NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Solutions Chapter 1 The Living World

Detailed Answers of The Living World Class 11 NCERT Exemplar (Multiple Choice Questions)

Given below are the multiple-choice questions of the living world chapter. Regular practice of these questions provides students with a strong conceptual clarity.

Question:1

As we go from species to kingdom in a taxonomic hierarchy, the number of common characteristics
a. Will decrease
b. Will increase
c. Remain the same
d. May increase or decrease

Answer: The answer is option a). Will decrease

Question:2

Which of the following ‘suffixes’ used for units of classification in plants indicates a taxonomic category of ‘family’
a) -Ales
b) -Onae
c) -Aceae
d) -Ae

Answer:

An answer is an option (c) Aceae.

Explanation: The examples of the ‘family’ names like Fabaceae, Solanaceae, etc. have the suffix -aceae in their names.

Question:3

The term ‘systematics’ refers to:

a) Identification and study of organ systems
b) Identification and preservation of plants and animals
c) Diversity of kinds of organisms and their relationship
d) Study of habitats of organisms and their classification

Answer:

The answer is option (c) Diversity of kinds of organisms and their relationship.

Explanation: As the number of organisms that exist on this planet is huge, it was necessary to classify them on the basis of similar characteristics so that they can be divided into groups and sub-groups on the basis of their relationship. This has been done for the ease of understanding the diversity of the organisms.

Question:4

Genus represents

a) An individual plant or animal
b) A collection of plants and animals
c) A group of closely related species of plants and animals
d) None of these

Answer:

The answer is option (c) A group of closely related species of plants and animals.

Explanation: Consider that the taxon species comes under the taxon genus.

Question:5

The taxonomic unit ‘Phylum’ in the classification of animals is equivalent to which hierarchical level in the classification of plants

a) Class
b) Order
c) Division
d) Family

Answer: The answer is option (c) Division.

Explanation: As in the case of the animal kingdom, phylum comes after kingdom, and in the plant kingdom, division comes after kingdom, so division is the equivalent of phylum in the classification of the plants.

Question:6

Botanical gardens and zoological parks have

1. Collection of endemic living species only

2. Collection of exotic living species only

3. Collection of endemic and exotic living species

4. A collection of only local plants and animals

Answer:

The answer is option (c) collection of endemic and exotic living species

Explanation: You will have to either visit a botanical garden or zoological park yourself, or look up on the internet to find that they have a collection of endemic and exotic living species. For example, tigers and lions are found in zoological parks, which are examples of endemic species, whereas the giraffe is an example of an exotic species that is found in zoological parks.

Question:7

A taxonomic key is one of the taxonomic tools in the identification and classification of plants and animals. It is used in the preparation of

1. Monographs

2. Flora

3. Both (a) and (b)

4. None of these

Answer:

The answer is option (c), Both (a) and (b).

Question:8

All living organisms are linked to one another because

1. They have the common genetic material of the same type

2. They share common genetic material, but to varying degrees

3. All have a common cellular organization

4. All of the above

Answer:

The answer is option (b). They share common genetic material to varying degrees.

Explanation: The entire theory of evolution is based on the fact that all organisms have had the same ancestors and have common genetic material. The variations that came in the genetic material with evolution have created a diversity of the organisms that we observe around us.

Question:9

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of living organisms?

1. Growth

2. Ability to make sound

3. Reproduction

4. Response to external stimuli

Answer:

The answer is option (d) Response to external stimuli

Explanation: The other characteristic than the response to the stimuli might not be apparent for any time, but the response to the stimuli could be confirmed whenever required, and thus can be considered as the defining characteristic of living organisms.

Question:10

Match the following and choose the correct option

Options

1. (i)-D, (ii)-C, (iii)-E, (iv)-B, (v)-A

2. (i)-E, (ii)-D, (iii)-B, (iv)-A, (v)-C

3. (i)-D, (ii)-E, (iii)-B, (iv)-A, (v)-C

4. (i)-E, (ii)-C, (iii)-B, (iv)-A, (v)-D

Answer:

The answer is option (a) (i)-D, (ii)-C, (iii)-E, (iv)-B, (v)-A

Explanation: The correct taxonomic classification of potato (Solanum tuberosum) is:

• Species: tuberosum

• Genus: Solanum

• Family: Solanaceae

• Order: Solanales

• Kingdom: Plantae

Answers to NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Chapter 1 (Very Short Answer)

Practicing the very short answer questions helps students to quickly recall facts and terms from the Living World chapter. These questions focus on definitions and one-word answers that strengthen the biological knowledge. Regular revision of the NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Solutions Chapter 1 trains students to answer correctly.

