Living world

• Living organisms were perceived differently by early man compared to inanimate matter
• Early man deified some inanimate matter and some animals and plants
• A common feature of inanimate and animate objects was the sense of awe or fear they evoked
• Description of living organisms, including human beings, began later in human history
• Societies with an anthropocentric view of biology made limited progress in biological knowledge
• Systematic and monumental description of life forms led to detailed systems of identification, nomenclature, and classification
• Recognition of similarities among living organisms horizontally and vertically humbled man and led to cultural movements for conservation of biodiversity
• Living organisms can be found in a wide range of habitats such as cold mountains, deciduous forests, oceans, fresh water lakes, deserts, and hot springs
• The ecological conflict and cooperation among members of a population and among populations of a community make us reflect on the meaning of life
• Biodiversity refers to the number and types of organisms present on Earth
• Nomenclature is the process of standardizing the naming of living organisms
• Identification is necessary for naming organisms correctly
• Scientific names for plants are based on the International Code for Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN)
• Scientific names for animals are based on the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)
• Biological names are generally in Latin and written in italics
• Biological names consist of a generic name and a specific epithet in binomial nomenclature
• Classification is the process of grouping organisms into convenient categories based on observable characters
• Taxa are scientific terms for these categories used to study organisms
• Taxonomy involves the classification of living organisms into different taxa based on characteristics
• Characterisation, identification, classification, and nomenclature are basic processes in taxonomy
• Human interest in knowing more about organisms led to early classifications based on the 'uses' of various organisms
• Systematics is the branch of study focused on the systematic arrangement of organisms and relationships among them
• Systematics is the branch of study that focuses on the systematic arrangement of organisms
• Linnaeus used Systema Naturae as the title of his publication
• The scope of systematics includes identification, nomenclature, and classification
• Systematics takes into account evolutionary relationships between organisms
• Taxonomic categories are part of the overall taxonomic arrangement and represent ranks or categories
• Each category is called a taxonomic category and all categories together constitute the taxonomic hierarchy
• Insects are an example of a taxonomic category, sharing common features like three pairs of jointed legs
• Taxonomical studies have led to the development of common categories such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species
• Species are groups of individual organisms with fundamental similarities
• Species can be distinguished based on distinct morphological differences
• Examples of species include Mangifera indica, Solanum tuberosum (potato), and Panthera leo (lion)
• Genus comprises a group of related species with more characters in common compared to species of other genera
• Examples include potato and brinjal belonging to the genus Solanum
• Lion, leopard, and tiger are all species of the genus Panthera
• Family includes related genera with fewer similarities compared to genus and species
• Examples include the family Solanaceae with genera Solanum, Petunia, and Datura
• The family Felidae includes genera Panthera and Felis
• Order is an assemblage of families with a few similar characters