BIOLOGY CHAPTER-1 (THE LIVING WORLD)

-NCERT SOLUTION
1. Why are living organisms classified?
Solution:
The earth contains millions of organisms, and we may know the plants and animals that live near us
by their native names. The local names vary from place to place within a country. This leads to
confusion in identifying and studying specific species. Therefore, it must be called by a common
name throughout the world to standardise the nomenclature and study of organisms. To achieve
this, organisms are named and categorised according to their roles.
2. Why are the classification systems changing every now and then?
Solution:
Scientific study is ever a work in progress, and new species and organisms are often added. The
initial system of classification focuses only on the habits and habitat of organisms. Gradually,
external morphology became a tool for classification. After this, the morphology and embryology are
taken into account, followed by the phylogenetic relationship and the cytology of the organism.
Modern-day uses biochemical techniques to classify organisms based on their nucleic acid
components.
3. What different criteria would you choose to classify people that you meet often?
Solution:
The people we meet most often are categorized by characteristics such as gender, skin colour,
education, career, hobbies, and nature.
4. What do we learn from the identification of individuals and populations?
Solution:
By identifying individuals and populations, we learn the following things:
(i) Sex
(ii) Skin colour
(iii) Native place
(iv) Mother tongue
(v) Food habit
(vi) Religion
(vii) Caste
5. Given below is the scientific name of Mango. Identify the correctly written name.
Mangifera Indica
Mangifera indica
Solution:
The answer is Mangifera indica. Here, Mangifera is its genus name, and indica is its species name
which is always written in lowercase.
6. Define a taxon. Give some examples of taxa at different hierarchical levels.
Solution:
A taxon is a level of hierarchy in the system of classifying organisms.
Following are the hierarchical levels:
(i) Kingdom
(ii) Phylum
(iii) Class
(iv) Order
(v) Family
(vi) Genus
(vii) Species
7. Can you identify the correct sequence of taxonomical categories?
(a) Species Order Phylum Kingdom
(b) Genus Species Order Kingdom
(c) Species Genus Order Phylum
Solution:
From the given options, (a) and (c) is the correct sequence of taxonomical categories.
8. Try to collect all the currently accepted meanings for the word ‘species’. Discuss with your
teacher the meaning of species in the case of higher plants and animals on the one hand and
bacteria on the other hand.
Solution:
A group of individual organisms with basic similarities is called species. This is the basic unit of
classification. Species are defined as individuals who share the same gene pool.
Higher plants and animals: Criteria of reproductive isolation can be used to classify the species.
Bacteria: Interbreeding and reproductive isolation cannot be used in the case of bacteria; here, a
gene pool can be used to classify species.
9. Define and understand the following terms.
(i) Phylum (ii) Class (iii) Family (iv) Order (v) Genus
Solution:
i) Phylum is a taxonomical hierarchy below Kingdom and above Class. It is a taxon with one or more
classes of organisms with similar characteristics.
ii) Class is a taxonomical hierarchy higher than Order and lower than Phylum. Class includes related
to orders of the organisms. Example: Presence of notochord in mammals.
iii) Family has a group of related genera with still less number of similarities as compared to genus
and species. Example: Fox and dog belongs to the same family. It is a group of entities below Order
and above Genus.
iv) Order is a taxon below higher than Family and lower than class. Order being a higher category, is
the assemblage of families which exhibit a few similar characters.
v) Genus comprises a group of related species which has more characteristics in common in
comparison to species of other genera. Examples: Lion, tiger and leopard are classified under the
genus Panthera. It is above species and below the family.
10. How is a key helpful in the identification and classification of an organism?
Solution:
The key is a taxonomic aid used to identify plants and animals based on similarities and
dissimilarities. It represents the choice between two opposite characters. This is useful for identifying
contrasting characters. They are two contrasting characters, where one character’s choice rejects
another when the species, family, or genera is identified.
If the entity is not already recorded, efforts are made for the first verification and reconsider its
discovery before naming it. Therefore, each entity can be classified as it is known or unknown.
11. Illustrate the taxonomical hierarchy with suitable examples of a plant and an animal.
Solution:
The table below depicts the taxonomic hierarchy with wheat as an example of a plant and humans
as an example of an animal.