Question:1

Linnaeus is considered as Father of Taxonomy. Name two other botanists known for their contributionso the field of plant taxonomy.

Answer:

Botanists Joseph Dalton Hooker and G. Bentham are known for their contribution to the field of plant taxonomy for their work on the classification of plants based on natural characteristics.

Question:2

What does ICZN stand for?

Answer:

ICZN is the abbreviation for International Code for Zoological Nomenclature.

Question:3

Couplet in taxonomy means_______.

Answer:

A couplet in taxonomy is a pair of contrasting characters given as two statements in a taxonomic key, of which one is chosen to proceed further.

Question:4

What is a monograph?

Answer:

A monograph is a detailed account of a particular taxon, describing all its species, and relevant information.

Question:5

Amoeba multiplies by mitotic cell division. Is this phenomenon growth or reproduction? Explain?

Answer:

Amoeba is known to reproduce by mitotic cell division because it divides into two new organisms and thus it is an act of reproduction rather than growth.

Question:6

Define metabolism.

Answer:

The collection of the biological reactions that occur in living beings together is called metabolism.

Question:7

Which is the largest botanical garden in the world? Name a few well-known botanical gardens in India.

Answer:

The largest botanical garden in the world is the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (London, UK). A few of the known botanical gardens in India are as follows:

• Lloyd Botanical Garden, Darjeeling

• National Botanical Garden, Lucknow

• Indian Botanical Garden, Kolkata

• Botanical Garden of FRI, Dehradun

Access to The Living World Class 11 NCERT Exemplar (Short Answer)

Short-answer type questions from the Living World chapter allow students to explain concepts in a few sentences. These questions cover examples and brief explanations that test both memory and understanding. Practicing the NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Solutions Chapter 1 helps students develop clarity of concepts.

Question:1

A ball of snow, when rolled over snow, increases in mass, volume, and size. Is this comparable to growth as seen in living organisms? Why?

Answer:

It is indeed true that a ball of snow, when rolled over snow, increases in mass, volume, and size because of the accumulation of the snow on the outer surface of the snowball. However, the growth in living organisms occurs due to the internal accumulation of material that happens in the case of meiosis and mitosis in the cells. The formation of the new cells makes for increased mass and protoplasm in living beings. However, the process of growth in living organisms is certainly different from the snowball.

Question:2

In a given habitat, we have 20 plant species and 20 animal species. Should we call this ‘diversity’ or ‘biodiversity’? Justify your answer.

Answer:

The term biodiversity is a broader term that is used to refer to all the kinds of organisms that exist on this planet. If we consider the given example, it only contains a few plant species and animal species in a particular area; thus, it cannot be called biodiversity because it is in a small area and contains only a few species of living organisms. On the other hand, the term diversity is used to refer to the species in a particular area. Thus, for the given example, the term diversity is suitable to refer to the given small ecosystem.

Question:3

The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) has provided a code for the classification of plants. Give a hierarchy of units of classification botanists follow while classifying plants, and mention different ‘suffixes’ used for the units.

Answer:

According to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, the units of classification and their suffixes used by botanists are given below:

• Kingdom – Plantae

• Division – -phyta

• Class – -opsida

• Order – -ales

• Family – -aceae (or -eae in older usage)

• Genus – First term of the scientific name of the organism

• Species – Second term of the scientific name of the organism

Question:4

A plant species shows several morphological variations in response to the altitudinal gradient. When grown under similar conditions of growth, the morphological variations disappear, and all the variants have common morphology. What are these variants called?

Answer:

These variants are examples of phenotypic plasticity. Although they look different under varying environmental conditions such as altitude, temperature, or soil type, their underlying genetic makeup remains the same. When placed under uniform growth conditions, the differences vanish, showing that the variations were due to environment and not genetic differences.

Question:5

How do you prepare your own herbarium sheets? What are the different tools you carry with you while collecting plants for the preparation of a herbarium? What information should a preserved plant material on the herbarium sheet provide for taxonomic studies?

Answer:

The herbarium sheet can be prepared by following the given steps: -

1. Collection: You will need to collect the living beings of a particular species.

2. Pressing: The collected specimens of the species are kept between two sheets and then pressed hard so as to preserve them.

3. Drying: In this step, the specimen is kept for drying, which is usually done in the sun.

4. Poisoning: The specimens need to be injected with the antifungal treatment so that they can be preserved for longer.

5. Mounting: In this step, the sample of the specimen is kept over the herbarium for mounting.

6. Labelling: The information about the classification of the specimen is written on the label.

The tools that are necessary and would be required while collecting the specimen of a particular species for the herbarium include a digger, a sickle, polythene bags, a pruning knife, a vasculum, old newspaper, blotting paper, herbarium sheets, labels, glue, a plant press, field notebooks, etc.

