Species, Biodiversity and the Need to Standardise Names
The living world announces itself in layers: potted plants on a balcony, insects threading through grass, birds crossing a courtyard, a pet asleep in the shade. Widen the radius of observation and the register lengthens — a park, a riverbank, a dense forest, each adding kinds of organisms the previous view never contained.
This quiz tests the core ideas of Lesson 2 of The Living World:
- Every distinct kind of organism observed represents a species.
- The number of species known and described ranges between 1.7 and 1.8 million.
- Biodiversity means the number and types of organisms present on earth.
- New organisms are continuously being identified in new areas and even in old ones.
- Local names vary from place to place, even within a country, creating confusion.
- Nomenclature standardises names; identification ensures the name is attached to the right organism.
- Binomial nomenclature (Carolus Linnaeus) uses a generic name and a specific epithet, e.g. Mangifera indica.
Work carefully through each question — the distractors are designed to test precise reading of the lesson.
Q1. Looking around your immediate surroundings, which of the following would you expect to see as part of the living world?
The lesson states that looking around reveals a large variety of living organisms — potted plants, insects, birds, your pets or other animals and plants.
Q2. The lesson mentions organisms that you cannot see with your naked eye. What does it say about them?
The lesson explicitly says there are several organisms that you cannot see with your naked eye but they are all around you.
Q3. What happens to the range and variety of organisms you see if you increase the area of your observation?
The lesson states that if you were to increase the area in which you make observations, the range and variety of organisms that you see would increase.
Q4. Why does the lesson use a dense forest as an example?
The lesson says that if you were to visit a dense forest, you would probably see a much greater number and kinds of living organisms in it.
Q5. According to the lesson, what does each different kind of plant, animal or organism that you see represent?
The lesson states clearly that each different kind of plant, animal or organism that you see represents a species.
Q6. The number of species known and described ranges between:
The lesson gives the range of species known and described as between 1.7 and 1.8 million.
Q7. In the lesson, the term biodiversity refers to:
Biodiversity is defined in the lesson as the number and types of organisms present on earth.
Q8. The figure of 1.7–1.8 million refers specifically to species that are:
The lesson is careful to say the number of species that are known and described ranges between 1.7 and 1.8 million — not the total number that exist.
Q9. What does the lesson say about the identification of new organisms?
The lesson states that as we explore new areas, and even old ones, new organisms are continuously being identified.
Q10. Why does the lesson describe the count of described species as something that keeps changing?
Since new organisms are continuously being identified as new areas are explored and old ones re-examined, the count is a moving record rather than a fixed constant.
Q11. How do we generally know the plants and animals of our own area, according to the lesson?
The lesson says we know the plants and animals in our own area by their local names.
Q12. What is said about local names of organisms?
The lesson states that local names would vary from place to place, even within a country.
Q13. What problem arises if we do not find ways and means to refer to organisms we are talking about?
The lesson notes the confusion that would be created if we did not find ways and means to talk to each other and refer to the organisms we are talking about.
Q14. The process of standardising the naming of living organisms so that a particular organism is known by the same name all over the world is called:
The lesson defines nomenclature as the process of standardising naming so that a particular organism is known by the same name all over the world.
Q15. According to the lesson, nomenclature is possible only when:
The lesson states that nomenclature or naming is only possible when the organism is described correctly and we know to what organism the name is attached.
Q16. In the lesson, the process of determining to which organism a name is attached is called:
The lesson explains that knowing to what organism the name is attached is identification.
Q17. Which code provides the agreed principles and criteria for the scientific names of plants?
For plants, scientific names are based on agreed principles and criteria provided in the International Code for Botanical Nomenclature ##\ce{(ICBN)}##.
Q18. Animal taxonomists evolved which code for naming animals?
The lesson states that animal taxonomists have evolved the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).
Q19. The system of providing a name with two components — a generic name and a specific epithet — is called:
The lesson defines binomial nomenclature as the system of providing a name with two components, the generic name and the specific epithet.
Q20. In the scientific name Mangifera indica, what does Mangifera represent?
In Mangifera indica, Mangifera represents the genus while indica is the specific epithet of that particular species.