THE LIVING WORLD

Biology is the science of life and living process. It is the study of life on earth and the story of evolution
of living organism on earth. The word biology is originating from two greek words Bios-means life and
logos means study so biology is known as Life science.
Living world is wonderful and the wide range of living types is amazing. They live in a wide range of
habitats. They vary in their size, shape, structure, interactions, adaptations etc.
 Some organisms are unicellular Eg: Amoeba, Bacteria, Paramecium, Euglena
 Some are multicellular Eg.Higher plants and animals
 Some are prokaryotes: Eg: Bacteria
 Some are eukaryotes: Eg: Higher plants and animals
 Autotrophs
Eg. Algae, green plants, photosynthetic bacteria, Nitrifying bacteria
 Heterotrophs
(a) Saprophytic
(b) Parasitic
(c) Symbiotic
 Organisms are diverse based on their habitat and ecology
Eg: Aquatic, terestrial, Air bone organisms
Characteristics of living organisms
(i) Growth
 It is increasing mass and increasing number of individuals (twin characteristics of growth).
 In living organisms, growth is internal, ie, occurs by cell division
 Multicellular organisms grow by cellular enlargement and cell division, which contributes to an increase
in size of the cell and increase in no. of cells.
In multicellular organisms growth and reproduction are exclusive events
 Plants show indeterminate or indefinite growth throughout their life span by meristematic cell.
 Animals show definite growth pattern, ie. growth takes place only upto a particular age.

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 Unicellular organisms grow by the accumulation of protoplasmic content due to cellular enlargement
and their cell division.
Growth and reproduction are inclusive events in unicellular organisms.
 Non-living things can also show an increase in size by the accumulation of materials on the outer
surface (External growth)
 So, growth can not be taken as a defining property of living organisms
(ii) Reproduction
 It is the capacity to produce young ones of their own kind. Reproduction maintains the continuity of
species.
 In organisms, reproduction takes place by 2 ways
(a) Asexual : Uniparental
(b) Sexual : Biparental
 In lower organisms, common reproductive mechanism is asexual. It is different in different organisms.
1) Binary fission - Bacteria
2) Budding - Yeast, Hydra
3) Regeneration - Planaria (Flat worms)
4) Fragmentation - Filamentous algae like spirogyra, Fungi, Protonema of moss
5) Spore formation - Fungi
 In unicellular organisms, reproduction is synonymous with growth, ie, increase in number of cells.
 In higher organisms, common reproductive mechanisms is sexual, which involves formation and fusion
of gametes.
 Some living organisms cant reproduce. (Mule, worker bees, Infertile human couples)
 So, reproduction is also cannot be an all inclusive defining character of living organism but, no non -
living objects can reproduce by itself.
(iii) Metabolism
 The sum total of all biochemical reactions in a living cell
 It may be
(i) anabolism ii) Catabolism
Constructive process Destructive process
(simple  complex) (complex  simple)
Eg: Photosynthesis, protein synthesis Eg: Cellular respiration/Oxidation of food material
 No non-living object exhibits metabolism
 Isolated metabolic reactions outside the body of an organism, performed in a test tube is neither living
nor non-living.
 It is a defining property except in invitro. Invitro is only a living reaction, but not living things

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(iv) Cellular organisation
 All living organisms are made up of basic structural and functional units ie, cells
 It is a defining property of living organism.
 In higher organisms, cells are organised into tissues, organs and to organs system.
Cell  Tissues  Organs  Organ system  organism
The property of tissue is not present in the constituent of cells and so on ie, each level of organisation
has its own properties.
(v) Consciousness
 It is the ability of living organisms to sense their environment and surroundings and respond to it.
 These external stimuli can be physical, chemical or biological.
 Plants can respond to stimuli such as light, temperature water, etc (tropic movements, photoperiodic
requirements for flowering)
 Animals are aware of their environment with the help of sense organs
 Only human beings have self consciousness.
 So it is a defining property of living organism
So organisms are self replicating, evolving and self regulating intractive systems capable of
responding to external stimuli.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the diversity of organism that seen in the biosphere. Each different kind of plant, animal
or organism that we can see represent a species. The number of species that are known and described
rangs between 1.7 – 1.8 million. The diversity is the result of organic evolution and diversity can be
identified through classification.
Of these 70% are animals and plant form 22%. Among animals insect are the richest group.
Systematics
 It deals with diversity of living organisms and their inter-relationships (taxonomic and phylogenetic
relationships)
 The word systematics was derived from the Latin word ‘systema’ which means the systematic
arrangement of living organisms
 The word ‘systematics’ was coined by Carolus Linnaeus.
 New systematics was introduced by Julian Huxley
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the principle and procedure of arranging organism to proper group based on similarity
and dissimilarity.
 The word ‘taxonomy’ was coined by A.P. de Candolle
 Father of taxonomy: Carolus Linnaeus
The basic process of taxonomy includes
Characterisation, Identification, classificationa and nomenclature
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 Earliest classification is based on ‘uses’ of various organism as sources of food clothing and shelter.
 Modern taxonomic study include morphology, anatomy, cell structure developmental process and
ecological information.
Nomenclature
 It is the system of providing name to an organism. So that they can be easily recognised and differentiated
from others.
Vernacular nomenclature: Naming an organism by using local or regional language
Scientific nomenclature
 It is the universally accepted single name system of an organism.
Binomial nomenclature
 A system of naming an organism by using 2 worlds: Genus name and species name
 Proposed by Carolus Linnaeus
 Reference books of Binomial system are Systema naturae, Species plantarum
Rules and Regulations
a) Biological names are in Latin and written in Italics.
b) Each name has 2 parts: Genus name (generic epithet) and species name (specific epithet)
c) Genus name should start with capital letter and species name with small letter
d) Biological names when handwritten should be underlined separately or printed in italics
e) Name of the author written after species name in an abbreviated form
Eg. Homo sapiens Linn. (Humans)
Panthera tigris (Tiger)
Mangifera indica (Mango tree)
Naming codes
ICBN: International Code for Botanical Nomenclature
ICZN:International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
Classification
 It is the process by which any thing is grouped into convenient categories based on their characteristics.
The scientific term for these categories is taxa / taxon.
Taxonomical Hierarchy (T.H)
 In taxonomic studies there are seven obligate categories are present.
 The systematic arrangement of these taxonomic groups or categories in an order with kingdom at the
top and species at the base is known as taxonomic hierarchy.
 Hierarchy is the arranging rank or categories one above the other in a particular order.
 Each level in these hierarchy is known as taxon, ie, a unit of classification.

