🏷️ 1. The Living World (Taxonomic Categories & Data)
| Organism (Common Name) | Biological Name | Genus | Family | Order | Class | Phylum / Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man | Homo sapiens | Homo | Hominidae | Primata | Mammalia | Chordata |
| Housefly | Musca domestica | Musca | Muscidae | Diptera | Insecta | Arthropoda |
| Mango | Mangifera indica | Mangifera | Anacardiaceae | Sapindales | Dicotyledonae | Angiospermae |
| Wheat | Triticum aestivum | Triticum | Poaceae | Poales | Monocotyledonae | Angiospermae |
- Key Herbarium Rule: Sheets carry information about date and place of collection, English, local and botanical names, family, and collector's name. It does not carry the height of the plant.
🦠 2. Biological Classification (Kingdoms Monera, Protista, Fungi, & Viruses)
| Kingdom / Group | NCERT High-Yield Examples | Diagnostic Feature / Exception |
|---|---|---|
| Archaebacteria | Methanogens, Halophiles, Thermoacidophiles | Cell wall structure lacks peptidoglycan; survives extreme environments. |
| Cyanobacteria | Nostoc, Anabaena | Photosynthetic autotrophs; possess heterocysts for N₂ fixation. |
| Mycoplasma | Mycoplasma | Completely lacks a cell wall; smallest living cell; anaerobic. |
| Chrysophytes | Diatoms, Golden Algae (Desmids) | Cell walls form two thin overlapping shells (soapbox); Diatomaceous earth. |
| Dinoflagellates | Gonyaulax | Causes red tides; releases toxins that kill marine life. |
| Euglenoids | Euglena | Lacks cell wall, has protein-rich pellicle; mixotrophic nutrition. |
| Protozoans | Amoeba, Entamoeba, Plasmodium, Paramecium, Trypanosoma | Trypanosoma causes sleeping sickness; Plasmodium is infectious. |
| Phcomycetes | Mucor, Rhizopus (bread mould), Albugo | Parasitic fungi on mustard; coenocytic, aseptic mycelium. |
| Ascomycetes | Penicillium, Aspergillus, Claviceps, Neurospora, Yeast | Sac fungi; Yeast is unicellular; Neurospora is used extensively in genetics. |
| Basidiomycetes | Agaricus (mushroom), Ustilago (smut), Puccinia (rust) | Club fungi; sex organs are absent; plasmogamy via somatic cell fusion. |
| Deuteromycetes | Alternaria, Colletotrichum, Trichoderma | Fungi imperfecti; sexual stage is unknown; only reproduce by conidia. |
| Viroids | Potato spindle tuber disease agent | Discovered by T.O. Diener; free RNA lacking a protein coat. |
| Prions | BSE (Mad Cow Disease), Cr-Jacob Disease (CJD) | Abnormally folded proteins; similar size to viruses. |
🌿 3. Plant Kingdom (Algae to Angiosperms)
| Division / Class | NCERT High-Yield Examples | Evolutionary Milestone / Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyceae (Green) | Chlamydomonas, Volvox, Spirogyra, Ulothrix, Chlara | Colonial: Volvox; Filamentous: Ulothrix/Spirogyra. |
| Phaeophyceae (Brown) | Ectocarpus, Dictyota, Laminaria, Sargassum, Fucus | Possess chlorophyll a, c, and fucoxanthin; stored food is laminarin/mannitol. |
| Rhodophyceae (Red) | Polysiphonia, Porphyra, Gracilaria, Gelidium | Hydrocolloids: Agar from Gracilaria/Gelidium; Carrageen from red algae. |
| Liverworts | Marchantia, Riccia | Plant body is thalloid; asexual reproduction via gemma cups. |
| Mosses | Funaria, Polytrichum, Sphagnum | Gametophyte has protonema & leafy stages; Sphagnum provides peat. |
| Pteridophytes | Selaginella, Equisetum, Lycopodium, Pteris, Dryopteris, Salvinia | Heterosporous exception: Selaginella and Salvinia (precursor to seed habit). |
| Gymnosperms | Cycas, Pinus, Ginkgo, Cedrus, Sequoia | Sequoia is tallest; Pinus has branched stems & mycorrhizae; Cycas has unbranched stems & coralloid roots (N₂ fixing). |
🐾 4. Animal Kingdom (Non-Chordates to Chordates)
| Phylum / Class | NCERT High-Yield Examples | Unique Structural Anchor |
|---|---|---|
| Porifera | Sycon (Scypha), Spongilla (Freshwater), Euspongia (Bath sponge) | Water canal system; lined with choanocytes (collar cells). |
| Cnidaria | Physalia (Portuguese man-of-war), Adamsia (Sea anemone), Pennatula (Sea-pen), Gorgonia (Sea-fan), Meandrina (Brain coral) | Cnidoblasts; alternation of generation (Metagenesis) seen in Obelia. |
| Ctenophora | Pleurobrachia, Ctenoplana | Exclusively marine; bioluminescence; 8 rows of ciliated comb plates. |
| Platyhelminthes | Taenia (Tapeworm), Fasciola (Liver fluke), Planaria | Acoelomate; dorso-ventrally flattened; high regeneration in Planaria. |
| Aschelminthes | Ascaris (Round worm), Wuchereria (Filaria worm), Ancylostoma (Hookworm) | Pseudocoelomate; alimentary canal has a muscular pharynx. |
| Annelida | Nereis (Aquatic), Pheretima (Earthworm), Hirudinaria (Blood sucking leech) | True segmentation (Metamerism); Nereis is dioecious; earthworms are monoecious. |
| Arthropoda | Apis (Honey bee), Bombyx (Silkworm), Laccifer (Lac insect), Vectors (Anopheles, Culex, Aedes), Limulus (King crab) | Largest phylum; chitinous exoskeleton; Limulus is a living fossil. |
| Mollusca | Pila (Apple snail), Pinctada (Pearl oyster), Sepia (Cuttlefish), Loligo (Squid), Octopus (Devil fish), Aplysia (Sea-hare), Dentalium (Tusk shell), Chaetopleura (Chiton) | Second largest phylum; unsegmented body with a muscular foot, visceral hump, and mantle. |
| Echinodermata | Asterias (Starfish), Echinus (Sea urchin), Antedon (Sea lily), Cucumaria (Sea cucumber), Ophiura (Brittle star) | Water vascular system; radial symmetry in adults but bilateral in larvae. |
| Hemichordata | Balanoglossus, Saccoglossus | Worm-like marine animals; possess a proboscis gland for excretion. |
| Cyclostomata | Petromyzon (Lamprey), Myxine (Hagfish) | Jawless; sucking circular mouth; migrate to fresh water for spawning, then die. |
| Chondrichthyes | Scoliodon (Dog fish), Pristis (Saw fish), Carcharodon (Great white shark), Trygon (Sting ray), Torpedo (Electric ray) | Cartilaginous skeleton; placoid scales; persistent notochord; no air bladder (must swim constantly). |
| Osteichthyes | Marine: Exocoetus (Flying fish), Hippocampus (Sea horse); Freshwater: Labeo (Rohu), Catla, Clarias (Magur); Aquarium: Betta (Fighting fish), Pterophyllum (Angel fish) | Bony skeleton; cycloid/ctenoid scales; four pairs of gills covered by an operculum; air bladder present. |
| Amphibia | Bufo (Toad), Rana (Frog), Hyla (Tree frog), Salamandra (Salamander), Ichthyophis (Limbless amphibian) | Cloaca present (common chamber for alimentary, urinary, and reproductive tracts); tympanum represents ear. |
| Reptilia | Chelone (Turtle), Testudo (Tortoise), Chameleon (Tree lizard), Calotes (Garden lizard), Crocodilus, Alligator, Hemidactylus (Wall lizard), Poisonous snakes: Naja (Cobra), Bangarus (Krait), Vipera (Viper) | Creeping locomotion; epidermal scales/scutes; 3-chambered heart except crocodiles (4-chambered). |
| Aves | Corvus (Crow), Columba (Pigeon), Psittacula (Parrot), Struthio (Ostrich), Pavo (Peacock), Aptenodytes (Penguin), Neophron (Vulture) | Feathers; pneumatic (hollow) bones; additional chambers in digestive tract: crop and gizzard. |
| Mammalia | Oviparous: Ornithorhynchus (Platypus); Viviparous: Macropus (Kangaroo), Pteropus (Flying fox), Camelus, Macaca (Monkey), Rattus, Canis, Felis, Elephas, Equus, Delphinus (Common dolphin), Balaenoptera (Blue whale), Panthera tigris, Panthera leo | Mammary glands present; skin possesses hair; unique external ear pinna. |