammalia Insecta Dicotyledonae Monocotyledonae
Phylum/ Division Chordata Arthropoda Angiospermae Angiospermae
 1. Herbarium
2. Botanical
9. Catalogues
gardens

3. Zoological
8. Monographs
TAXONOMICAL parks (zoos)
AIDS

7. Manuals 4. Museum

6. Flora 5. Key
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS a. Herbarium
 It is a store house (repository) of plant specimens that are dried, pressed and
preserved on sheets and are arranged according to universally accepted classification.
 Herbarium sheets are labelled with information about date and place of collection,
English, local and botanical names, family, collector’s name etc.
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS b. Botanical gardens
 These are specialized gardens having collections of living plants for reference
and identification.
 Each plant is labeled with its botanical name and family.

Famous botanical gardens

1. Royal Botanical Garden at Kew
(England).
2. Indian Botanical Garden,
Howrah (West Bengal, India).
3. National Botanical Research
Institute, Lucknow (India).
National Botanical
Indian Research
Botanical Institute,
Garden, Howrah Lucknow
Royal Botanical Garden
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS c. Biological Museum

 It is a collection of preserved plants and animals for study and

reference.
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS c. Biological Museum
 A museum contains
 Specimens preserved in preservative solutions in containers or jars.
 Dried specimens of plants and animals.
 Insects preserved in insect boxes after collecting, killing and pinning.
 Stuffed larger animals like birds and mammals.
 Collections of animal skeletons.
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS d. Zoological parks (Zoos)
 These are the places where live wild animals are kept in protected environments under
human care.
 It helps to learn about their food habits and behaviour.
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS e. Key

 It is an analytical method of identification of organisms based on similarities and

dissimilarities.

 It is based on the contrasting

characters generally in a pair
called couplet.
 Each couplet has two opposite
options. Of these, only
relevant option is accepted
and the other is rejected.
 Each statement in the key is Key: Branching type
called a lead.
TAXONOMICAL AIDS e. Key

Key: Branching type

Key: Bracketed type

 TAXONOMICAL AIDS f. Flora
 It is the actual account of habitat and distribution of plant species of a
given area.
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS g. Manuals
 Manuals are the record that contains information for identification of names
of species found in an area.
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS h. Monographs

 These are the records that contain information on any one taxon.
 TAXONOMICAL AIDS i. Catalogue

 It is an alphabetical list of species.

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