Chapter 1: The Living World

Ans: Yes, a snowball indeed gains mass, volume, and size; when it is rolled over. But in this case, the increase in the size of the ball is due to the accumulation of material from outside. In the case of growth in a living being, the growth happens because When the cell cycle is completed in the cell, i.e. meiosis and mitotic divisions leading to the generation of new protoplasm and nuclear mass, material accumulates inside the cells of organisms. As a result, the growth of a snowball differs from the growth of a live organism.

Ans: Whenever we discuss biodiversity, we consider all the life forms on the earth. In other words, the term 'biodiversity' is a broad word that encompasses all life organisms on the planet. However, when referring to a smaller geographical area, such as an ecosystem or a specific habitat, the term "diversity" is used. In other terms, diversity refers to the range of life that can be found in a single location at a given time. As a result, the habitat example provides a visual representation of diversity.

Ans: As per the ICBN, various hierarchies of units for classifying plants and suffixes used for such hierarchies are as follows:

Ans: Biotypes are the names given to these variations. Genetically, all biotypes are similar, yet morphologically, they differ. Abiotic elements like temperature, soil pH, climate, and other abiotic factors create morphological changes. Different altitudinal gradients result in differences in abiotic variables.

Ans: Following are the steps of preparing a herbarium:

1. Collection: This step entails the gathering of a certain species.

2. Pressing: This procedure entails spreading the specimen between two sheets of paper and pressing it to preserve the majority of the pieces.

3. Drying: This phase is normally done outside in the sun.

4. Poisoning: To preserve a specimen for a longer period of time, antifungal treatment may be required.

5. Mounting: The specimen is mounted on a herbarium sheet in this step.

6. Labeling: This stage entails writing down all of the specimen's details and categorization.

Digger and pruning knife, sickle, vasculum, polythene bags, old newspaper or magazine, blotting paper, plant press, field notebooks, herbarium sheets, adhesive, labels, and other instruments must be taken while gathering plants for the production of a herbarium. The information and classification on the saved item should be complete. The names of the division, order, family, genus, and species should all be included.

Ans: The flora of a specific geographical area is the total number of plant species found there. The fauna of a specific geographical area is the total number of animal species found there. The term ‘vegetation’ has a broader definition than 'flora.' The term "vegetation" is frequently used to refer to a considerably larger geographical area than an ecosystem. The term ‘vegetation’ is frequently used to refer to all plants on a worldwide scale.

Endangered Species: The term endemic species refers to a species that can only be found in a specific geographical location. Rauvolfia serpentine, for example, is uniquely found in India as a result, it is considered an endemic species in India.

Exotic Species: An exotic species is one that is not naturally found in a given location but has survived via deliberate selection and breeding or by being imported. Eichhornia crassipes, for example, is native to another nation but was introduced to India. As a result, it is considered an alien species in India.

Ans: In different places of the world, people speak a variety of languages and dialects. This means that a plant's name may vary depending on where it is found in the country or the world. This exacerbates the problem because no one can remember all of those names. Botanists established the binomial naming system to alleviate this difficulty by giving each species a distinct name for scientific study. A botanical name is made of two terms: the genus name and the species name. A lot of thought goes into coming up with a unique name for a species.

Ans: Because they share certain characteristics, brinjal and potato are classified as members of the same genus, Solanum. Common features in these plants include phyllotaxy, venation, inflorescence, and others, all of which identify them as members of the same genus. However, there is no way to cross a brinjal plant with a potato plant. Because the ability to interbreed is the most important criterion for distinguishing members of a species, brinjal and potato are classified as different species, despite the fact that they belong to the same genus.

Ans: No matter the function of a particular cell organelle; all the cell organelles are made up of more or less similar molecules. To form a specific cell organelle, all of the molecules come together in a specific way. It's similar to the same brick used to build a little house or a large factory or palace. The constituents remain the same, but the function and purpose of the finished product change. Hence, the properties of cell organelles are not always found in the molecular constituents of cell organelles.

Ans: This question should be considered from two angles: quantity and variety. For any organism, the population can not remain constant. Because of favorable conditions, pollution may be more in some generations. In some other generations, the population can be less because of unfavorable conditions. The kinds of organisms cannot be constant because evolution is a never-ending process. In every era, new species come into the origin, and some old species become extinct.