Did you know that even something as tiny as a single cell qualifies as a living being? Chapter 1 of Class 11 Biology explores what makes something “living” and how we classify the vast variety of life around us. The NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 1 The Living World are written in a clear and simple format to help students understand definitions, examples, and key concepts with ease. These solutions include all exercise questions with step-by-step answers, making revision smooth and helping students prepare better. They follow the standard NCERT Solutions pattern used in Class 11.
This chapter explains features of living organisms, the need for classification, and how scientific naming (binomial nomenclature) works. The solutions guide students on how to write precise answers and focus on what matters in exams. With point-wise explanations and neat presentation, these solutions are perfect for board prep as well as building a strong base for entrance exams.
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Studying becomes easier when everything is explained clearly and step by step. These solutions help students understand the basic concepts without any confusion and make revision faster. They can read on any device, highlight important points, and go through the chapter at their own pace. To make this process even smoother, students can download the PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 1 and keep it for regular practice.Download Solution PDF
The detailed solutions for each question of this chapter are given below. By using the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology, students can build a strong foundation in Biology as they strictly follow the CBSE syllabus, which serves as a valuable resource for revision during exam preparation.
Q1. Why are living organisms classified?
Answer:
Living organisms are classified for the following reasons:
There are numerous different species of living beings on our planet. It is hard to study each one separately. Scientists unite similar species to make it more convenient to research them. Studying one group, we learn about the properties of all the species in the group.
Classification also helps us in learning how various species relate to one another in terms of evolution.
Q2. Why are the classification systems changing every now and then?
Answer:
Earth is inhabited by numerous plants, animals, and microorganisms. The total number of species is not known yet. A lot of species have already been discovered and classified by scientists, but there are many more still to be discovered. When a new species is found, the system of classification is revised to accommodate it. That is why classification continues to change with time.
Q3. What different criteria would you choose to classify people that you meet often?
Answer:
The people that we often meet can be classified on the basis of their sex or gender, the age group in which they fall, profession, education, hobbies, etc.
Q4. What do we learn from the identification of individuals and populations?
Answer:
The identification of individuals helps us to know how they differ from or are similar to others within the same population. It also helps establish relationships between individuals from various populations. Researching populations enables us to know about their characteristics and how they compare to other populations. This process also helps in classifying organisms properly and knowing their evolutionary relationships.
Q5. Given below is the scientific name of Mango. Identify the correctly written name.
Answer:
The correct scientific name of mango is Mangifera indica. As per the binomial system of nomenclature, the first name in a scientific name is the genus name while the second name is specific. The scientific name is always written in italics. The first letter of the genus name is written in capitals while that of the specific name is written in small letters.
Answer:
Taxon refers to a particular level of hierarchy in the classification of living beings. Examples of taxa at different hierarchical levels are species, genus, order, family, phylum and kingdom.
Q7. Can you identify the correct sequence of taxonomical categories:
(A) Species → Order → Phylum → Kingdom
(B) Genus → Species → Order → Kingdom
(C) Species → Genus → Order → Phylum
Answer:
The correct sequence of taxonomic categories from lowest to highest is species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom. Thus, A and C represent the correct sequence of taxonomic categories with some categories missing in between, while B is incorrect as the genus is given before species.
Answer:
The word "species" is explained as:
For plants and animals at the higher levels, the first definition is the most precise since they reproduce sexually. For bacteria, the second and third definitions hold since bacteria are asexually reproduced and categorised according to genetic and structural similarities.
Q9. Define and understand the following terms:
(i) Phylum
Answer:
Phylum - A phylum is a large group of animals. which is formed of one or more classes. The term phylum is replaced by division in the case of plants. For example, the phylum chordate of animals contains mammals, aves, reptiles, amphibians, etc.
(ii) Class
Answer:
Class - It is a taxonomic group higher than order and lower than phylum. A class is made of one or more related orders. For example, the class dicotyledoneae of flowering plants contains all dicots, which are grouped into several orders, like Rosales, Polemoniales, etc.
Q9. Define and understand the following terms:
(iii) Family
Answer:
Family refers to that taxonomic category which contains one or more related genera. For example, the family Solanaceae contains a number of genera like Solanum, Withania, Datura etc. All genera of a family are related through some common features or correlated characters.
Q9. Define and understand the following terms:
(iv) Order
Answer:
Order is the taxonomic category higher than family and lower than class. An order consists of one or more groups of families which share certain common characteristics. For example, the families Felidae and Canidae are included in the same order of carnivores.