Taxonomic categories Wheat Human

Kingdom Plantae Animalia

Phylum/Division Angiospermae Chordata

Class Monocotylydonae Mammalia

Order Poales Primata

Family Poaceae Homonidae

Genus Triticum Homo

Species aestivum Sapiens

-IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1. Name three botanists who contributed to the field of plant taxonomy.
A.1. The three botanists are:

 Carolus Linnaeus
 G Bentham
 Joseph Dalton Hooker
Also read: Taxonomy
Q.2. Expand ICZN? (Clue: The organization that dictates the correct use of the scientific
names of animals)
A.2. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Q.3. What is a couplet in the taxonomic key?
A.3. A couplet in the taxonomic key is dichotomous.
Q.4. Define a monograph.
A.4. A monograph is the writing work of a specialist on a single scholarly subject or an aspect of a
subject. It is often written by a single author.
Q.5. Define metabolism.
A.5. Metabolism is the process of conversion of food into energy by a series of chemical reactions.
Q.6. The mitotic cell division in amoeba represents growth or reproduction?
A.6. The phenomenon represents reproduction.
Q.7. Name a few botanical gardens in India. Also, name the largest botanical garden in the
world.
A.7. Kew Royal Garden in London is the largest botanical garden in the world. Botanical gardens in
India are:

 Indian Botanical Garde, Kolkata

 Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore
 Government Botanical garden, Ooty
 National Botanical Garden, Lucknow
 Assam State Botanical Garden, Guwahati
Q.8. If a habitat contains 20 animal species and 20 plant species, is it “diversity” or
“biodiversity”?
A.8. This represents the biodiversity of a given habitat. This is because biodiversity refers to the
variation of life forms in a specified area.
Q.9. Identify the correctly written scientific name for mango species- Mangifera
indica/Mangifera Indica.
A.9. Mangifera indica.
Q.10. Match the correct pairs.
 Column I Column II

Family Tuberosum

Kingdom Polymoniales

Order Solanum

Species Plantae

Genus Solanaceae

A.10. Family- Solanaceae Kingdom- Plantae Order- Polymoniales Species- Tuberosum Genus-
Solanum
Q.11. What is the lowest category of classification?
A.11. Species is the lowest category of classification.
Also read: Species
Q.12.What are the Taxonomic keys?
A.12. The Taxonomic keys are aids that assist in the identification of any organism in view of its
attributes.
Q.13.Who is known as the Father of Taxonomy?
A.13. Carl Linnaeus is called the Father of Taxonomy.
Q.14. What are the 8 levels of taxonomy?
A.14. According to the modern taxonomic classification system the eight main levels of taxonomy
are:
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Q.15.What is Taxonomy?
A.15. Taxonomy is the process of classifying and nomenclature of all living things including into
different groups according to their similarities and differences.
Q.16.What is Reproduction?
A.16.Reproduction is the process of producing offspring that are biologically or genetically similar to
the parent organism.
Q.17.List out the building blocks of life?
A.17.The essential building blocks of life include – carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.
Q.18.What is Biology?
A.18.Biology is a natural science, which is concerned with the study of principles of governing life
processes and also explores the living world, diversity of living organisms, relationships between the
living and nonliving, and a lot more.
Q.19.What is Biodiversity?
A.19.Biodiversity can be defined as the variation among living organisms from different sources,
including terrestrial, marine and desert ecosystems, and other ecological complexes.
Q.20.What is DNA?
A.20.DNA – Deoxyribonucleic acid, is the double-helical structure, which contains the unique genetic
code, which is inherited from our parents. It is found in every single living creature and is composed
of molecules called nucleotides.
Q.21.What are Carbohydrates?
A.21.Carbohydrates are a group of organic molecules or the macromolecules, which are composed
of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. These biomolecules are primary food groups and are an
essential source of energy. The most common and abundant forms of Carbohydrates are sugars,
fibres, and starches.
Q.22.What is Cellular organization?
A.22 The cellular organization is defined as the components that make up the cell, tissues, organs
and the organ system.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. What are the units of classification followed by Botanists while classifying plants?
A.1.

