The Living World - NCERT Quick Sheets

Vocabulary flashcards covering the defining characteristics of life, binomial nomenclature rules, taxonomic hierarchy, and taxonomical aids based on the Class 11 Biology transcript.

Growth (Living)

An intrinsic process where increase in body mass occurs from the inside.

Metabolism

The sum total of all chemical reactions occurring in an organism; it is a defining feature of living things.

Consciousness

A defining property of living organisms characterized by the ability to sense the environment and respond to stimuli.

Self-consciousness

A feature unique to humans within the context of responsiveness to the environment.

Biodiversity

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

Identification

The process of correctly describing an organism so that nomenclature is possible.

Nomenclature

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

Binomial Nomenclature

A naming system proposed by Carolus Linnaeus in Systema Naturae consisting of two components: a Generic name and a Specific epithet.

ICBN

International Code for Botanical Nomenclature.

ICZN

International Code for Zoological Nomenclature.

Author Citation

The practice of placing the abbreviated name of the author who first described the species at the end of the biological name, such as Linn. in Mangifera indica Linn.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

The arrangement of taxonomic categories in a descending order: Kingdom, Phylum/Division, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.

Division

The taxonomic category used for plants that is equivalent to Phylum in animal classification.

Hominidae

The taxonomic Family to which Man (Homo sapiens) belongs.

Muscidae

The taxonomic Family to which the Housefly (Musca domestica) belongs.

Anacardiaceae

The taxonomic Family to which Mango (Mangifera indica) belongs.

Poaceae

The taxonomic Family to which Wheat (Triticum aestivum) belongs.

Sapindales

The taxonomic Order to which Mango (Mangifera indica) belongs.

Diptera

The taxonomic Order to which the Housefly (Musca domestica) belongs.

Herbarium

A storehouse of collected plant specimens that are dried, pressed, and preserved on sheets, serving as a quick referral system.

Botanical Gardens

Institutions that maintain collections of living plants for reference, such as Kew (England), Indian Botanical Garden (Howrah), and NBRI (Lucknow).

Museum

A place used for the collection of preserved plant and animal specimens for study and reference.

Zoological Parks (Zoos)

Environments where wild animals are kept in protected conditions, representing a form of Ex-situ conservation.

Key

A taxonomic aid used for identification based on contrasting characters, usually appearing as a pair called a Couplet.

Lead

Each individual statement within a taxonomic Key.

Systematics

The study of the different kinds of organisms, their diversities, and the relationships among them.

Manuals

Taxonomic tools useful for providing information for the identification of names of species found in an area.