The necessary information that needs to be put on the label while putting it in a herbarium for preservation includes the name of the division that it belongs to, the family, genus, and the species of the specimen.

Question:6

What is the difference between flora, fauna, and vegetation? Eichhornia crassipes is called an exotic species, while Rauvolfia serpentina is an endemic species in India. What, so these terms exotic and endemic refer to?

Answer:

The term flora is used to refer to the total plant species that are found in a particular geographical area. The fauna is the total animal species found in that area, and the vegetation is a broader term that is used for a larger area than an ecosystem of a particular area. At times, vegetation is used to refer to the plant species that is present all around the globe.

Endemic species: The species of any living beings that are found in a particular geographical area is referred to as the endemic species of that area. For example, Rauvolfia serpentina is an endemic species found in India.

Exotic species: The species that are not naturally found in a particular geographical area but are either present due to careful selection or breeding or have been imported to that area for any reason are referred to as exotic species. For example, Eichhornia crassipes is not naturally found in India, and thus it is an exotic species in India.

Question:7

A plant may have different names in different regions of the country or the world. How do botanists solve this problem?

Answer:

As it is quite obvious that there are a zillion languages that are spoken all around the world and they further have more dialects, it is possible that the name of a plant species would be different for different languages. This can create a huge problem as people cannot remember a million names for a single plant, and when it comes to remembering so many names for all the species, it is impossible. Thus, the botanists have come up with a binomial nomenclature so that the naming of all the species is unique and yet the same globally. The botanical name of a plant species consists of its genus name and its species name. This ensures that the scientific name of a particular plant species is the same for the ease of research.

Question:8

Brinjal and potato belong to the same genus, Solanum, but to two different species. What defines them as separate species?

Answer:

Brinjal and potato are put under the same genus, Solanum, because they have certain characteristics in common that belong to the species of the genus Solanum, like inflorescence, venation, phyllotaxy, etc. Since potatoes and brinjal cannot interbreed, they belong to different species. Had they been able to interbreed, they would have been put under the same species because the ability to interbreed is an important criterion for members of the same species.

Question:9

Properties of cell organelles are not always found in the molecular constituents of cell organelles. Justify.

Answer:

Though cell organelles are made up of similar molecules like proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, their properties arise from the specific organization and interactions of these molecules. For example, mitochondria can perform ATP synthesis only because of their structural organization. Thus, the unique properties of organelles depend on the arrangement of their molecules, not just on the molecules alone.

Question:10

The number and kinds of organisms are not constant. How do you explain this statement?

Answer:

First, talking about the number of organisms, the population of any species of organism is not constant. The population tends to change under the conditions. If the conditions are favourable, then the population grows, the population reduces. Next, the kinds of organisms also do not remain constant because evolution is a never-ending process, and the variations in the species keep happening. The species that can adapt to the changing conditions survive, or else the species become extinct.

Elaborated Answers to NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Chapter 1 (Long Answer)

Long answer questions in the Living World chapter help students to write in detail about classification, taxonomic aids, and the importance of systematics. These questions test the understanding and presentation skills. Regular practice of the NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Solutions Chapter 1 helps in framing structured answers.

Question:1

What is meant by living? Give any four defining features of life forms.

Answer:

An organism is considered to be living if it is capable of evolving, self-replicating, responding to external stimuli, etc. Nutrition, response to stimuli, reproduction, and growth are several aspects of living beings, but they are not the defining features of life forms. Growth is often mistaken to be a defining feature of life forms, but it is not the case, as a few non-living things, like snowballs, clouds, etc., can also gain mass, volume, and space. So, growth is not a defining feature for living beings.

The four defining features of life forms are: -

1. Metabolism – All living organisms, without exception, perform metabolism, which is the sum of all chemical reactions in the body.

2. Cellular Organization – Every living organism is made up of one or more cells, which are the basic unit of life.

3. Consciousness (Response to Stimuli) – All living beings can sense changes in their surroundings and respond accordingly.

4. Growth – Living organisms show intrinsic growth through cell division, while non-living things may only show extrinsic increase (e.g., snowball accumulation).

Question:2

A scientist has come across a plant that he feels is a new species. How will he go about its identification, classification, and nomenclature?

Answer:

The scientist should first start by examining the morphological features of the plant like the type of roots or the venation. If the plant has fibrous roots, then it should belong to the monocotyledons, and if it has a tap root, then it should belong to the dicotyledons. This can also be checked by examining the venation of the plant, whether it is parallel or reticulate. Another way is to count the number of cotyledons present in the seeds of the plant.