Hierarchy Suffix used

Kingdom -Plantae

Division -Phyta

Class –Ae

Order -Ales

Family -Eae or -Cae

 Genus First name of the organism

Species The second term of the scientific name

Q.2. Define the following:

1. Phylum
2. Class
3. Order
4. Genus

A.2.
1. Phylum– This category is higher than class. It consists of one or more related classes with
common characteristics.
2. Class– This category is higher than the order. It consists of one or more related orders with
common features.
3. Order– It consists of one or more related families having some common characteristics.
4. Genus– It ranks higher than the species and includes one or more species closely related to
each other.
Q.3. State the differences between flora, fauna, and vegetation.
A.3.

Flora Fauna Vegetation

Flora refers to the total Fauna refers to the total It is a broad term used for the plant
number of plants found in a number of animals found in forms of a region. It does not any
particular area at a a specific region at a particular taxa or botanical
particular time. particular time. characteristics.
Also read: Flora and Fauna
Q.4. What do you mean by endemic and exotic species? Give examples for each.
A.4. Exotic species– Any species of a living organism living in a place other than its native place
are known as exotic species. For eg; Eichhornia crassipes is the native of the Amazon basin but was
introduced in India, so it is an exotic species to India.
Endemic species- These are the species found only in a particular area. For eg; Rauwolfia is
an endemic species found only in India.
Q.5. The number and kind of organisms are not constant. Explain.
A.5. The number and kind of organisms are not constant because:

 Mutation
  Sexual reproduction
 Loss of habitats
 Environmental threats
 Anthropogenic activities
Q.6. Brinjal and potato belong to the same genus but different species. What separates the
two species?
A.6. They belong to different species because:

 They cannot interbreed

 They have different morphological features.
Q.7. What is taxon? Give a few examples.
A.7. A taxon is a group of organisms of any level in the hierarchical classification based on some
common characteristics. For eg; all the insects are classified under one phylum-Arthropoda. A taxa
includes-kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus.
Q.8. A person living in a coma is considered living or dead?
A.8. A person on coma is considered to be a living dead. This is because a person in a coma is
unconscious for more than six hours. He even doesn’t respond to any form of stimuli such as pain,
light and sound. Such a person is brain dead.
Also Read: Suspended Animation
Q.9. What are the different defining properties of a living organism?
A.9.
 A living organism can grow.
 All living organisms can reproduce.
 Metabolism is another defining property of a living organism.
 Cellular organization of living organisms.
 Consciousness
Q.10. What is biodiversity?
A.10. Biodiversity is the variations among living organisms, from minute microorganisms to the
multicellular plants, and animals. It includes genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem
diversity.
Q.11. What is ICBN?
A.11.The ICBN – International Code of Botanical Nomenclature is the set of rules used during the
nomenclature of plants and are mainly based on international rules. These rules were proposed by
the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus.
Q.12. What are the Building blocks of the living system?
A.12. The basic building blocks of the living system includes both the organic and inorganic
biomolecules and they include:

1. Water.
2. Lipids.
3. Oxygen.
4. Proteins.
 5. Nucleic Acids.
6. Carbohydrates.
7. Sodium chloride.

Q.13.Write the full form for the following code – ICVN, ICBN, ICZN, ICNB.
A.13.
ICVN– The International Code of Viral Nomenclature.
ICBN–The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.
ICZN– The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.
ICNB– The Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity.
Q.14.Define the following terms- Metabolism, Growth and Development.
A.14.
Metabolism– It refers to a series of chemical reactions, which takes place in all living organisms to
sustain life.
Growth– It is defined as an irreversible and constant increase in the mass and size of a body.
Development–It is the process, where a particular organism grows physically and acquires both the
mental and physiological growth as well.
Q.15.What is binomial nomenclature?
A.15.Binomial nomenclature is a formal and biological system of naming all the living organisms.
Carolus Linnaeus was the first person to introduce the binomial nomenclature system for naming
organisms in a scientific way.

