Introduction to The Living World

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics of living organisms, biological nomenclature, taxonomy, and the taxonomic hierarchy based on the lecture notes.

Life

The unique, complex organization of molecules expressing itself through chemical reactions that lead to growth, development, responsiveness, adaptation, and reproduction.

Ernst Mayr

A Harvard University evolutionary biologist known as 'The Darwin of the $20^{th}$ century' who pioneered the accepted definition of a biological species.

Triple crown of biology

The three prizes awarded to Ernst Mayr: the Balzan Prize in $1983$, the International Prize for Biology in $1994$, and the Crafoord Prize in $1999$.

Growth

The irreversible, permanent increase in the size of an organism, its part, or an individual cell.

Twin characteristics of growth

Increase in mass and increase in number of individuals.

Indeterminant growth

Growth that is continuous throughout the life of the organism, characteristic of plants.

Determinant growth

Growth that is restricted after a certain age, characteristic of animals.

Intrinsic growth

Growth that occurs from inside the body, which is a feature of living organisms.

Accretion (Extrinsic growth)

Growth from the outside due to accumulation of matter on the surface, exhibited by non-living objects like mountains and sand mounds.

Reproduction

The formation of new individuals of a similar kind, required for the perpetuation of a population rather than individual survival.

Metabolism

The sum total of all the chemical reactions occurring in the body, serving as a defining property of all living organisms.

Catabolism

The metabolic process involving the breaking of complex substances into simpler substances and the release of energy.

Anabolism

The metabolic process involving the synthesis of complex substances from simpler ones with the storage of energy.

Cellular organization

The defining feature of life forms where the cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life.

Consciousness

The ability of all living organisms to sense their surroundings or environment and respond to physical, chemical, or biological stimuli.

Self-consciousness

The unique property of human beings where the organism is aware of itself.

Biodiversity

The number and types of organisms present on earth, with approximately $1.7$ to $1.8$ million species known and described.

Nomenclature

The system of providing a standardized scientific name for every organism so it is known by the same name worldwide.

Identification

The correct description of an organism so that it can be specifically recognized for nomenclature.

ICBN

International Code for Botanical Nomenclature; the set of rules for scientific naming of plants.

ICZN

International Code for Zoological Nomenclature; the set of rules for scientific naming of animals.

Binomial Nomenclature

A naming system given by Carolus Linnaeus where each scientific name has two components: the genus and the specific epithet.

Genus

The first word in a biological name, which starts with a capital letter; it represents an aggregate of closely related species.

Specific epithet

The second word in a biological name, which starts with a small letter and represents the specific species.

Author Citation

The abbreviated name of the author (e.g., Linn.) appearing after the specific epithet to indicate who first described the species.

Taxa

The scientific term for convenient categories used to study organisms, such as 'Mammals', 'Wheat', or 'Animalia'.

Taxonomy

The process of classification of all living organisms into various taxa based on characteristics like characterisation, identification, and nomenclature.

Systematics

The study of different kinds of organisms, their diversities, and the evolutionary relationships (phylogeny) among them.

Systema Naturae

The title of the publication by Carolus Linnaeus.

Taxonomic hierarchy

The hierarchical arrangement of all taxonomic categories from species to kingdom in ascending order.

Taxon

A unit of classification representing a specific rank within the taxonomic arrangement.

Species

The basic unit of classification and the smallest taxonomic category, consisting of organisms capable of interbreeding freely in nature.

Monotypic genera

A genus that contains only one species, such as 'Homo'.

Polytypic genera

A genus that contains more than one species, such as 'Panthera' or 'Solanum'.

Family

A group of related genera characterized on the basis of both vegetative and reproductive features of plant species.

Order

An assemblage of related families that exhibit a few similar aggregates of character.

Class

A group of related orders, such as Primata and Carnivora being placed together in Mammalia.

Phylum

A taxonomic category for animals comprised of related classes with common features like a notochord.

Division

A taxonomic category for plants comprised of related classes with common features.

Kingdom

The highest category of classification which contains various phyla or divisions.

Tribe

The intermediate taxonomic category located between sub-family and genus.