Diversity in the Living World - Chapter 1: The Living World

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the fundamental concepts of biological classification, characteristics of living things, rules of binomial nomenclature, and the hierarchical taxonomic categories as described in the lecture notes.

Biology

The science of life forms and living processes.

Growth

A characteristic of living organisms defined by the twin characteristics of increase in mass and increase in number of individuals.

Metabolism

The sum total of all the chemical reactions occurring in our body; a defining feature of all living organisms without exception.

Cellular organisation

The defining feature of life forms representing the structural arrangement of the body.

Consciousness

The ability of organisms to sense their surroundings or environment and respond to environmental stimuli; considered the defining property of living organisms.

Self-consciousness

A unique awareness of oneself found only in human beings.

Living organisms

Self-replicating, evolving, and self-regulating interactive systems capable of responding to external stimuli.

Species Count

The number of species known and described ranges between $1.7-1.8$ million.

Biodiversity

The number and types of organisms present on earth.

Nomenclature

The process of standardising the naming of living organisms such that a particular organism is known by the same name all over the world.

Identification

The process of correctly describing an organism so that the correct name can be attached to it.

ICBN

International Code for Botanical Nomenclature; provides the agreed principles and criteria for naming plants.

ICZN

International Code of Zoological Nomenclature; the system evolved by animal taxonomists for naming animals.

Binomial nomenclature

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

Mangifera indica Linn.

The scientific name for mango, where Mangifera is the genus, indica is the specific epithet, and Linn indicates it was first described by Linnaeus.

Classification

The process by which anything is grouped into convenient categories based on some easily observable characters.

Taxa

The scientific term for the convenient categories used to study organisms, which can indicate categories at very different levels.

Taxonomy

The process of classification of all living organisms into different taxa based on their characteristics.

Systematics

A branch of study derived from the Latin word 'systema' which accounts for evolutionary relationships between organisms along with identification, nomenclature, and classification.

Systema Naturae

The title of the publication by Linnaeus.

Taxon

A unit of classification representing a rank or category within the taxonomic hierarchy.

Species

A group of individual organisms with fundamental similarities; it is the lowest category in the taxonomic hierarchy.

Genus

A category comprising a group of related species which has more characters in common in comparison to species of other genera.

Family

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

Order

A higher taxonomic category that is the assemblage of families which exhibit a few similar characters.

Class

A taxonomic category that includes related orders, such as Primata and Carnivora being placed in Mammalia.

Phylum

A higher category for animals based on common features like the presence of a notochord and dorsal hollow neural system.

Division

The taxonomic category used for plants that is equivalent to the Phylum category used for animals.

Kingdom

The highest category in the classification system, such as Kingdom Animalia or Kingdom Plantae.

True regeneration

An asexual reproduction method observed in Planaria (flat worms) where a fragmented organism regenerates lost parts to become a new organism.