Test: Diversity in the Living World - NEET MCQ

• The first word in binomial nomenclature is the genus to which the organism belongs, and it is called the generic name.
• The second word is the name of the species to which the organism belongs, and it is called the specific epithet.

​Hence, the correct option is 'B' i.e. 'Genus and Species'.

Line in NCERT: "The first word in a biological name represents the genus while the second component denotes the specific epithet."

• Genus Triticum
• Family Poaceae
• Order Poales 
• Class Monocotyledonae.

Hence the correct option is A.

Taxonomy helps in understanding and preserving the diversity of plant and animal species, which is essential for conservation and resource management.

Line in NCERT: "Taxonomic studies of various species of plants and animals are useful in agriculture, forestry, industry and in general for knowing our bio-resources and their diversity."

• IUPAC is the recognized authority in developing standards for the naming of the chemical elements and compounds, not organisms.
• The rest of the options, ICBN for botanical names, ICZN for zoological names and International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP), are international codes for the nomenclature of organisms in their respective fields.

Hence the correct option is "A"

The word “Taxa” means classification. And the study of taxa is called as taxonomy. Taxonomy is the classification of animals into different taxa and helps us to study organisms easily.

Examples of Taxa:

Line in NCERT: "The scientific term for these categories is taxa."

• A taxon is a taxonomic group or taxonomic unit of any ranking. Each category is referred to as a unit of classification.
• There are seven main taxonomic ranks: kingdom, phylum, division, class, order, family, genus, species.
   

​Hence, the correct option is 'C' i.e. 'a taxonomic group of any ranking'.

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

• Biodiversity is the term used to describe the variety of life found on Earth and all of the natural processes.
• This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation within an area, biome, or planet.
• The biodiversity is more concentrated within tropical ecosystems than temperate ecosystems. 

Line in NCERT: "this refers to biodiversity or the number and types of organisms present on earth."

• Ernst Mayr was a German-born American who made decisive and groundbreaking contributions to avian taxonomy, evolution and population genetics.
• Widely credited as the world's greatest evolutionary biologist in history, Mayr was fondly called the “Darwin of the 20th century”.

Hence, the correct option is C i.e. Ernst Mayr.

Line in NCERT: "Harvard University evolutionary biologist who has been called 'The Darwin of the 20th century', was one of the 100 greatest scientists of all time."

The species is the smallest and most basic unit of classification in the taxonomic hierarchy. It comprises a group of individuals that are similar in essential morphological characteristics and can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

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

According to the biological concept of species, a natural population of organisms who resemble each other in morphological and reproductive ways to be able to produce a fertile offspring and interbreed freely is termed as a species.

Line in NCERT: "Taxonomic studies consider a group of individual organisms with fundamental similarities as a species."

• The book ‘Systema Naturae’ was written by Carolus Linnaeus in 1735. The book marked the beginning of zoological nomenclature.

Additional Information: 

• Carl Linnaeus is known as the “Father of Modern Taxonomy”.
• In his book “Systema Naturae” (1735), he gave the hierarchical system of classification of the natural world into the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom and mineral kingdom. 

Line in NCERT: "Linnaeus used Systema Naturae as the title of his publication."

Biologists use a naming system called Binomial nomenclature to provide scientific names to known organisms. This system involves assigning each organism a name with two components: a generic name and a specific epithet. The generic name represents the genus to which the organism belongs, while the specific epithet designates a particular species within that genus. This system, introduced by Carolus Linnaeus, is widely adopted by biologists globally for its simplicity and clarity in identifying and categorizing different species.

Line in NCERT: "Each name has two components the Generic name and the specific epithet."

In the realm of classification, a "taxonomic category" specifically denotes a unit of classification that represents a particular rank. This term is commonly known as a "taxon." Each taxonomic category plays a crucial role in organizing organisms according to shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. By assigning entities to specific taxonomic categories, scientists can create a structured hierarchy that aids in understanding the diversity of life on Earth.

Line in NCERT: "Each category, referred to as a unit of classification, in fact, represents a rank and is commonly termed as taxon (pl.: taxa)."

Taxonomic categories and hierarchy in biology are crucial for organizing and classifying living organisms. They help in understanding the relationships between different species by grouping them based on shared characteristics. Each rank or taxon in the hierarchy represents a specific unit of classification, allowing scientists to categorize and study organisms more effectively. This system provides a structured way to classify the diversity of life on Earth, from broad categories like kingdoms to specific species, enabling scientists to make sense of the vast array of living organisms.

Line in NCERT: "Since the category is a part of overall taxonomic arrangement, it is called the taxonomic category and all categories together constitute the taxonomic hierarchy."

Taxonomical studies aid in classifying organisms into different categories by focusing on identifying the similarities and differences among individual organisms. This process involves analyzing various characteristics such as physical appearance, behavior, and genetic makeup to place organisms into distinct taxonomic groups. By understanding these traits, scientists can determine the relationships between different species and assign them to specific taxonomic categories. This classification system helps in organizing the vast diversity of life forms on Earth and provides insights into the evolutionary history of living organisms.

Line in NCERT: "the basic requirement is the knowledge of characters of an individual or group of organisms. This helps in identifying similarities and dissimilarities among the individuals of the same kind of organisms as well as of other kinds of organisms."