1.1 The Living World

What is Living?

  • Growth: Increase in mass and number of individuals.
  • Reproduction: Production of offspring.
  • Metabolism: Sum of all chemical reactions.
  • Cellular Organization: Composed of one or more cells.
  • Consciousness: Ability to sense and respond to the environment.

Defining Characteristics of Life

  • Metabolism: The sum of all chemical reactions in an organism.
  • Cellular Organization: All living things are made of cells.
  • Consciousness: The ability to respond to stimuli.

Diversity in the Living World

  • Biodiversity: The variety of life on Earth, with 1.7-1.8 million known species.
  • Nomenclature: A system for naming organisms, with Binomial Nomenclature (Genus + Species) being the standard.
  • Classification: Grouping organisms into categories (taxa) based on shared characteristics.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

A system of classifying organisms in a specific sequence:

  • Kingdom
  • Phylum / Division
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species

Taxonomical Aids

Tools for the study and classification of organisms:

  • Herbarium: A collection of dried and preserved plant specimens.
  • Botanical Gardens: Collections of living plants.
  • Museum: Collections of preserved plant and animal specimens.
  • Zoological Parks (Zoos): Protected environments for wild animals.
  • Key: An analytical tool for identifying organisms based on contrasting characters.

Other Taxonomical Aids

  • Monograph: Contains information on any one taxon.
  • Manual: Provides information for identifying species in a specific area.
  • Flora: An index of plant species in a particular area.
  • Catalogue: A list of all species in a particular area.