Chapter 2 : Biological Classification

Biological classification is a dynamic and ever evolving phenomenon
which keeps changing with our understanding of life forms. Justify the
statement taking any two examples.

‘Peat’ is an important source of domestic fuel in several countries. How
is ‘peat’ formed in nature?

Make a list of algae and fungi that have commercial value as source of
food, chemicals, medicines and fodder.

Apart from chlorophyll, algae have several other pigments in their
chloroplast. What pigments are found in blue-green, red and brown
algae that are responsible for their characteristic colours?

Algae are known to reproduce asexually by variety of spores under
different environmental conditions. Name these spores and the conditions
under which they are produced.

Fungi are cosmopolitan, write the role of fungi in your daily life.

What observable features in Trypanosoma would make you classify it
under kingdom Protista?

At a stage of their cycle, ascomycetes fungi produce the fruiting bodies
like apothecium, perithecium or cleistothecium. How are these three
types of fruiting bodies different from each other?

Cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria have been clubbed together
in Eubacteria of kingdom Monera as per the “Five Kingdom
Classification” even though the two are vastly different from each other.
Is this grouping of the two types of taxa in the same kingdom justified?
If so, why?

Neurospora - an ascomycetes fungus has been used as a biological tool
to understand the mechanism of plant genetics much in the same way
as Drosophila has been used to study animal genetics. What makes
Neurospora so important as a genetic tool?

There is a myth that immediately after heavy rains in forest, mushrooms
appear in large number and make a very large ring or circle, which may
be several metres in diameter. These are called as ‘Fairy rings’. Can you
explain this myth of fairy rings in biological terms?

Diatoms are also called as ‘pearls of ocean’, why? What is diatomaceous
earth?

In the five kingdom system of Whittaker, how many kingdoms are
eukaryotes?

A virus is considered as a living organism and an obligate parasite
when inside a host cell. But virus is not classified along with bacteria
or fungi. What are the characters of virus that are similar to non-living
objects?

The common name of pea is simpler than its botanical (scientific) name
Pisum satirum. Why then is the simpler common name not used instead
of the complex scientific/ botanical name in biology?

Are chemosynthetic bacteria-autotrophic or heterotrophic?

Polluted water bodies have usually very high abundance of plants like
Nostoc and Oscillitoria. Give reasons.

Polluted water bodies have usually ver

How is the five–kingdom classification advantageous over the twokingdom
classification?

Suppose you accidentally find an old preserved permanent slide without
a label. In your effort to identify it, you place the slide under microscope
and observe the following features :-
a. Unicellular
b. Well defined nucleus
c. Biflagellate–one flagellum lying longitudinally and the other
transversely.

What is the principle underlying the use of cyanobacteria in agricultural
fields for crop improvement?

What are the different groups of fungi?

Discuss different systems of classification briefly.

What are insectivorous plants? Give an example

Write the importance of classification of organism.

State an economically important use of
i) Heterotrophic bacteria.
ii) Archaebacteria.

Compare salient features of monera & protista.

What are distributed organisms which have not been included under any
kingdom?

Name the fungus causes the rust of wheat?

Define experimental taxonomy?

Write the diagnostic characters of kingdom monera.

Give a comparative account of classes of kingdom fungi on the basis of mode
of nutrition & mode of reproduction.

Why is natural system of classification better then artificial system of
classification?

Give scientific name of species of fungus:-
a) Produces a plant disease.
b) Is edible
c) A source of antibiotic
d) Used in manufacture of ethanol.

What are the demerits of five kingdom classification?

Explain “Numerical taxonomy”.

Why are some fungi grouped under “fungi imperfecti”?

It is advised to grow one pulse crop in between two main crops in the same
field why?

Name the fungus from which LSD drug is obtained?

Who is known as “Father of classification”?

Explain the various methods of asexual & sexual reproduction in fungi?

Distinguish between bacteria & cyanobacteria?

Find out what do the terms “algal bloom”& “red tides” signify?

What is the basis of Whittaker’s system of classification?

Explain phylogenetic system of classification?

In which class of fungi sexual reproduction does not occur?

Which organisms are known as “Jokers of plant kingdom”

Name the five kingdoms in which the organisms are grouped together?

Write the distinct characters of fungi & explain using a diagram.

Discuss the salient features of viruses with the help of diagram?

Explain sexual reproduction in bacteria?

How are viroids different from viruses?

Give one example of a fungus as a soure of antibiotics?

What is the basis of modern classification?

Expand PPLO.

To which kingdom the multicellular decomposers belong?

Who introduced the five kingdom classification of organisms?

Organise a discussion in your class on the topic – Are viruses living or nonliving?

Give a brief account of viruses with respect to their structure and nature of genetic material. Also name four common viral diseases.

What are the characteristic features of Euglenoids?

Give a comparative account of the classes of Kingdom Fungi under the following: (i) mode of nutrition (ii) mode of reproduction

What do the terms phycobiont and mycobiont signify?

Plants are autotrophic. Can you think of some plants that are partially heterotrophic?

Describe briefly the four major groups of Protozoa

How are viroids different from viruses?

What is the nature of cell-walls in diatoms?

State two economically important uses of: (a) heterotrophic bacteria (b) archaebacteria

Discuss how classification systems have undergone several changes over a period of time?