Long Answer Questions

Q.1. What do you mean by living? Explain the defining characteristics of living organisms.
A.1. Living means a thing that can grow, reproduce, has a cellular organization and is aware of its
surroundings. Following are the defining characteristics of a living organism:
1. Growth– All living organisms have the ability to grow. Growth refers to the increase in the
number and size of an organism.
2. Reproduction– All living organisms have the property of giving rise to a new individual.
Reproduction can occur through sexual and/or asexual means.
3. Metabolism– All living organisms exhibit the process of metabolism. It is a series of
chemical reactions which converts food into energy.
4. Cellular organization– Cell is the structural and functional unit of life. All living organisms
are made up of one or more cells.
Q.2. With reference to Brassica compestris linn.
1. Give the common name of the plant
2. What do the first two words of the name indicate?
3. Why is the scientific name written in italics?
4. What does “linn.” mean?
A.2.
 1. Mustard
2. The first part of the name (Brasicca) indicates the generic name, while the second part
(compestris) indicates the species name.
3. The names are written in italics because it is the rule of the binomial nomenclature.
4. “Linn” means Linnaeus, the first scientist to discover the plant.
Q.3. Differentiate between “whole moong daal” and “broken moong daal” in terms of
respiration and growth?
A.3.

Whole Moong Daal Broken Moong Daal

It is an intact seed of the plant. It is not an intact seed.

It does not germinate because the embryo and

It germinates under appropriate conditions.
cotyledons are destroyed.

It resumes the metabolic activity on

It cannot resume the metabolic activity.
germination.

The stored food in the cotyledons is

The enzyme gets activated when the broken seed
hydrolyzed by the activated enzymes due
imbibes water, but will not facilitate growth.
to metabolism.

The embryo is destroyed, so no respiration and no

It respires and emits CO2.
CO2 emission.

The cotyledons of broken moon daal have stored

The embryo gives rise to root and shoot as
food rich in proteins but do not show any root and
the seed resumes active metabolism.
shoot growth.
Q.4. How will a scientist go about the identification, nomenclature and classification of a
plant which he feels is a new species?
A.4. The taxonomic keys, monographs, herbaria, and preserved plant specimen help in discovering
a new plant species. The morphological and anatomical structures of the plant are studied and its
characteristic features are compared with the similar information available in the scientific literature.
The systematic position of the plant is then decided and it is named according to the rules of
binomial nomenclature.
Q.5. What is Reproduction?
A.5. Reproduction is a common characteristic of Living Things. In general terms, reproduction is
defined as the biological process of giving birth to their young oned identical to their parents.
There are two different types of reproduction –

1. Sexual Reproduction
2. Asexual Reproduction.

These two modes of reproduction are differentiated mainly based on the number of parents involved.
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Practice Questions For Class 11 Biology Chapter 1 Living World

1. What are the three codes of nomenclatures?
2. Properties of cell organelles are not always found in the molecular constituents of cell
organelles. Justify.
3. What is Binomial system of nomenclature? Who proposed this system? Why is binomial
nomenclature the most acceptable mode of naming organism?
4. Match the following:

