Chapter 1: The Living World Short Questions | biology Class 11 CBSE

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Chapter 1: The Living World Short Questions | biology Class 11 CBSE | ByteNotes.in

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Question 1

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Define biodiversity and state the approximate number of known and described species.

Biodiversity refers to the number and types of organisms present on earth.
The number of known and described species ranges between 1.7 to 1.8 million.
As new areas are explored, new organisms are continuously being identified, so this number keeps increasing.

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Question 2

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What is nomenclature, and why is it necessary for studying living organisms?

Nomenclature is the process of standardising the naming of living organisms such that a particular organism is known by the same name all over the world.
It is necessary because local names of organisms vary from place to place and even within a country, causing confusion in scientific communication.
Nomenclature is possible only after correct identification of the organism, ensuring each organism has a unique, universally accepted name.

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Question 3

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What is binomial nomenclature? Who introduced this system?

Binomial nomenclature is the system of providing a scientific name to an organism using two components — the generic name (genus) and the specific epithet (species).
This naming system was given by Carolus Linnaeus and is practised by biologists all over the world.
For example, the scientific name of mango, Mangifera indica, has Mangifera as genus and indica as the specific epithet.

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Question 4

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State the rules regarding the use of capital and small letters in binomial nomenclature.

The first word denoting the genus starts with a capital letter (e.g., Mangifera in Mangifera indica).
The specific epithet (second word) starts with a small letter (e.g., indica in Mangifera indica).
Both words are written in italics when printed, or separately underlined when handwritten, to indicate their Latin origin.

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Question 5

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What is identification in the context of taxonomy?

Identification is the process of correctly describing an organism so that the name can be accurately applied to it.
It involves recognising an organism's features and determining to what known organism a particular name is attached.
Identification must precede nomenclature, as naming is only possible after an organism is correctly described.

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Question 6

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What is the role of ICBN and ICZN in biological nomenclature?

ICBN (International Code for Botanical Nomenclature) provides agreed principles and criteria for scientifically naming plants.
ICZN (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature) is the set of rules evolved by animal taxonomists for naming animals.
Both codes ensure each organism has only one universally accepted name, and that no name is used for more than one known organism.

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Question 7

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Define taxonomy and list the four basic processes that constitute it.

Taxonomy is the science that deals with classification of organisms into different taxa based on their characteristics.
The four basic processes of taxonomy are: characterisation, identification, classification, and nomenclature.
Modern taxonomy also uses external structure, internal structure, cell structure, developmental process, and ecological information as its basis.

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Question 8

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Distinguish between taxonomy and systematics.

Taxonomy is the science of identification, nomenclature, and classification of organisms based on their characters.
Systematics is a broader discipline that studies the diversity of organisms and the evolutionary relationships among them.
The word 'systematics' is derived from the Latin word 'systema' meaning systematic arrangement of organisms, and its scope was enlarged to include identification, nomenclature, and classification.

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Question 9

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Define a taxon and give two examples at different hierarchical levels.

A taxon (plural: taxa) is a unit of classification that represents a rank or category in the taxonomic hierarchy.
Taxonomic groups are distinct biological entities and not merely morphological aggregates.
Examples: 'Insects' is a taxon at the class level (Insecta), while 'Mangifera indica' (mango) is a taxon at the species level.

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Question 10

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Write the scientific name of the housefly and identify its genus and specific epithet.

The scientific name of the housefly is Musca domestica.
In this name, Musca is the genus (generic name) and domestica is the specific epithet.
It belongs to the family Muscidae and order Diptera within the class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda.

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Question 11

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Why do biological names use Latin, and how are they written?

Biological names are generally in Latin because Latin is a classical language that provides stability and universal acceptance across different countries and languages.
Names are Latinised or derived from Latin irrespective of their origin, ensuring uniformity.
When printed, they are written in italics; when handwritten, each word is separately underlined to indicate their Latin origin.

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Question 12

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Define species as a taxonomic category.

Species is the lowest and fundamental taxonomic category comprising a group of individual organisms with fundamental morphological similarities.
One species must be distinguishable from closely related species based on distinct morphological differences.
For example, Mangifera indica (mango), Solanum tuberosum (potato), and Panthera leo (lion) each represent distinct species.

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Question 13

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Define genus with a suitable example.

Genus comprises a group of related species that share more characters in common compared to species of other genera; genera are aggregates of closely related species.
For example, lion (Panthera leo), leopard (P. pardus), and tiger (P. tigris) — though different species — all belong to genus Panthera due to several common features.
Similarly, potato (Solanum tuberosum) and brinjal (Solanum melongena) are two different species but both belong to genus Solanum.

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Chapter sections

Chapter 1: The Living World | Short Questions

Define biodiversity and state the approximate number of known and described species.

What is nomenclature, and why is it necessary for studying living organisms?

What is binomial nomenclature? Who introduced this system?

State the rules regarding the use of capital and small letters in binomial nomenclature.

What is identification in the context of taxonomy?

What is the role of ICBN and ICZN in biological nomenclature?

Define taxonomy and list the four basic processes that constitute it.

Distinguish between taxonomy and systematics.

Define a taxon and give two examples at different hierarchical levels.

Write the scientific name of the housefly and identify its genus and specific epithet.

Why do biological names use Latin, and how are they written?

Define species as a taxonomic category.

Define genus with a suitable example.

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