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Species
 Species is the lowest category in the hierarchy
 It is the basic unit of classification
 The term ‘species’ coined by John Ray
 It is group of morphologically similar members that are reproductively isolated. ie, they can interbreed
producing fertile offsprings.
 The currently accepted definition of biological species concept was given by Earnest Mayer/ Darwin
of 20th Centuary
ie, “Species is the members of a population that can potentially interbreed and produce fertile
young ones”. They are reproductively isolated.
Eg. Tiger (Panthera tigris)
Lion (Panthera leo)
Potato (Solanum tuberosum)
Humans (Homo sapiens)
Here, tigris, leo, tuberosum, sapiens etc represents specific epithet.
Genus
They are group of related species, which has more characters in common.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Eg. Solanum

Brinjal (Solanum melongena)

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 Tiger (Panthera tigirs)

Panthera Lion (Panthera leo)

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Family
They are group of related genera.

Eg. Solanum

Datura Solanaceae

Pentunia

Panthera

Felidae

Felis
(Cat)

Order
It is group of related families which exhibit a few similar characters.
Eg. Solanaceae

Polymoniales
Convolvulaceae

Felidae

Carnivora

Canidae
(Dog)

Class
It includes related orders.

Eg. Carnivora

Mammalia

Primata
(Humans, Monkeys etc.)

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 Polymoniales

Dicotyledonae

Sapindales
(etc.,)

Phylum / Division

They are group of related classes.

Term phylum - used in animal classification

division - in plant classification

Division :- Dicotyledonae

Angiospermae

Monocotyledonae

Phylum :- Mammalia
Chordata
Reptilia (Posses notochord and
dorsal hollow neural system)
Amphibia

Kingdom

Highest category in the hierarchy.

Angiospermae
Eg. Plantae Gymnospermae

Pteridophyta etc.

Chordata
Animalia Annelida

Arthropoda

 From species to kingdom, the number of common characteristics goes on decreasing,

ie, Lower the taxa, more are the common characteristics and fewer the diversity than higher categories.

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Taxonomic Categories Showing Hierarchial Arrangement
Animalia (Kingdom)

Non-chordate (Phylum)
Chordata

Amphibia Reptilia Pisces Aves Mammalia (Class)

'idae' is the suffix for family in animals Carnivora Primata (order)

Felidae Canidae (Family)

Felis Panthera (Genus)

pardus (species)
tigris (Leopard)
(Tiger) leo
(Lion)
Plantae (Kingdom)

(Algae) Thallophyte Bryophytes Pteridophytes Gymnosperms Angiosperms (Division)

Dicots Monocots (Class)

'ales' is the suffix for order in plants Polymoniales Sapindales (order)

'aceae' is the suffix for family Convolvulaceae Solanaceae (family)

Ipomoea batatas
(Sweet potato)
Solanum Datura (Genus)
Petunia

tuberosum nigrum (species)

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 Organisms with their taxonomic category

Additional Informations
 Aristotle: Book - Historia Animalium, Father of Biology, Zoology
 Theophrastus: Historia Plantarum,Father of Botany
 John Ray: Historia generalis plantarum, Coined ‘species’
 Carl Linnaeus: Books- Systema naturae, Species plantarum, Philosophia botanica
 Bentham and Hooker: Genera Plantarum