A. Family i. Tuberosum

B. Kingdom ii. Polymoniales

C. Order iii. Solanum

D. Species iv. Plantae

E. Genus v. Solanacae

NCERT EXAMPLER QUESTIONS

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. As we go from species to kingdom in a taxonomic hierarchy, the number
of common characteristics
a. Will decrease
b. Will increase
c. Remain the same
d. May increase or decrease
Solution:
Option (a) is the answer.
2. Which of the following ‘suffixes’ used for units of classification in plants indicates a
taxonomic category of ‘family’?
a. – Ales
b. – Onae
c. – Aceae
d. – Ae
Solution:
Option (c) is the answer.
3. The term ‘systematics’ refers to:
a. Identification and study of organ systems of plants and animals
b. Identification and preservation of plants and animals
c. Diversity of kinds of organisms and their relationship
d. Study of habitats of organisms and their classification
Solution:
Option (c) is the answer.
4. Genus represents
a. An individual plant or animal
b. A collection of plants or animals
c. A group of closely related species of plants or animals
d. None of these
Solution:
Option (c) is the answer.
5. The taxonomic unit ‘Phylum’ in the classification of animals is equivalent
to which hierarchical level in the classification of plants
a. Class
b. Orderc. Division
d. Family
Solution:
Option (c) is the answer.
6. Botanical gardens and zoological parks have
a. Collection of endemic living species only
b. Collection of exotic living species only
c. Collection of endemic and exotic living species
d. Collection of only local plants and animals
Solution:
Option (c) is the answer.
7. A taxonomic key is one of the taxonomic tools in the identification and
classification of plants and animals. It is used in the preparation of
a. Monographs
b. Flora
c. Both a & b
d. None of these
Solution:
Option (c) is the answer.
8. All living organisms are linked to one another because of
a. They have the common genetic material of the same type
b. They share common genetic material but to varying degrees
c. All have common cellular organization
d. All of the above
Solution:
Option (b) is the answer
9. Which of the following is a defining characteristic of living organisms?
a. Growth
b. Ability to make sound
c. Reproduction
d. Response to external stimuli
Solution:
Option (d) is the answer
10. Match the following and choose the correct option:

