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Class 11 | CBSE | BIOLOGY
ONE-PAGE, LAST-MINUTE REVISION SHEET
ONE-PAGE, LAST-MINUTE REVISION SHEET
Class 11 Biology – 1.2 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES
📱 Mobile-friendly | Exam-oriented | “Just before exam” ready
1.2 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES – QUICK REVISION
KEY IDEA (2 Lines)
Classification is a hierarchical process of arranging organisms based on shared characteristics.
Each level is a taxonomic category (taxon) → together they form the taxonomic hierarchy.
TAXONOMIC HIERARCHY (REMEMBER ORDER)
K → P → C → O → F → G → S
➡ Kingdom
➡ Phylum / Division (plants)
➡ Class
➡ Order
➡ Family
➡ Genus
➡ Species
Mnemonic: King Philip Came Over For Good Soup
MOST IMPORTANT FACT
➡ Species = Basic unit of classification
➡ Lower taxon → more similarities
➡ Higher taxon → more diversity & complexity
WHAT IS A TAXON?
Any rank in classification is called a taxon
Example: Species, Genus, Family etc. are all taxa
SPECIES
✔ Group of organisms with fundamental similarities
✔ Can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
✔ Identified by distinct morphological characters
📌 Examples:
Mangifera indica
Homo sapiens
Panthera leo
GENUS
✔ Group of closely related species
✔ More similarities than with species of other genera
📌 Examples:
Panthera → lion, tiger, leopard
Solanum → potato, brinjal
FAMILY
✔ Group of related genera
✔ Fewer similarities than genus
✔ Based on vegetative & reproductive features
📌 Examples:
Felidae → Panthera, Felis
Solanaceae → Solanum, Petunia, Datura
ORDER
✔ Group of related families
✔ Identified by aggregate of characters
📌 Examples:
Carnivora → Felidae, Canidae
Polymoniales → Solanaceae
CLASS
✔ Group of related orders
📌 Example:
Mammalia → Primata, Carnivora
PHYLUM / DIVISION
✔ Group of related classes
✔ Based on fundamental body plan
📌 Examples:
Chordata → fishes to mammals
Angiospermae → flowering plants
KINGDOM
✔ Highest category
✔ Includes many phyla / divisions
📌 Examples:
Kingdom Animalia
Kingdom Plantae
BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE – EXAM RULES
✔ Two words → Genus + Species
✔ Genus → Capital letter
✔ Species → Small letter
✔ Printed → Italic | Handwritten → Underline separately
📌 Example: Homo sapiens
KEY EXAM TRENDS
✔ Species & Genus → most asked
✔ Hierarchy order → sure MCQ
✔ Examples matching → frequent
COMMON MISTAKES (AVOID)
Species ≠ Genus
Family is NOT lower than genus
Division is used ONLY for plants
Many students use species and genus interchangeably, which is incorrect.
Species → Genus → Family → Order → Class → Phylum → Kingdom
So Family is HIGHER than Genus
Correct Rule
Animals → use Phylum
Plants → use Division
30-SECOND FINAL CHECK
Basic unit → Species
Highest category → Kingdom
More similarities → Lower taxon
Lion + Tiger → Same Genus