Ch.

2 :Biological Classification
1. State two economically important uses of:
(a) heterotrophic bacteria
(b) archaebacteria
Soln. (a) Heterotrophic bacteria: They include saprotrophic, symbiotic and parasitic
bacteria. They act as natural scavengers as they dispose off the dead bodies, organic wastes,
release raw materials for reutilisation. They also help in sewage disposal, manure
production etc. Symbiotic bacteria help in nitrogen fixation. Some bacteria are employed in
the production of a number of industrial products like lactic acid, curd, cheese, butter,
vinegar etc. Some bacteria are used in preparation of serum, vaccines, vitamins, enzymes,
antibiotics etc.

(b) Archaebacteria : Archaebacteria are employed in the production of gobar gas from dung
and sewage and in ruminants, they cause fermentation of cellulose.
2. What is the nature of cell-wall in diatoms?
Soln. The cell walls of diatoms are called frustules. The cell wall is chiefly composed of
cellulose impregnated with glass-like silica. It is composed of two overlapping halves (or
theca) that fit together like two parts of a soap box or petri dish. The upper half (lid) is
called epitheca and the lower half (case) is called hypotheca. The outer covering possesses
very fine markings, pits, pores and ridges. The siliceous frustules of diatoms do not decay
easily. They pile up at the bottom of water reservoirs and form big heaps called diatomite or
diatomaceous earth. It may extend for several hundred metres in certain areas from where
the same can be mined.

3. Find out what do the terms ‘algal bloom’ and ‘red tides’ signify.
Soln. Algal bloom -The rapid increase in populations of algae and other phytoplanktons, in
particular cyanobacteria, in water bodies rich in organic matter is called algal bloom. The
density of the organisms may be such that it may prevent light from passing to lower depths
in the water body. Algal blooms are caused by an increase in levels of nitrate, a mineral ion
essential for algal and bacterial growth.The source of increased nitrate may be from
agricultural fertilizers, which are leached – into water systems from the land, or sewage
effluent.
Red tides are caused by a sudden, often toxic proliferation of marine phytoplankton,
notably dinoflagellates, that colour the sea red, brown, or yellowish due to the high
concentration of the photosynthetic accessory pigments. Some dinoflagellates, such as
Gonyaulax, produce potent toxins, which may kill fish and invertebrates outright or
accumulate in the food chain, posing a hazard to humans eating shellfish and other seafood.
These phytoplanktonic blooms may be related to nutrient-rich inputs from the land, or
upwelling oceanic waters, and are initiated by the activation of cyst-like forms lying on the
sea bed.
4. Describe briefly the four major groups of protozoa.
Soln. All protozoans are heterotrophs and live as predators or. parasites. They are be-lieved
to be primitive relatives of animals. They are classified into four groups on the basis of
locomotory organelles.
(i) Amoeboid protozoans : These organisms live in fresh water, sea water or moist soil.
They move and capture their prey by developing pseudopodia (false feet) as in Amoeba.
Some of them such as Entamoeba are parasites.
(ii)Flagellated protozoans : The members of this group are either free-living or parasitic.
They have flagella for locomotion. The parasitic forms cause diseases such as sleeping
sickness e.g., Trypanosoma.
(iii)Ciliated protozoans : These are aquatic, actively moving organisms because of the
presence of thousands of cilia. They have a cavity (gullet) that opens to the outside of the
cell surface. The coordinated movement of rows of cilia causes the water laden with food to
be steered into the gullet e.g., Paramecium.
(iv)Sporozoans: This includes diverse parasitic organisms that have an infectious spore like
stage in their life cycle. Locomotory organs are absent. e.g..Plasmodium (malarial parasite)
which
causes malaria which has a staggering effect on human population.

5. Plants are autotrophic. Can you think of some plants that are partially
heterotrophic?
Soln. Some insectivorous plants like Drosera,Nepenthes, Utricularia are partially
heterotrophic
plant. These plants are deficient in nitrogen content but are otherwise autotrophic. They,
trap various insects to obtain nitrogen from them.

6. What do the terms phycobiont and mycobiont signify?

Soln. A lichen is structurally organized entity consisting of the permanent association of a
fungus and an alga. The fungal component of a lichen is called mycobiont and the algal
component is called phycobiont. Both mycobiont and phycobiont are associated in
symbiotic union in which the fungus is predominant and alga is subordinate partner. Fungus
provides the structural covering that protects alga from unfavourable conditions,i.e.,
drought, heat, etc. It also traps moisture from the atmosphere and anchors the
lichen to a rock, tree bark, leaves and other similar supports. The alga prepares organic food
by the process of photosynthesis from carbon dioxide. If the algal component is
cyanobacteria (blue-green alga), they fix atmospheric nitrogen in addition to preparation of
food.

