Test: The Living World- 1 - NEET MCQ

The first word in a biological name represents the genus while the second word denotes the specific epithet.

Hence, the Correct Answer is C

Topic in NCERT: Nomenclature

Line in NCERT: "Each name has two components the Generic name and the specific epithet. This system of providing a name with two components is called Binomial nomenclature."

• Taxonomy is the science of naming, describing and classifying organisms and includes all plants, animals and microorganisms of the world.
• Each organism is given a separate taxonomic rank and is put under the categories such as ‘phylum’ (division is sometimes used in ‘botany in place of phylum’), kingdom, class, family, genus, order, and species.
• Systematics is the study of the kinds of organisms of the past and living today, and of the relationships among these organisms.
• Key is taxonomical aid used for identification of plants and animals based on the similarities and dissimilarities.
• Binomial nomenclature is a system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organism, the first one indicating the genus and the second the specific epithet.

Hence, the Correct Answer is B

Topic in NCERT: Taxonomy and its Importance

Line in NCERT: "Taxonomy is not something new. Human beings have always been interested in knowing more and more about the various kinds of organisms, particularly with reference to their own use."

Higher taxonomic categories, like phylum, encompass a broader diversity of organisms, sharing more general characteristics compared to the more specific and closely related organisms grouped within lower categories like species and genus. This reflects the hierarchical nature of biological classification, where each ascending level represents a broader grouping based on less specific shared traits.

Line in NCERT: "as we go higher from species to kingdom, the number of common characteristics goes on decreasing."

• Phylum is one of the major taxonomic ranks, and it represents a high-level grouping of organisms that share certain fundamental characteristics.
• Within a phylum, organisms are further divided into classes, which are more specific and share even more closely related characteristics.

Correct answer is B.
NCERT Reference: Topic - Taxonomy from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "Classes comprising animals like fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds along with mammals constitute the next higher category called Phylum."

ICBN stands for International Code for Botanical Nomenclature that frames rules for the nomenclature of plants applicable all over the world.

Hence, the Correct Answer is A

Topic in NCERT: Nomenclature and Taxonomy

Line in NCERT: "For plants, scientific names are based on agreed principles and criteria, which are provided in International Code for Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN)."

This is the correct taxonomic hierarchy from the broadest to the most specific category:

Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species.

In this hierarchy, the broadest category is Kingdom, which groups organisms based on general similarities. As we move down the hierarchy, each category becomes more specific, ending with the most specific category, Species.

Hence, the Correct Answer is C
NCERT Reference: Topic- Taxonomic hierarchy from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "The taxonomic categories from species to kingdom have been shown in ascending order starting with species in Figure 1.1."

The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is in charge of producing a set of regulations for naming animals and solving nomenclatural difficulties.

Hence, the Correct Answer is B

Topic in NCERT: International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)

Line in NCERT: "Animal taxonomists have evolved International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)."

Solanum, Panthera, Homo are examples of Genera.
Example:

1. Potato → Genus: Solanum; 
   Species: tuberosum
2. Human → Genus: Homo;
   Species: sapiens
3. Lion → Genus: Panthera; 
   Species: leo

Hence, the Correct Answer is C

Topic in NCERT: Genus

Line in NCERT: "the first words Mangifera, Solanum and Panthera are genera and represents another higher level of taxon or category."

The basic unit of classification is species. Species are populations of organisms that can inter breed among themselves to produce new organisms.

Hence, the Correct Answer is A

Topic in NCERT: Taxonomic Categories

Line in NCERT: "All organisms, including those in the plant and animal kingdoms have species as the lowest category."

The binomial nomenclature system, which involves giving each species a two-part scientific name, was introduced by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, and zoologist.

Hence, the Correct Answer is C
NCERT Reference: Topic- Binomial Nomenclature from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "This naming system given by Carolus Linnaeus is being practised by biologists all over the world."

The correct hierarchy of classification of various taxons in descending order is given by:
Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species

The kingdom is the highest taxon with the least similar characters shared between its various members while species is the lowest level with almost similar morphological and behavioural similarities.

Species is followed by Genus with slightly fewer similarities among its members.

Hence, the Correct Answer is A

Topic in NCERT: Genus

Line in NCERT: "Genus comprises a group of related species which has more characters in common in comparison to species of other genera."