After that, the scientist could go ahead with finding out the inflorescence, phyllotaxy, etc., which will help the scientist to find out about the order and the family that the plant belongs to. If the sample plant is a flowering plant, then the scrutiny of the floral parts could give details about the order and the family of the plant. The arrangement of the seed in the fruits can also tell about the type of placentation in the plant sample.

After that, the arrangement of the antheridium and gynoecium should be examined to see if the plant sample belongs to a new species of plant. This research work done by the scientist needs to be verified based on these features so that the new species of the plant can be verified. Also, when it comes to naming a new species of plant, the scientist needs to rule out the similarity of with any other existing plant species so that a unique name can be kept for the discovered plant species.

Question:3
Brassica Campestris linn

1. Give the common name of the plant

2. What do the first two parts of the name denote?

3. Why are they written in italics?

4. What is the meaning of linn written at the end of the name?

Answer:

a) Mustard is the common name for Brassica campestris Linn.

b) The first term (Brassica) denotes the genus, and the second term (campestris) denotes the species epithet. Together, they form the species name.

c) Scientific names are written in italics to follow nomenclature rules and indicate their Latin origin.

d) Linn. is the author citation, showing that this name was given by Linnaeus.

Question:4

What are taxonomical aids? Give the importance of herbaria and museums. How are botanical gardens and zoological parks useful in conserving biodiversity?

Answer:

The tools that are used by scientists to learn about plant and animal species are known as taxonomic tools. The plants and animal species are often preserved by scientists for research purposes. The plant species are stored and preserved in a herbarium, and the animal species are preserved in museums.

The herbarium is used to preserve and store the plant specimens with their details about classification for future reference. The herbarium is useful and can be used to refer to when people are studying the specimens belonging to the various species of plants. Apart from being a referral system, it is also convenient to maintain a herbarium, and it could also be transported, making it easier and more convenient.

The museums, on the other hand, have a huge collection of various plant and animal species, but mostly animal species. The skeletons of various species of animals that have gone extinct can be found in museums for research and other purposes. The museums are often maintained by the educational institutions as they are important for the students to refer to and learn about their science lessons in real life. They get to experience it all in the museum, which helps them learn better.

The role of botanical gardens and zoological parks in conserving biodiversity is immense, as these places were created to work towards conserving the degrading biodiversity. The botanical gardens and the zoological parks are the places that provide the most comfortable and safe place to live for the plants and the animals without having to give up on the feeling of living in their natural habitat. The personnel who are appointed to take care of the plants and the animals also carry out selective breeding amongst them to ensure the continuity of various species. The personnel are always there to take care of the plants and the animals and to provide proper treatment and care if they fall sick. This helps in the conservation and betterment of biodiversity. Thus, botanical gardens and zoological parks are important for the conservation of biodiversity.

Question:5

Define a taxon. What is meant by taxonomic hierarchy? Give a flow diagram from the lowest to the highest category for a plant and an animal. What happens to the number of individuals and the number of shared characters as we go up the taxonomic hierarchy?

Answer:

A taxon is used to refer to a level of the biological classification, such as order, phylum, family, etc.

In the taxonomy, the different taxa are assigned their levels, and they follow a certain order that cannot be changed. For example, a species always follows a genus, and this order cannot be reversed.

Flow diagrams from the lowest category to the highest category for plants and animals are given below:

Plant: Kingdom → Division → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species

Animal: Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species

As we go up the taxonomical hierarchy, the classification becomes broader and thus, the number of individuals increases. For example, the number of shared characters of a species will be more than the number of shared characters for a family.

As we go up the taxonomical hierarchy, the classification decreases and thus, the number of individuals increases.

Question:6

A student of taxonomy was puzzled when told by his professor to look for a key to identify a plant. He went to his friend to clarify what 'key' the professor was referring to. What would the friend explain to him?

Answer:

The friend would explain to him that a key is used to study the taxonomic categories, and it comprises two contrasting characters. These characters exist in pairs, and these pairs are called couplets. The examination of a key makes it possible to either accept or reject the contrasting characters. The statements in a key are called the leads, and the choice of the contrasting characters is made in a key. The key is analytic, and they are different for each taxonomic level. The keys are important for the identification of the given organisms. For instance, is an organism has a notochord or not will define whether the organism belongs to invertebrates or the sub-phylum Vertebrata. Another example could be the presence of lungs, which determines it the organism is from the Tetrapoda group or the Pisces.

