Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.
🔑Concepts
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms found in a particular region. Currently, there are about to million species known on Earth.
The idea of evolution was first described by Charles Darwin in in his book, 'The Origin of Species'. He connected the design of organisms to the process of evolution.
Classification and Evolution are closely related. Primitive (lower) organisms have simple body designs, while advanced (higher) organisms have acquired more complex designs over evolutionary time.
Robert Whittaker () proposed the Five Kingdom Classification: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
The hierarchy of classification is: .
Kingdom Monera: Includes unicellular prokaryotic organisms like bacteria and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). They lack a defined nucleus or organelles.
Kingdom Protista: Includes unicellular eukaryotic organisms like unicellular algae, diatoms, and protozoans (e.g., ). They use appendages like cilia or flagella for locomotion.
Kingdom Fungi: Heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms, mostly saprophytic. Their cell walls are made of a complex sugar called chitin.
Kingdom Plantae: Multicellular eukaryotes with cell walls made of cellulose. They are autotrophs and use chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
Kingdom Animalia: Multicellular eukaryotes without cell walls. They are heterotrophs.
Binomial Nomenclature was introduced by Carolus Linnaeus. It consists of two names: the (starts with a capital letter) and the (starts with a small letter). Both are printed in italics or underlined separately when handwritten.
📐Formulae
💡Examples
Problem 1:
Name the kingdom to which an organism belongs if it is unicellular, eukaryotic, and shows the presence of a well-defined nucleus.
Solution:
Kingdom Protista
Explanation:
According to Whittaker's classification, unicellular eukaryotes are grouped under Kingdom Protista. Unlike Monera, which are prokaryotic, Protists have a and membrane-bound organelles.
Problem 2:
Correct the following scientific name of a Tiger according to the rules of Binomial Nomenclature: panthera tigris.
Solution:
(or when handwritten)
Explanation:
In Binomial Nomenclature, the first letter of the Genus () must be capitalized, and the species name () must start with a small letter. When printed, it should be in italics.
Problem 3:
In the hierarchy of classification, which level has the largest number of organisms with maximum diversity, and which has the minimum?
Solution:
Maximum Diversity: ; Minimum Diversity (Maximum Similarity): .
Explanation:
As we move from to , the number of organisms increases and the common characteristics decrease. Therefore, the level has the highest diversity, while the level contains organisms that are most similar to each other and can interbreed.