WHAT IS LIVING?

● Objects exhibiting

growth,

development,

responsiveness,

adaptation &

reproduction are

called living beings.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
CELLULAR STRUCTURE

✓ Defining property of

living beings.

✓ All living organisms are

made of one or more

cells
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
METABOLISM

✓ Defining property of living beings.

✓ It is the sum total of all biochemical
reactions taking place inside a living
system.
✓ Metabolic reactions can be
demonstrated outside the body in
cell-free systems.
✓ Isolated metabolic reactions in vitro
are not living things but are
biological reactions
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Types of Metabolism
✓ Anabolism- Building up
Reactions
✓ e,g.; Photosynthesis,
formation of starch from
glucose etc.
✓ Catabolism-Breakdown
Reactions
✓ E.g; Respiration,
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Growth
✓ Irreversible increase in the
mass of individuals is called
growth.
✓ Accretion: Non living articles
can increase in size
✓ E.g; Mountains, stones, crystals
✓ Growth is not a defining
property of living organisms.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Growth
✓ Multicellular organism increase its
mass by cell division.
✓ In plants, growth continues
throughout their lifespan.
✓ In animals, growth is only up to a
certain age.
✓ However, cell division occurs to
replace lost cells.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Reproduction
✓ Is the formation of new individuals of
similar kind
✓ Organisms reproduce asexually and
sexually.
✓ Organisms like mules, worker bees,
infertile human couples, etc do not
reproduce
✓ Hence, reproduction is not a defining
property of living organisms.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Consciousness
✓ It is the awareness of the
surrounding and response to
external stimuli.
✓ Stimuli: Physical, Chemical or
Biological
✓ It is defining property of living
organisms.
✓ Humans have additions factor self
Consciousness (awareness of self)
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Growth
✓ Irreversible increase in the
mass of individuals is called
growth.
✓ Accretion: Non living articles
can increase in size
✓ E.g; Mountains, stones, crystals
✓ Growth is not a defining
property of living organisms.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Growth
✓ Multicellular organism increase its
mass by cell division.
✓ In plants, growth continues
throughout their lifespan.
✓ In animals, growth is only up to a
certain age.
✓ However, cell division occurs to
replace lost cells.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Reproduction
✓ Is the formation of new individuals of
similar kind
✓ Organisms reproduce asexually and
sexually.
✓ Organisms like mules, worker bees,
infertile human couples, etc do not
reproduce
✓ Hence, reproduction is not a defining
property of living organisms.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING BEINGS
Consciousness
✓ It is the awareness of the
surrounding and response to
external stimuli.
✓ Stimuli: Physical, Chemical or
Biological
✓ It is defining property of living
organisms.
✓ Humans have additions factor self
Consciousness (awareness of self)
DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD
● Biodiversity refers to

number and types of

organisms present on earth

● They differ in morphology,

size, colour, anatomy,

habitats and habits.

DIVERSITY IN THE LIVING WORLD
✓ Number of species described is 1.7 → 1.8 million.

✓ Animals are about 1.25 million,

✓ Insects are about 1.025 million species

✓ Plants are about 0.5 million

SYSTEMATICS
✓ GK ‘systema’ -Order, Sequence
✓ Term often interchangeable with taxonomy
✓ Science deals with organism and all there comparitive and evolutionary
relationship
Basics of Systematics study are
✓ Description of organism
✓ Identification
✓ Classification
✓ Nomenclature
Taxonomy
✓ It is the study of identification, classification & nomenclature of organisms.
✓ Originated with Plato → Aristotle (Father of Zoology) → Theophrastus (Father
of Botany) → Linnaeus (Father of Taxonomy)
Based on
✓ External and Internal structure
✓ Structure of cell
✓ Developmental Process
✓ Ecological Information
BASIC PROCESSES OF TAXONOMY
Characterization Identification Classification Nomenclature

