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Diversity in the Living World, Taxonomy and Taxonomical Aids - The Living World, Biology, Class 11 PDF Download

Diversity in the living world or biodiversity is the occurrence of variety of life forms differing in morphology, size, colour, anatomy, habitats and habits. Each different kind of plant, animal or microorganisms represents a species.

Currently there are some 1.7 – 1.8 million living organisms known to science. Out of which 1.25 are animals and about 0.5 millions are plants.

Identification

Nomenclature

Classification

Systematics is branch of biology that deals with cataloguing plants, animals and other organism into categories that can be named, compared and studied. Identification is the finding of correct name and place and place of an organism in a system of classification. It is done with the help of keys. This is carried out by determining similarity with already known organisms.

Nomenclature is the process of standardize naming of living organism such that a particular organism is known by the same name all over the world. For plants scientific names are based on international code of botanical nomenclature (ICBN) and animals names on international code of zoological nomenclature (ICZN).

Scientific name ensures that each organism has only one name.

Biological nomenclature - It is the universally accepted principles to provide scientific name to known organisms. Each name has two components- generic name (genus) and specific epithet (species). This system of nomenclature was provided by Carolus Linnaeus.

Mango - Mangifera indica.

Human beings - Home sapience.

Universal rules of nomenclature:-

1. Biological names are generally in Latina and written in italics.

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

3. Both the words in biological name, when handwritten, are separately underlined, or printed in italics.

4. The first word denoting the genus starts with a capital letter while the specific epithet starts with small letter.

Classification- It is the process by which anything is grouped into convenient categories based on some easily observable characteristics. Classification makes the study of organisms convenient.

Taxonomy- The process of classification on the basis of external and internal structure along with internal structure of cell, development process and ecological information is known as taxonomy.

Taxonomic categories

A taxonomic category is a rank or level in the hierarchical classification of organism. There are seven obligate categories and some intermediate categories. Since the category is a part of overall taxonomic arrangement, it is called taxonomic category and all categories together constitute the taxonomic hierarchy.

Taxonomic hierarchy is shown below:-

Diversity in the Living World, Taxonomy and Taxonomical Aids - The Living World, Biology, Class 11

Species- Species are the natural population of individuals or a group of population which resemble one another in all essential morphological and reproductive characters so that they are able to interbreed freely and produce fertile offspring. For Mango tree indica is species of genus Mangifera(Mangifera indica).

Genus- it is a group of related species which resemble one another in certain correlated characters. All species of genus presumed to have evolved from a common ancestor. Lion, Tiger, Leopard are closely related species and placed in same genus Panther.

Family- It is a taxonomic category which contains one or more related genera. All genera of a family have some common features or correlated characters. Family Solanacaeae contains a number of genera like Solanum, Withania, Datura etc.

Order- This category includes one or more related families. Families felidae and canidae are included in same order carnivore.

Class- A class is made of one or more related orders. The class dicotyledoneae of flowering plants contains all dicots which are grouped into several orders like roales, polemoniales, renales etc.

Division/Phylum- The term phylum is used for animals while division is used for plants. They are formed of one or more class. The phylum chordate of animals contains not only the mammals but also aves, reptiles, amphibians, etc.

Kingdom- It is the highest taxonomic category. All plants are included in the kingdom Plantae while all animals belong to kingdom Animalia.

Taxonomic Aids:- Techniques, procedures and stored information that are useful in identification and classification of organisms are called taxonomic aids.

Herbarium -Herbarium is a place where dried and pressed plants specimens, mounted on sheets are kept systematically according to a widely accepted system of classification. The herbarium sheets also carry a label providing information about date and place of collection, English, local and botanical names, family, collector’s name etc.

Botanical garden- They are specialized gardens having collection of living plants for reference. Plants in these gardens are grown for identification purpose and each plant is labelled indicating its scientific name and family. The famous botanical garden includes Royal botanical garden, Kew (London), Indian botanical garden, Kolkata and National botanical garden, Lucknow.

Museums- Biological museum is set up in educational institutions like colleges and school for reference purposes. Specimens are preserved in the containers or jars in preservative solutions or as dry specimens. Insects are preserved in insect boxes after collecting, killing and pinning.

Zoological parks- These are the places where wild animals are kept in protected environments under human care and which enable us to learn about their food habits and behavior. Natural habitats are provided as far as possible.

Key- Taxonomic key is an artificial analytic device having a list of statements with dichotomic table of alternate characteristics which is used for identifying organisms. Usually two contrasting characters are used. The one present in the organism is chosen while other is rejected. Each statement of a key is called lead. Separate taxonomic keys are used for each taxonomic category like species, genus, family, etc. Keys are generally analytical in nature.

Flora, manuals, monographs and catalogues are some other means of recording descriptions.

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FAQs on Diversity in the Living World, Taxonomy and Taxonomical Aids - The Living World, Biology, Class 11

1. What is the importance of diversity in the living world?
Ans. Diversity in the living world is important as it allows for the existence of various species and ecosystems. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of nature and contributes to the overall health of the planet. It also provides opportunities for scientific research and discovery, leading to advancements in various fields such as medicine, agriculture, and conservation.
2. What is taxonomy and why is it important in biology?
Ans. Taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming organisms based on their characteristics and evolutionary relationships. It is important in biology as it helps in organizing and categorizing the vast diversity of living organisms. Taxonomy provides a systematic framework for scientists to study and understand the relationships between different species, their evolutionary history, and their shared characteristics.
3. What are taxonomical aids and how do they assist in classification?
Ans. Taxonomical aids are tools or resources that assist in the process of classification and identification of organisms. They include field guides, keys, herbariums, museum collections, and DNA databases. These aids provide information on the morphological, anatomical, and genetic characteristics of different organisms, helping taxonomists to accurately classify and identify them.
4. How does the classification system help in identifying unknown organisms?
Ans. The classification system provides a hierarchical structure that helps in identifying unknown organisms. By comparing the characteristics of an unknown organism with the known characteristics of organisms in each taxonomic category, taxonomists can narrow down its classification. They can use taxonomical aids like keys and field guides to determine the specific characteristics and key features of the organism, leading to its identification.
5. How does understanding taxonomy contribute to conservation efforts?
Ans. Understanding taxonomy is crucial for conservation efforts as it helps in identifying and protecting endangered species and their habitats. By knowing the taxonomic relationships between different species, conservationists can prioritize their conservation efforts, conserve biodiversity hotspots, and design effective conservation strategies. Taxonomy also aids in detecting and preventing the introduction of invasive species, which can have detrimental effects on ecosystems.
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