NCERT Class 11 Biology Biological Classification

BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

2.1 KINGDOM MONERA

Spore Flagellum Cocci Bacilli Spirilla Vibrio

Figure 2.1 Bacteria of different shapes Bacteria are the sole members of the Kingdom Monera. They are the most abundant micro-organisms. Bacteria occur almost everywhere. Hundreds of bacteria are present in a handful of soil. They also live in extreme habitats such as hot springs, deserts, snow and deep oceans where very few other life forms can survive. Many of them live in or on other organisms as parasites. Bacteria are grouped under four categories based on their shape: th spherical Coccus (pl.: cocci), the rod-shaped Bacillus (pl.: bacilli), the comma-shaped Vibrium (pl.: vibrio) and the spiral Spirillum (pl.: spirilla) (Figure 2.1). Though the bacterial structure is very simple, they are very complex in behaviour. Compared to many other organisms, bacteria as a group show the most extensive metabolic diversity. Some of the bacteria are autotrophic, i.e., they synthesise their own food from inorganic substrates. They may be photosynthetic autotrophic or chemosynthetic autotrophic. The vast majority of bacteria are heterotrophs, i.e., they do not synthesise their own food but depend on other organisms or on dead organic matter for food.

2.1.1 Archaebacteria

These bacteria are special since they live in some of the most harsh habitats such as extreme salty areas (halophiles), hot springs (thermoacidophiles) and marshy areas (methanogens). Archaebacteria differ from other bacteria in having a different cell wall structure and this feature is responsible for their survival in extreme conditions. Methanogens are present in the guts of several ruminant animals such as cows and buffaloes and they are responsible for the production of methane (biogas) from the dung of these animals. Figure 2.2 A filamentous blue-green  algae – Nostoc

2.1.2 Eubacteria

There are thousands of different eubacteria or ‘true bacteria’. They are characterised by the presence of a rigid cell wall, and if motile, a flagellum. The cyanobacteria (also referred to as blue-green algae) have chlorophyll a similar to green plants and are photosynthetic autotrophs (Figure 2.2). The cyanobacteria are unicellular, colonial or filamentous, marine or terrestrial algae. The colonies are generally surrounded by gelatinous sheath. They often form blooms in polluted water bodies. Some of these organisms can fix atmospheric nitrogen in specialised cells called heterocysts, e.g., Nostoc and Anabaena. Chemosynthetic autotrophic bacteria oxidise various inorganic substances such as nitrates, nitrites and ammonia and use the released energy for their ATP production. They play a great role in recycling nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, iron and sulphur.

Heterotrophic bacteria are the most abundant in nature. The majority are important decomposers. Many of them have a significant impact on human affairs. They are helpful in making curd from milk, production of antibiotics, fixing nitrogen in legume roots, etc. Some are pathogens causing damage to human beings, crops, farm animals and pets. Cholera, typhoid, tetanus, citrus canker are well known diseases caused by different bacteria. Bacteria reproduce mainly by fission (Figure 2.3). Sometimes, under unfavourable conditions, they produce spores. They also reproduce by a sort of sexual reproduction by adopting a primitive type of DNA transfer from one bacterium to the other.

The Mycoplasmas are organisms that completely lack a cell wall. They are the smallest living cells known and can survive without oxygen. Many mycoplasma are pathogenic in animals and plants.

EXERCISES

1. Discuss how classification systems have undergone several changes over a period of time?

2. State two economically important uses of:

(a) heterotrophic bacteria

(b) archaebacteria

3. What is the nature of cell-walls in diatoms?

4. Find out what do the terms ‘algal bloom’ and ‘red-tides’ signify.

5. How are viroids different from viruses?

6. Describe briefly the four major groups of Protozoa.

7. Plants are autotrophic. Can you think of some plants that are partially heterotrophic?

8. What do the terms phycobiont and mycobiont signify?

9. Give a comparative account of the classes of Kingdom Fungi under the following:

(i) mode of nutrition

(ii) mode of reproduction

10. What are the characteristic features of Euglenoids?

11. Give a brief account of viruses with respect to their structure and nature of genetic material. Also name four common viral diseases.

12. Organise a discussion in your class on the topic – Are viruses living or nonliving?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 11 Biology - Biological Classification