✓ Understanding of ✓ Correct ✓ Grouping of ✓ Scientific

characters of
description of organisms into naming of
organisms
organism prior to categories on organisms.
✓ external and
internal structure, nomenclature. the basis of
structure of cell,
similarities &
development
differences.
process etc.
HIERARCHY OF CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom- Includes phyla with common characters
✓ eg. Kingdom Animalia-includes all animals.
Phylum- Classes with few common characters
✓ eg. Class Mammalia, Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia belong to one
phylum -Chordata
Class- A group of related orders
✓ eg. Order Primata and Carnivora belong to one class
Mammalia.
Order- Closely related families that resemble in major characters
✓ eg. Families, Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae belong to one
order- Polemoniales.
HIERARCHY OF CLASSIFICATION
Family- Closely related genera
✓ eg. Genus Solanum, Petunia and Datura belong to one
family Solanaceae.
Genus- Closely related species with certain resemblances
✓ eg. Panthera is a genus which includes lion (Panthera Leo),
leopard (Panthera Pardus) & Tiger (Panthera Tigris).
Species- All members with similar characteristics and can
interbreed and produce offsprings
✓ e.g. Mangifera indica, In this species is indica.
BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE
✓ Binomial nomenclature is how species are named.
✓ The name of a species is made by using two words: the genus name and the species
description
Rules of Binomial nomenclature
The generic and specific name are Latinized or Greek words
✔ Genus name is always capitalized
✔ Species in the same genus are thought to be closely related
A species descriptor is the second part of a scientific name
✔ Always lowercase
✔ Always follows genus
BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE EXAMPLE
Organism Scientific Name

Mango Mangifera indica

Lion Panthera leo

Man Homo sapiens

Banyan Ficus benghalensis

TAXONOMICAL AIDS
✓ Techniques, procedure and stored information that are useful in
identification and classification of organisms.
Taxonomic Aids are

✓ Herbarium
✓ Botanical Gardens
✓ Museum
✓ Zoological Parks
✓ Key
TAXONOMICAL AIDS-Herbarium
✓ Store house of collected plant specimens that are
dried, pressed & preserved on sheets.
✓ Sheets are arranged according to universally
accepted classification system.
✓ They carry a label providing information about date
and place of collection,
English, local and botanical names, family,
collector’s name, etc
✓ Used as ready reference in scientific studies.
IMPORTANT HERBARIA
Name Number of Herbarium Specimens

1. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (London) (Largest 6.5 million

herbarium)

2. Museum of Natural History (Paris) Over 6.0 million

3. Conservatoire at Jardin Botaniques de Geneve Over 5.0 million

4. New York Botanical Garden (New York) 4.0 million

5. Central National Herbarium (Indian Botanical Gardens) 2.0 million

Sibpur, Kolkata, India

6. Madras Herbarium, Coimbatore (MH), India 1,50,000

7. Herbarium of National Botanical Research Institute, 80,000

Lucknow, India
TAXONOMICAL AIDS - BOTANICAL GARDENS
TAXONOMICAL AIDS - BOTANICAL GARDENS
✓ Collection of various living plant species in form of
garden for identification purpose
✓ Used for identification of plants.
✓ Each plant is labeled with its botanical name and family.
The important functions of botanical gardens are:
● Growing important plants of local flora.
● Keeping record of local flora.
● Providing living plant material for systematic work.
● Supplying seeds and material for different aspects of
botanical research.
● Growing and maintaining rare and endangered plants,
BOTANICAL GARDENS OF WORLD
✓ Main Botanical Garden, Moscow- Largest garden (spread over an area of 900 acres.)

✓ Royal Botanical Garden, Kew (London) - (spread over an area of 300 acres.)

✓ Indian Botanical Garden Sibpur, Kolkata.- Largest botanical garden of asia, spread

over an area of 273 acres which is famous for its Great Banyan tree Succulent plants,

Indian grasses, Water lilies, etc.

✓ Lloyd Botanical Garden, Darjeeling: Spreads 40 acres has a large number of terrestrial

and epiphytic orchids, a large numi cycads, ferns and alpine plants.

✓ National Botanical Garden, Lucknow (Sikander Bah). Spreads 70 Acres

TAXONOMICAL AIDS - MUSEUM
✓ It is a collection of preserved plants and animals
for study and reference.
Example:
✓ Natural History Museum, London.
✓ United States National Museum, Washington.
✓ Sugarlands Museum, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in
eastern Tennessee.
✓ Anthropological Museum, Andaman and Nicobar islands.
✓ National Museum of Natural History, Delhi.
✓ Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai.
✓ Maharaja Sawai Man Singh (II) Museum, Jaipur.
✓ Indian Museum, Kolkata.
TAXONOMICAL AIDS - MUSEUM
A museum contains
✓ Specimens preserved in preservative solutions in
containers or jars.
✓ Dried specimens of plants and animals.
✓ Insects preserved in insect boxes after collecting,
killing and pinning.
✓ Stuffed larger animals like birds and mammals.
✓ Collections of animal skeletons.
TAXONOMICAL AIDS - ZOOLOGICAL PARKS
✓ Place where wild animals are kept in
protected environment under human care .

✓ It helps to learn about their food habits and

behaviour.
TAXONOMICAL AIDS - KEYS
● This is a taxonomical aid where

plants and animals are

recognized based on

contrasting characteristics

known as couplet

● Couplet has two opposite

statements, each called lead.

● Separate keys for separate

taxonomic categories needed.

● Used to classify organism.