7. What are the characteristic features of Euglenoids?

Soln. The euglenoid flagellates are the most interesting organisms having a mixture of
animal and plant characteristics. The characteristic features are:
(i) They are unicellular flagellates.
(ii)These protists lack a definite cellulose cell wall. Instead the cells are covered by
a thin membrane known as pellicle. The pellicle is composed of protein, lipid and
carbohydrates.
(iii)One or two flagella which help these protists in active swimming are present. If two
flagella are present, then one is long and other is short.
(iv)Cell at the anterior end possesses an eccentric mouth or cytostome which leads into a
flask-shaped cavity viz. gullet or cytopharynx. Gullet opens into a large basal reservoir.
(v)The mode of nutrition in euglenoids is holophytic or photoautotrophic. Some euglenoids
show mixotrophic nutrition (both holophytic as well as saprobic mode).
(vi)Cytoplasm is differentiated into ectoplasm and endoplasm. Nucleus is large and occurs
roughly in middle.
(vii) Asexual reproduction occurs by longitudinal binary fission. The flagellum is
duplicated before cell division.

8. Give a brief account of viruses with respect to their structure and nature of genetic
material. Also name four common viral diseases.
Soln. Virus (L. poisonous fluid) is a group of ultramicroscopic, non-cellular, highly
infectious agents that multiply only intracellularly- inside the living host cells without
involving growth and division. Outside the host cells, they are inert particles. They are
nucleoproteins having one or more nucleic acid molecule, either DNA or RNA, encased in a
protective coat of protein or lipoprotein. A virus consist of two parts – nucleoid (genome)
and capsid. An envelope and few enzymes are present in some cases,
(i) Nucleoid : The nucleic acid present in the virus is called nucleoid and it represents viral
chromosome. It is made up of a single molecule of nucleic acid. It may be linear
or circular and nucleic acid can be DNA or RNA. It is the infective part of virus which
utilizes the metabolic machinery of the host cell for synthesis and assembly of viral
components.
(ii)Capsid : It is a protein covering around genetic material. Capsid have protein subunits
called capsomeres. Capsid protects nucleoid from damage from physical and chemical
agents. ,
(iii)Envelope : It is the outer loose covering present in certain viruses like animal viruses
(e.g., HIV) but rarely present in plant and bacterial viruses and made of protein of viral
origin and, lipid and carbohydrate of host. Outgrowths called spikes may be present.
Envelope proteins have subunits called peplomers. A virus without envelope is naked virus.
(iv)Enzymes : Rarely, lysozymes are found in bacteriophages. Reverse transcriptase
enzyme (catalyses RNA to DNA synthesis) is found in some RNA viruses like HIV. Some
common viral diseases are – influenza, polio, measles, chickenpox, hepatitis, AIDS, bird
flu, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) etc.
 9. Differentiate between phycomycetes and basidiomycetes.

Phycomycetes Basidiomycetes

• habit and habitat- Moist damp areas or• habit and habitat- Found in soil, logs or
an obligate parasite on plants. as a parasite in plant bodies

• structure of mycelium- Aseptate and • structure of mycelium-Branched,

coenocytic. septate

• Asexual Reproduction- Zoospores • Asexual Reproduction-Vegetative

(motile) , Aplanospores (non-motile) reproduction is by fragmentation, no
asexual spore formation
• Sexual reproduction- Isogamous,
anisogamous or oogamous Zygospores• Sexual reproduction-No sexual organs,
basidiospores are formed in the
• Examples- Mucor, Rhizopus, Albugo basidium

karyogamy after dikaryon phase

• Examples- Agaricus, Ustilago,

Puccinia

10.What are the differences between Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes?

Basidiomycetes Ascomycetes

1. In basidiomycetes, basidiospores are 1. In ascomycetes, ascospores are

produced exogenously on basidium. produced endogenously inside the
ascus.

2. They produce basidiospores. 2. They produce ascospores and

conidia.
3. Basidiomycetes reproduce asexually 3. They reproduce asexually by
by either budding or spore formation. forming conidia.

4. Example: Agaricus and Puccinia. 4. Example: Yeast, cup

fungi, Penicillium