Define Class.

Define Class.

Source: NCERT Class 11 Biology Chapter 1 – The Living World Question 9 (ii)

A class is a level of classification in the Linnaean system of taxonomy. It is used to group organisms that share more similarities and characteristics than those in different phyla, but less specific than those in different orders. It is one level below the phylum level and above the order level in the classification hierarchy.

For example, within the animal kingdom, the class Mammalia includes all mammals, which are characterized by certain features such as hair and mammary glands that produce milk to nourish their young. Within the class Mammalia, we can find different orders like Primates (monkeys, apes, and humans) or Carnivora (felines, canids, and bears)

In plants, for example, the class Magnoliopsida includes dicotyledons, which are characterized by having two cotyledons in their seeds, and the class Liliopsida includes monocotyledons, which have one cotyledon in their seeds.

It's important to note that, as with other taxonomic levels, the classification of organisms into different classes can be subject to change as new information and technology becomes available, and different criteria are used depending on the field of study. However, the main goal is to group organisms that have a closer relationship than those in different phyla, but less specific than those in different orders.

In addition, just like Phylum, class is not limited to only the animal and plant kingdoms, but it is also used in other branches of life such as fungi, algae and microorganisms. For instance, in the fungi kingdom, the class Agaricomycetes includes gilled mushrooms, while the class Boletales includes bolete mushrooms.

It's also worth noting that the characteristics used to classify organisms into different classes can vary widely depending on the group of organisms. For example, in animals, the characteristics used to classify organisms into different classes may include anatomy, physiology, physiology, physiology, physiology and physiology, while in plants, the characteristics used to classify organisms into different classes may include floral characteristics, seed characteristics, and leaf characteristics.

In summary, Class is a level of classification in the Linnaean system of taxonomy, used to group organisms that share more similarities and characteristics than those in different phyla, but less specific than those in different orders. This level of classification is widely used across different branches of the tree of life, like animals, plants, fungi, algae and microorganisms, and the characteristics used to classify can vary widely depending on the group of organisms. It is an important part of the classification hierarchy that allows us to organize and communicate information about different groups of organisms, and make predictions about their characteristics and behavior.

Other questions from NCERT Class 11 Biology Chapter 1 The Living World Solutions:

Question 1: Why are living organisms classified?

Question 2: Why are the classification systems changing every now and then?

Question 3: What different criteria would you choose to classify people that you meet often?

Question 4: What do we learn from the identification of individuals and populations?

Question 5: Given below is the scientific name of Mango. Identify the correctly written name. Mangifera Indica or Mangifera indica

Question 6: Define a taxon. Give some examples of taxa at different hierarchical levels.

Question 7: Can you identify the correct sequence of taxonomical categories? (a) Species Order Phylum Kingdom (b) Genus Species Order Kingdom (c) Species Genus Order Phylum

Question 8: Try to collect all the currently accepted meanings for the word ‘species’. Discuss with your teacher the meaning of species in the case of higher plants and animals on the one hand and bacteria on the other hand.

Question 9:  Define and understand the following terms. (i) Phylum (ii) Class (iii) Family (iv) Order (v) Genus

Question 10: How is a key helpful in the identification and classification of an organism?

Question 11: Illustrate the taxonomical hierarchy with suitable examples of a plant and an animal.



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