The binomial system of nomenclature, proposed by Carolus Linnaeus, is the most accepted system of scientific naming which is practiced currently. This type of naming consists of two words taken from Latin origin.
There are four conventions that are followed while writing scientific names. They are as follows:
(i) The first word out of the two words will be the genus whereas the second word would represent the specific epithet.
(ii) The name of the genus should start with a capital letter and the name of the species should start with a small letter.
(iii) The scientific name must be italicized when printed
(iv) The scientific name must be separately underlined when it is hand written.
Example : It can be explained with the help of an example.
Panthera leo
It is the common name of the lion.
In this, the first word represents its genus- Panthera, while the second word represents the specific epithet- leo.
The scientific name has been italicized.
NCERT Reference: Topic- Nomenclature (DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD) from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "Biological names are generally in Latin and written in italics."

Born on 5 July 1904, in Kempten, Germany, Ernst Mayr, the Harvard University evolutionary biologist who has been called ‘The Darwin of the 20th century’, was one of the 100 greatest scientists of all time.

Hence, the Correct Answer is B

Topic in NCERT: Ernst Mayr

Line in NCERT: "Harvard University evolutionary biologist who has been called 'The Darwin of the 20th century'"

• A taxon is a taxonomic group of any ranking whereas a group of related species is the genus and a group of related families is the order.
• Biodiversity is the number and type of organisms present on Earth.

Hence, the Correct Answer is B

Topic in NCERT: TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES

Line in NCERT: "Each rank or taxon, in fact, represents a unit of classification."

• Mangifera indica is the scientific name for mango.
• Mangifera represents the genus and indicia represents the species.
• Mangifera indica Linn. It indicates that this species was first described by Linnaeus.

Hence, the Correct Answer is D

Topic in NCERT: Binomial Nomenclature

Line in NCERT: "the scientific name thus, for human being, is written as Homo sapiens."

• The distinguishing factor used to categorize families among plants is based on their "vegetative and reproductive features."
• Taxonomists analyze the shape and structure of leaves, stems, roots, as well as the arrangement of flowers, fruits, and seeds to group plant species with similar traits into the same family.

Hence, the Correct Answer is B
NCERT Reference: Topic- TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "Families are characterised on the basis of both vegetative and reproductive features of plant species."

• In the hierarchical system of classification of plants, the taxonomic rank that typically ends in "aceae" is the family. 
• A family is a higher rank in the classification system, grouping together related genera. 
• The family name is often derived from the name of a prominent genus within that family. For example, the family Rosaceae includes the genera Rosa (roses), Malus (apples), and Prunus (cherries, plums, etc.). 
• Similarly, the family Poaceae includes the grasses, and the family Fabaceae includes legumes.

Hence, the Correct Answer is C
NCERT Reference: Topic- TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "Plant families like Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae are included in the order Polymoniales mainly based on the floral characters."

- Taxonomic categories collectively form the Taxonomic Hierarchy.
- The Taxonomic Hierarchy is a system that ranks and organizes living organisms into a structured order based on their shared characteristics.
- It starts from the broadest category (Domain) down to the most specific (Species).
- This hierarchy includes categories like Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
- Each category represents a different level of relatedness among organisms.
- Therefore, the correct answer is B: Taxonomic Hierarchy.
NCERT Reference: Topic- Taxonomic Categories from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "all categories together constitute the taxonomic hierarchy."

• The family that includes both lions and domestic cats (Felis) is called Felidae, often known as the "cat family."
• This family includes various species of big and small cats like lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, and also our pet cats.

Hence, the Correct Answer is B
NCERT Reference: Topic:  “Taxonomic Categories” from Chapter  "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "Among animals for example, genus Panthera, comprising lion, tiger, leopard is put along with genus, Felis (cats) in the family Felidae."

To understand the concept of genus in taxonomy:

- A genus typically comprises a group of species sharing more common characteristics among themselves than with species from other genera.
- This distinction helps in classifying organisms into related groups based on similarities in traits.
- Therefore, the correct answer is B: "More common character possessing group of species than species of other genera." This choice highlights the defining feature of a genus in taxonomy.
NCERT Reference: Topic- Taxonomic Categories ( Sub Topic - Genus) from chapter "The Living world" of NCERT.

Line in NCERT: "Genus comprises a group of related species which has more characters in common in comparison to species of other genera."