Class Notes On Diversity In The Living World

Diversity in the living world:

-Described number of species range 1.7-1.8 million.

-Local names of organisms may not be applied at global level.

-Scientific names are given to organisms after identification, acceptable at global level.

-Nomenclature is done as per criteria given in ICBN (International code for botanical nomenclature)&

ICZN (International code for zoological nomenclature)

-Binomial nomenclature was given by CAROLUS LINNAEUS.

- First word is Generic name & second word is Specific epithet in scientific name of organism.

-Names are in Latin or Latinised word.

-Names, if hand written are separately underlined & if printed, areitalicised.

-First word starts with capital letter & second word with small letter.

Example: Mangiferaindica      (Mango)

-Name of author in last as abbreviation.

-For ease of study organisms are classified into groups or categories known as taxa.

- eg. Taxon may be Dogs, Mammals, wheat, Rice etc.

-Process of classification into different taxa is called taxonomy.

-Identification, classification, nomenclature are basic to taxonomy.

-Systematics studies evolutionary relationship between organisms.