Q9. Define and understand the following terms:
(v) Genus
Answer:
Genus - A genus is a group of related species which resemble one another in certain correlated characteristics. All species of the genus are presumed to have evolved from a common ancestor. Lion, Tiger, and Leopard are closely related species and placed in the same genus, Panther.
Q10. How is a key helpful in the identification and classification of an organism?
Answer:
A taxonomic key refers to an artificial analytical device used for identifying organisms. Usually, in a key, two contrasting characters are used. The one present in the organism is chosen while the other is rejected. Each statement of a key is called a lead. Separate taxonomic keys are used for each taxonomic category like species, genus, family, etc. Keys are generally analytical in nature.
Q11. Illustrate the taxonomical hierarchy with suitable examples of a plant and an animal.
Answer:
Taxonomical hierarchy is the system of placing living organisms into different categories, starting from broad groups like the kingdom and narrowing down to the specific level of species. It helps scientists and students organise and study the diversity of life systematically.
| Taxonomic Category | Animal: Cat | Plant: Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia | Plantae |
| Phylum/Division | Chordata | Angiospermae |
| Class | Mammalia | Dicotyledonae |
| Order | Carnivora | Rosales |
| Family | Felidae | Rosaceae |
| Genus | Felis | Rosa |
| Species | catus | indica |
NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Subject-wise
To solve the textbook questions effectively, one needs to understand the concepts first.
Also check the NCERT Books and NCERT Syllabus here :
The Living World introduces students to the basic concepts of life, including what makes an organism living and how scientists classify and name the vast variety of life forms found on Earth.
Question: Which of the following is not a reason for the non-usage of vernacular names in nomenclature?
Options :
These names generally have incorrect meanings
A single name may be in use for two or more species.
These names have no significance
Vernacular names are difficult to pronounce
Answer: The correct answer is Option (4) Vernacular names are difficult to pronounce.
Explanation: Anemophily, or wind pollination, is the major mode of pollination in both Cycas and Pinus. Cycas rely on wind to disperse its three-celled microspores, which are blown away from the microsporangia to reach the ovules, facilitated by pollination drops that help capture the pollen grains.
Similarly, Pinus also uses wind for pollination. The pollen grains are carried through the air to fertilise ovules.
While anemophily is prevalent, some species of Cycas are reported to be using insect pollination, especially under particular conditions.
Here is a table for all the important topics from the chapter:
| Topics | NCERT | NEET |
| What is Living | ✅ | ✅ |
| Biodiversity and Need for classification | ✅ | ✅ |
| Taxonomy and Systematics | ✅ | ✅ |
| Steps of Taxonomy | ✅ | ✅ |
| Binomial Nomenclature | ✅ | ✅ |
| Taxon and Taxonomic Hierarchy (Taxonomic categories) | ✅ | ✅ |
Below mentioned are the Chapterwise solutions:
Chapter 1 introduces students to important biological concepts that include biodiversity, classification, taxonomy, and nomenclature. The chapter sets the stage for the knowledge of the immense variety of living organisms and their scientific classification.
A taxonomic key refers to an artificial analytical device used for identifying organisms. Usually, in a key, two contrasting characters are used. The one present in the organism is chosen while other is rejected. Each statement of a key is called a lead. Separate taxonomic keys are used for each taxonomic category like species, genus, family.
The important topics of biology class 11 chapter 1 are:
Botanical Gardens conserve living plant species for research and education.
Herbaria maintain pressed and dried plant specimens for facilitating the identification and classification of species.
"Diversity in the Living World" is the extensive diversity of life forms on Earth. It includes various species of plants, animals, microorganisms, and their specialized adaptations to varied environments.
Exam Date:22 July,2025 - 29 July,2025
Exam Date:22 July,2025 - 28 July,2025
A block of mass 0.50 kg is moving with a speed of 2.00 ms-1 on a smooth surface. It strikes another mass of 1.00 kg and then they move together as a single body. The energy loss during the collision is
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Option 4)
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An athlete in the olympic games covers a distance of 100 m in 10 s. His kinetic energy can be estimated to be in the range
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A particle is projected at 600 to the horizontal with a kinetic energy . The kinetic energy at the highest point
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In the reaction,
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How many moles of magnesium phosphate, will contain 0.25 mole of oxygen atoms?
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0.02 |
Option 2)
3.125 × 10-2 |
| Option 3)
1.25 × 10-2 |
Option 4)
2.5 × 10-2 |
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