Diversity of the Living World

Flashcards covering the diversity of living organisms

Growth

Increase in mass and increase in number of individuals are twin characteristics of living organisms.

E. Mayr

The Darwin of the 20th century.

Fragmentation

Common method for multiplication among the fungi, filamentous algae and protonema of mosses.

Reproduction, Growth

Synonymous terms for unicellular organisms like bacteria, unicellular algae and Amoeba

Metabolism

The sum total of all chemical reactions occurring in a living body

Consciousness

The most obvious and technically complicated feature of all living organisms

Photoperiod

Affects reproduction in seasonal breeders, both plants and animals.

Generic name, Specific epithet

Two components of each name in binomial nomenclature.

ICBN

International Code of Botanical Nomenclature.

1.7-1.8 million

How many species are known and described till now.

Biodiversity

The number and types of organisms present on earth.

Classification

The process where all living organisms can be classified into different taxa on the basis of characteristics.

Systematic arrangement of organisms

Meaning of the Latin word 'Systema'

Alsatians

A variety of Dog species or breed.

Taxonomy

Identification+Nomenclature+Classification

Felidae, Felis

Represent family and genus taxonomic categories respectively

Species

A group of individual organisms with fundamental morphological similarities.

Phylum (Chordata)

Category that fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds along with mammals constitute.

Herbarium

Angiospermae is a store house of collected plant specimens that are dried, pressed and preserved on sheets.

Couplet

A pair of contrasting characters in keys.

Monograph

Contains information on any one taxon.

Flora

Contains the actual account of habitat and distribution of plants of a given area.

Manuals, Monographs

Taxonomists prepare and disseminate information through these mediums

Carolus Linnaeus

Person who gave the two kingdom system.

Trees, Shrubs, Herbs

Aristotle used simple morphological characters to classify plants into these groups

Viruses

Causes for common cold or 'flu.'

Phycobiont, Mycobiont

Algal and fungal component name in lichens, respectively

Viroids

Infectious agent: Discoverer T.O. Diener, smaller than viruses, low molecular weight RNA, absence of protein coat

Lichens

Show symbiotic association, very good pollution indicator, pioneer to barren rocks

Algae, Fungi, Water and mineral

Roles of A, B and C in lichens

Cytotaxonomy

Taxonomy is based on following points: chromosome number, chromosome structure, chromosome behavior

Agar

Commercial products from Gelidium and Gracilaria used to grow microbes and in preparations of ice-creams and jellies.

Algin, Carrageen

Hydrocolloids produced by marine brown and red algae and used commercially

Algin

Vegetative cells of phaeophyceae cell wall is usually covered on the outside by a gelatinous coating of this substance

r-phycoerythrin

Members of Rhodophyceae are commonly called red algae due to pre-dominance of this pigment.

Gemmae, Gemma cups

A and B in liverworts. A are green, multicellular, asexual buds, which develop in small receptacles called B located on thallus

Bryophytes, Pteridophytes

In bryophytes, the dominant phase in the life cycle is the gametophytic plant body but in pteridophytes, the main plant body is this.

Cycas

Identify the genus: Coralloid roots are with BGA, unbranched stem, lack ovary wall, pinnate leaves.

ovule

In gymnosperms, the nucellus is protected by envelops and the composite structure is called this

stamen, carpel or pistil

Male and female sex organs of angiosperms respectively.

double fertilization

Five nuclei are involved in this process.

Haplontic

Life cycle pattern represented by many algae such as Volvox, Spirogyra and some species of Chlamydomonas.

Porifera

Members of which phylum are commonly known as sponges.

Physalia

Organism also known as Portuguese man of war.

Platyhelminthes

Members of which phylum are known as flat worms.

Arthropoda

The largest phylum of animal kingdom.

Poikilothermals

The animals which don't have the capacity to regulate their body temperature are called as this.

Bioluminescence

The property of a living organism to emit light.

Spicules and spongin fibres

Structures that support the body of sponges as a skeleton.

Choanocytes or collar cells

The cells those line the spongocoel.

Cnidoblast

Cell that is used for defense purposes in coelenterates.

comb plates

Structure that helps in locomotion in ctenophores.

Aschelminthes

Phylum in which organ system level of body organisation appeared first time.

Nephridia

Structures that help in osmoregulation and excretion in Annelids.

Vertebrata

In this subphylum notochord is replaced by vertebral column.

Operculum

Cap which covers the gills in fishes

Corvus, Columba, Psittacula, Struthio

scientific names for Crow, Pigeon, Parrot, and Ostrich