Question:
What are taxonomical aids? Give the importance of herbaria and museums. How are Botanical gardens and Zoological parks useful in conserving biodiversity?
Answer:
Techniques, procedures and stored information that are useful in identification and classification of organisms are called taxonomic aids.
Importance of herbaria:
(i) It provides information about the local flora as well as flora of distant areas.
(ii) Herbaria are used for correct and authentic identification of unknown plants.
(iii) It provides information about the ecology of different places.
(iv) The information is useful in locating wild varieties and relatives of economically Important plants. The same is helpful in breeding programmes for evolving newer and better varieties.
(v) It depicts the morphological variations found in species.
– (vi) Information is obtained as to the season of flowering of various plants.
(vii)It serves as a quick referal system for taxonomic studies.
Importance of museums are as follows:
(i) Standard museums have collections of plants and animals of various areas.
(ii) Museums provide information not only about the local fauna and flora but also of other areas.
(iii) They are used to deposit type specimens whenever new taxa are described.
(iv) They are important centres for taxonomic studies like important members of various taxa, their important characteristics, study and identification of various organisms.
Botanical gardens and Zoological parks are ex situ mode of biodiversity conservation. They have seed banks, tissue culture facilities and other ex-situ technologies to conserve biodiversity. They have well managed captive breeding programmes. As a result many animals which have become extinct in the wild continue to be maintained in zoological parks. Captive breeding is also resorted to in those cases where the number of surviving individuals is so small that there is no realistic chance of in situ survival. As the number increases in captive breeding, the individuals are selectively released in the wild. By this method Californian Candor (Gymnogyps californicus) and Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) have been saved from extinction. Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) has been saved by selective breeding followed by channelling into trade of nature lovers. Therefore, botanical gardens and zoological parks can be used to restock depleted populations, reintroduce species in the wild and restore degraded habitats.
The Living World
Q 1.
Some of the properties of tissues are not the constituents of its cells. Give three examples to support the statement.
Q 2.
What does ICZN stand for?
Q 3.
Match the following and choose the correct option.
| A. |
Family |
(0 |
tuberosum |
| B. |
Kingdom |
(ii) |
Polymoniales |
| C. |
Order |
(iii) |
Solarium |
| D. |
Species |
(iv) |
Plantae |
| E. |
Genus |
(v) |
Solanaceae |
Options:
(a) D—(i), C—(ii), E—(iii), B—(iv), A-(v)
(b) E—(i), D—(ii), B—(iii), A—(iv), C-
(c) D-C), E—(ii), B—(iii), A—(iv), C-(v)
(d) E—(i), €—(ii), B—-(iii), A-(iv), D-(v)
Q 4.
Amoeba multiplies by mitotic cell division. Is this phenomena growth or reproduction? Explain.
Q 5.
A plant may have different names in different regions of the country or world. How do botanists solve this problem?
Q 6.
Amoeba multiplies by mitotic cell division. Is this phenomena growth or reproduction? Explain.
Q 7.
Properties of cell organelles are not always found in the molecular constituents of cell organelles. Justify.
Q 8.
Given below is the scientific name of mango. Identify the correctly written name.
Mangifera Indica Mangifera indica
Q 9.
What is a monograph?
Q 10.
Brassica compestris Linn
a. Give the common name of the plant.
b. What do the first two parts of the name denote?
c. Why are they written in italics?
d. What is the meaning of Linn written at the end of the name?
Q 11.
What does ICZN stand for?
Q 12.
Why are the classification systems changing every now and then?
Q 13.
What is the similarity and dissimilarity between "whole moong daal"and "broken moong daal"in terms of respiration and growth? Based on these parameters classify them into living or nonliving?
Q 14.
Linnaeus is considered as Father of Taxonomy. Name two other botanists known for their contribution to the field of plant taxonomy?
Q 15.
Which is the largest botanical garden in the world? Name a few well known botanical gardens in India.
Q 16.
A student of taxonomy was puzzled when told by his professor to look for a key to identify a plant. He went to his friend to clarify what ‘Key’ the professor was referring to? What would the friend explain to him?
Q 17.
Try to collect all the currently accepted meanings for the word ‘species’. Discuss with your teacher the meaning of species in case of higher plants and animals on one hand, and bacteria on the other hand.
Q 18.
Do you consider a person in coma-living or dead?
Q 19.
Some of the properties of tissues are not the constituents of its cells.
Give three examples to support the statement.
Q 20.
International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) has provided a code for classification of plants. Give hierarchy of units of classification botanists follow while classifying plants and mention different’Suffixes’ used for the units.
Q 21.
Couplet in taxonomic key means .
Q 22.
Linnaeus is considered as Father of Taxonomy. Name two other botanists known for their contribution to the field of plant taxonomy.
Q 23.
What is a Monograph?
Q 24.
How is a key helpful in the identification and classification of an organism?
Q 26.
Can you identify the correct sequence of taxonomical categories?
(a) Species —> Order —> Phylum —> Kingdom
(b) Genus—) Species—> OrderKingdom
(c) Species —> Genus —>Order —> Phylum
Q 27.
A ball of snow when rolled over snow increases in mass, volume and size. Is this comparable to growth as seen in living organisms? Why?
Q 28.
In a given habitat we have 20 plant species and 20 animal species. Should we call this as ‘diversity’ or ‘biodiversity’? Justify your answer.
Q 29.
The number and kinds of organism is not constant. How do you explain this statement?
Q 30.
Properties of cell organelles are not always found in the molecular constituents of cell organelles. Justify.
Q 31.
What is meant by living? Give any four defining features of life forms.
Q 32.
What do we learn from identification of individuals and populations?
Q 33.
A ball of snow when rolled over snow increases in mass, volume and size. Is this comparable to growth as seen in living organisms? Why?
Q 34.
Why are living organisms classified?
Q 35.
How do you prepare your own herbarium sheets? What are the different tools you carry with you while collecting plants for the preparation of a herbarium? What information should a preserved plant material on the herbarium sheet provide for taxonomical studies?
Q 36.
What different criteria would you choose to classify people that you meet often?
Q 37.
Illustrate the taxonomical hierarchy with suitable examples of a plant and an animal.
Q 38.
Define and understand the following terms:
(i) Phylum (ii) Class (iii) Family
(iv) Order (v) Genus
Q 39.
Which is the largest botanical garden in the world? Name a few well known botanical gardens in India.
Q 40.
In a given habitat we have 20 plant species and 20 animal species. Should we call this as ‘diversity' or ‘biodiversity'? Justify your answer. –
Q 42.
What is the difference between flora, fauna and vegetation? Eichhornia crassipes is called as an exotic species while Rauwolfia serpentina is an endemic species in India. What do these terms exotic and endemic refer to?
Q 43.
A scientist has come across a plant which he feels is a new species. How will he go about its identification, classification and nomenclature.
Q 44.
Brinjal and potato belong to the same genus Solarium, but to two different species. What defines them as separate species?
Q 45.
Metabolism is a defining feature of all living organisms without exception.
Isolated metabolic reactions in vitro are not living things but surely living reactions. Comment.
Q 46.
Do you consider a person in coma-living or dead?
Q 47.
Define a taxon. Give some example of taxa at different hierarchical levels.
Q 48.
A plant species shows several morphological
variations in response to altitudinal gradient. Whengrownundersimilarconditionsofgrowth, the morphological variations disappear and all the variants have common morphology. What are these variants called?
Q 49.
The number and kinds of organism is not constant. How do you explain this statement?
Q 50.
What are taxonomical aids? Give the importance of herbaria and museums. How are Botanical gardens and Zoological parks useful in conserving biodiversity?