Column I
Column II
i. tuberosum
A. Family
ii. Polymoniales
B. Kingdom
iii. Solanum
C. Order
iv. Plantae
D. Species
v. Solanaceae
E. Genus
Options
a. A-v, B-iv, C-ii, D-i, E-iii
b. A-iv, B-iii, C-v, D-ii, E-i
c. A-iv, B-iii, C-v, D-i, E-ii
d. A-iv, B-iii, C-ii, D-v, E-i
Solution:
Option (a) is the answer.
VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Linnaeus is considered as Father of Taxonomy. Name two other botanists known for their
contribution to the field of plant taxonomy.
Solution:
George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker are known botanists who gave the natural system of
classification of flowering plants.
2. What does ICZN stand for?
Solution:
ICZN stands for International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. It regulates a uniform system of
zoological nomenclature.
3. Couplet in taxonomic key means ________________ .
Solution:
The taxonomic key provides a certain structure on the basis of which the user can sort out the
taxonomic position of the unknown species. Couplet means a pair which is of contrasting characters
of an organism.
4. What is Monograph?
Solution:
A description of a single ting or a group of things is known as a monograph. It will have information
regarding anyone taxon.
5. Amoeba multiplies by mitotic cell division. Is this phenomenon growth or reproduction?
Explain.
Solution:
Amoeba is a single cell organism; its growth through mitosis is the same as reproduction since it
divides to give rise to the new individual. Mitosis is responsible for growth.
6. Define metabolism.
Solution:
Metabolism is defined as the total of all biochemical reactions taking place within any living organism
to sustain and maintain life.
7. Which is the largest botanical garden in the world? Name a few well-known botanical
gardens in India.
Solution:
The world’s largest botanical garden is situated in London, which is known as Kew Royal Gardens.
Other known botanical gardens are:
1. Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan in Patna
2. Hyderabad Botanical Garden
3. NTR Garden, Hyderabad
4. Botanical Garden Sarangpur
5. Cubbon Park, Bangalore
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. A ball of snow, when rolled over snow increases in mass, volume and size. Is this
comparable to growth as seen in living organisms? Why?
Solution:
The growth in the case of ice ball is completely indifferent from growth. This happens due to the
extrinsic growth by the deposition of the same material.
2. In a given habitat, we have 20 plant species and 20 animal species. Should we call this
‘diversity’ or ‘biodiversity’? Justify your answer.
Solution:
Biodiversity is nothing but the total of organism present in a particular area whereas diversity is
termed for a large area which may be used for living or non-living things.
3. International Code of Botanical Nomenclature →ICBN) has provided a code for
classification of plants. Give hierarchy of units of classification botanists follow while
classifying plants and mention different ‘Suffixes’ used for the units.
Solution:
The hierarchy followed in plants:
Species → Genus → Family → Order → Class →Division → Kingdom
Suffixes used by botanists are as follows:
Taxon Suffix
a) Division -phyta
b) Class -ae
c) Order -ales
d) Family –aceae
4. A plant species shows several morphological variations in response to an altitudinal
gradient. When grown under similar conditions of growth, the morphological variations
disappear and all the variants have common morphology. What are these variants called?
Solution:
These variants are called the ‘ecotypes’. Plants show changes in morphological features in response
to the altitudinal gradient.
5. How do you prepare your herbarium sheets? What are the different tools you carry with
you while collecting plants for the preparation of a herbarium? What information should a
preserved plant material on the herbarium sheet provide for taxonomical studies?
Solution:
For preparing a herbarium sheet, the paper is cut in the desired length →say, 29 x 41 cm.)
The dried specimen is taken and mounted on the sheers with the help of glue. You may use
sellotape if desired.
Labels are out underneath each specimen.
Collections tools will include:
1. Digger
2. Knife and Scissors
3. Newspaper
4. Blotting sheet
5. Plant press
6. Notebook
7. Magnifying glass
The information that will be provided:
1. The scientific name of the specimen
2. Taxonomical details
3. Common name
4. Collector’s name
5. Place of collection
6. Date and Time
6. What is the difference between flora, fauna and vegetation? Eichhornia crassipes is called
as an exotic species, while Rauwolfia serpentina is an endemic species in India. What do
these terms exotic and endemic refer to?
Solution:
Flora is a plant life that occurs in a particular region or time.
Fauna is the total number of animals found in a particular region or time
Vegetation is a term used for plant forms which do not include particular taxa or botanical
characteristics
Exotic species is any species of a plant living in any other place except its native and endemic
species which are restricted to a particular area.
7. A plant may have different names in different regions of the country or world. How do
botanists solve this problem?
Solution:
They have given a scientific name for each plant and animal. It became the common name
throughout the world. Example: Mango is scientifically termed as Mangifera indica. Mango is called
as Aam in India. But the scientific term is common.
8. Brinjal and potato belong to the same genus Solanum, but two different species. What
defines them as separate species?
Solution:
In terms of reproduction, these two species vary. They share the same genus, but they remain
different species.
9. Properties of cell organelles are not always found in the molecular constituents of cell
organelles. Justify.
Solution:
This phenomenon of all living organisms is due to underlying interactions. The properties of cellular
organelles are not present in molecular constituents.
10. The number and kinds of the organism are not constant. How do you explain this
statement?
Solution:
Some factors are there which play an important role in this.
Season, extinction and human activities. Many of the living organisms are present at a particular
time, and some species are wiped out, mainly deforestation by the hands of human beings, causing