Question:7

Metabolism is a defining feature of all living organisms without exception. Isolated metabolic reactions in vitro are not living things but surely living reactions. Comment.

Answer:

The collection of the biological reactions that occur in living beings is referred to as metabolism. The metabolism requires the presence of cells to be carried out successfully and cannot be carried out in non-living things that are not composed of cells. Though the scientist is capable of carrying out in-vitro reactions which are similar to the metabolic reactions, in the laboratory, that does not count for real metabolism. They are called living reactions because they are carried outside of the living bodies of the animals, but they are not living beings. Thus, metabolism is considered to be a defining feature of life.

Question:8

Do you consider a person in a coma - living or dead?

Answer:

It is difficult to examine whether a person is living or dead, especially when it comes to human beings. The basic definition that is followed to examine if a person is dead or not is the state of the person’s brain. A person is considered to be living in a coma if that person is not brain dead, even if the vital organs of the body have stopped working. These kinds of people are often supported by the life systems to carry out the functions of the organs that have stopped working in their bodies. A heart machine provides continuous blood circulation, and a lung machine keeps the regulation of the air in control. A dialysis machine is set up to remove the waste from the blood regularly to stop the accumulation of waste in the body and to prevent death. The intravenous fluid is used to provide nutrition to the patient.

The person who is in a coma has to take the support of the life system to carry out some functions, but since metabolism continues and the brain is not dead, that person is considered living. But as soon as the person is put off the life support system, that person will be declared dead by all means. But until then, it is difficult to say whether the person in the coma is dead or alive.

Question:9

What is the similarity and dissimilarity between 'whole moong dal' and 'broken moong dal' in terms of respiration and growth? Based on these parameters, classify them into living or non-living.

Answer:

Question:10

Some of the properties of tissues are not the constituents of its cells. Give three examples to support your answer.

Answer:

Some properties of tissues are not found in individual cells but emerge at the tissue/system level. Examples:

• Cardiac tissue – Individual cardiac muscle cells can contract, but the property of rhythmic, coordinated beating emerges only when they function together as tissue.

• Skeletal system – Bones are hard and cartilage is soft, but their arrangement gives rise to support and locomotion, properties absent in individual components.

• Nervous tissue – A single neuron transmits impulses, but consciousness and complex information processing emerge only from the coordinated activity of many neurons.

Must Read NCERT Notes subject-wise

• NCERT Notes for Class 11 Maths

• NCERT Notes for Class 11 Physics

• NCERT Notes for Class 11 Chemistry

• NCERT Notes for Class 11 Biology

Important Topics from the NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Chapter 1

Knowing the important topics is important because they provide the base for all advanced concepts in biology. It helps students understand how scientists organise and study the vast diversity of life. Below is a table for all the topics that are important for both the board and other competitive exams.

Also, check the NCERT Books and the NCERT Syllabus here

• NCERT Books Class 11 Biology

• NCERT Syllabus Class 11 Biology

• NCERT Books Class 11

• NCERT Syllabus Class 11

Approach to Solve The Living World Class 11 NCERT Exemplar

Start by reading the chapter carefully to learn the distinguishing characteristics of living organisms. Some of the best tips to solve the questions are listed below:

• Pay attention to the topics of biodiversity, requirements of classification, and taxonomic hierarchy. It includes species, genus, family, order, class, phylum/division, and kingdom.

• Learn the application of taxonomical tools like herbaria, botanical gardens, zoological parks, and museums.

• Practice multiple-choice, short answers, and diagram-based questions given in the NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Solutions Chapter 1.

• Regular revision is important by making tables and flowcharts for classification. This helps to clear concepts and improve exam performance.

Also, read the NCERT Solution subject-wise

• NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Maths

• NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Physics

• NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Chemistry

• NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology

Important Question from The Living World Class 11 NCERT Exemplar

Given below is a question from the Living World Chapter. Along with other questions, students can take a look at this.

Question: As we go from species to kingdom in a taxonomic hierarchy, the number of common characteristics:

a) Will decrease
b) Will increase
c) Remain the same
d) May increase or decrease

Answer: a) Will decrease

Explanation:
In the taxonomic hierarchy, species is the lowest and most specific level, where organisms share the maximum number of common characteristics. As we move up the hierarchy to higher categories like genus, family, order, class, phylum, and kingdom, the groups become broader and include more diverse organisms. Therefore, the number of common characteristics among members decreases as we go from species to kingdom

NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Solutions for Other Subjects

NCERT Exemplar Class 11 Biology Solutions Chapter Wise

The biology chapter-wise exemplar solutions of Class 11 are given below: