The Living World & Biological Classification

What you'll learn

Learn what truly makes something 'living', how scientists name every organism using binomial nomenclature, how the taxonomic hierarchy sorts life from Kingdom down to Species, and how Whittaker's five-kingdom system organises all living things - explained simply for CBSE Class 11.

This chapter has

The Living World & Biological Classification — solved practice questions

8 Class 11 Biology questions with step-by-step solutions. Attempt each, then reveal the answer.

1. Q1easy

   Who introduced the system of binomial nomenclature for naming organisms?

   • AAristotle
   • BCarolus Linnaeus
   • CR.H. Whittaker
   • DErnst Haeckel
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) Carolus Linnaeus

   Carolus Linnaeus introduced binomial nomenclature in his work Species Plantarum (1753); each name has two parts — the genus name and the specific epithet.

2. Q2medium

   Which of the following shows the taxonomic categories arranged in the correct descending order?

   • AKingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species
   • BKingdom → Class → Phylum → Order → Family → Genus → Species
   • CSpecies → Genus → Family → Order → Class → Phylum → Kingdom
   • DKingdom → Phylum → Order → Class → Family → Genus → Species
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species

   The descending taxonomic hierarchy is Kingdom, Phylum (Division in plants), Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species; Class lies below Phylum and above Order.

3. Q3medium

   In the scientific name Mangifera indica, the word 'indica' denotes the:

   • Agenus
   • Bfamily
   • Cspecific epithet
   • Dorder
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) specific epithet

   In binomial nomenclature the first word (Mangifera) is the genus and the second word (indica) is the specific epithet that identifies the species.

4. Q4easy

   Which is the lowest (basic) unit of taxonomic classification?

   • AGenus
   • BFamily
   • COrder
   • DSpecies
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) Species

   Species is the basic unit of classification — a group of organisms with fundamental similarities that are capable of interbreeding.

5. Q5medium

   In plants, the name of a family characteristically ends with the suffix:

   • A-aceae
   • B-idae
   • C-ales
   • D-ineae
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) -aceae

   Plant family names end in -aceae (e.g., Poaceae, Solanaceae), whereas -idae is used for animal families and -ales denotes an order in plants.

6. Q6medium

   A herbarium is a taxonomic aid that is best described as a:

   • Aplace where live plants are grown for study
   • Bbook containing preserved animal specimens
   • Ccollection of photographs of extinct plants
   • Dstore of dried, pressed and preserved plant specimens mounted on sheets
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) store of dried, pressed and preserved plant specimens mounted on sheets

   A herbarium is a store house of collected plant specimens that are dried, pressed and preserved on sheets, each sheet carrying a label with information about the plant.

7. Q7easy

   The five kingdom classification of living organisms was proposed by:

   • ACarolus Linnaeus
   • BErnst Haeckel
   • CR.H. Whittaker
   • DRobert Hooke
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) R.H. Whittaker

   R.H. Whittaker (1969) proposed the five kingdoms — Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia — based mainly on cell structure, body organisation and mode of nutrition.

8. Q8medium

   Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are placed in the kingdom:

   • AProtista
   • BPlantae
   • CFungi
   • DMonera
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) Monera

   Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are prokaryotes lacking a true membrane-bound nucleus, so they are grouped with bacteria in Kingdom Monera.

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