depletion in population.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. What is meant by living? Give any four defining features of life forms.
Solution:
The ability of an object which can self-replicate and self-regulate is known as Living.
The 4 defining characteristics are-
i) Growth
ii) Reproduction
iii) Metabolism
iv) Consciousness
Growth: There are two types. Extrinsic and intrinsic growth. Which is deposited on the outer surface
and one is inside the cell
Reproduction: Biological process in which an organism gives rise to individuals similar to
themselves.
The process is of two types. Asexual and sexual reproduction.
Metabolism: It is the total of all chemical & biological reactions occurring simultaneously inside the
cells. It is two types catabolism and anabolism. One involves the breakdown of molecules, and one
is building up of biomolecules
Consciousness: Ability of the body to sense & respond to the external stimuli.
2. A scientist has come across a plant which he feels is a new species. How will he go about
its identification, classification and nomenclature?
Solution:
A newly identified species can be easily classified by taxonomic aids. The scientist has to do
comparative studies of the morphological & anatomical features with the features of existing plants
present in the taxonomical aids, and according to binomial nomenclature given by Carl Linnaeus, the
species can be classified. Some of the taxonomical aids that can be used are flora, manuals,
monographs, catalogues etc.
3. Brassica Campestris Linn
a. Give the common name of the plant.
b. What do the first two parts of the name denote?
c. Why are they written in italics?
d. What is the meaning of Linn written at the end of the name?Solution:
a. Mustard
b. The first name represents genus, and the second denotes specific epithet
c. To indicate their Latin origin
d. It refers to Linnaeus, Linnaeus was the first to discover this plant.
He identified & classified the plant hence to give him credit and honour, Linnaeus is added as the
suffix.
4. What are taxonomical aids? Give the importance of herbaria and museums. How are
Botanical gardens and Zoological parks useful in conserving biodiversity?
Solution:
The collection of information, techniques, and procedures which helps to identify & classify an
individual is called taxonomic aids.
Importance of herbarium
a) Collection of dried, pressed & preserved plants in sheets is called herbarium.
b) These sheets are arranged systemically according to the accepted system of classification.
c) It is used to provide information about flora.
d) It is used to study the morphology of plants.
e) Hence its comparative studies are used in the identification of unknown plants.
Importance of museums
It consists of a collection of preserved plants & animal used for study & references.
Many museums publish journals, research papers to make available the results of research in their
collection.
5. Define a taxon. What is meant by taxonomic hierarchy? Give a flow diagram from the
lowest to the highest category for a plant and an animal. What happens to the number of
individuals and number of shared characters as we go up the taxonomical hierarchy?
Solution:
The grouping of organisms at any level is known as Taxon. This can be ranked as
Species-genus-family-order-class-phylum/division-kingdom
As we go from species to kingdom, there is a decrease in the number of common characteristics,
and the number of individuals goes on increasing. Higher the category, it will be very difficult to
determine the relationship to other taxa at the same level.
6. A student of taxonomy was puzzled when told by his professor to look for a key to identify
a plant. He went to his friend to clarify what ‘Key’ the professor was referring to. What would
the friend explain to him?
Solution:
A key is used to identify plants and animals based on their similarities and dissimilarities. The keys
made are based on the contrasting characters that are depicted by the organisms, these are known
as couplets. Each statement in the key is called the lead.
7. Metabolism is a defining feature of all living organisms without exception. Isolated
metabolic reactions in vitro are not living things but surely living reactions. Comment.
Solution:
Metabolism is defined as the total of all chemical reactions that take place inside the body.
Metabolism is purely characteristic of living beings. No living organism can exhibit metabolism. In a
cell-free system, these reactions can be replicated that is outside a living body.
These reactions never lead to a new life or maintenance of life. Therefore it can’t be called living.
8. Do you consider a person in coma-living or dead?
Solution:
A coma is defined as a prolonged state of unconsciousness. The person who is suffering coma will
be unaware of the surroundings. A state of mind which keep the person sleepy even though the
person is alive. The working of the brain will be at its lower stage of alertness. The person will live
with the help of machines which is linked to the organs. However, a lot many metabolic activities still
take place, and people often come out of their comatose state, so they are living.
9. What is the similarity and dissimilarity between “whole moong daal” and “broken moong
daal” in terms of respiration and growth? Based on these parameters, classify them into
living or nonliving.
Solution:
The whole moong daal has an intact embryo whose respiration rate is slow during the phase of
dormancy. When these are provided with growth conditions, like providing it with water, growth is
restored and the seed →moong daal) germinates and forms a new plant, and the broken moong
daal’s embryo isn’t intact. As a result of this, it cannot respire and doesn’t grow or germinate.
10. Some of the properties of tissues are not the constituents of their cells. Give three
examples to support the statement.
Solution:
Blood is a connective tissue that is made up of RBCs, WBCs and Platelets. It functions as a nutrient
transporter inside the body, whereas the blood cells do not play this function.
Bone is a specialized connective tissue which functions as mechanical support that is made up of
osteocytes. These osteocytes do not provide mechanical support.
Dry skin is made up of epithelial cells. Epithelial tissues will function as protection from chemical and
mechanical stress, whereas epithelial cells do not play this role.