Full Answer Section

• Basic unit of classification: Species

• Growth in living organisms vs. non-living objects:

  • Living Organisms: Growth involves an increase in size and complexity, often accompanied by an increase in cell number. It’s an internal process driven by metabolic activity.  
  • Non-living Objects: Growth may simply refer to an increase in size, but it typically involves the addition of external material.  

• Need for classification:

  • Organization: Classifying organisms helps to organize the vast diversity of life into a meaningful system.  
  • Identification: It provides a standardized system for identifying and naming organisms.  
  • Understanding Relationships: Classification helps to understand the evolutionary relationships between different organisms.  
  • Communication: It facilitates communication and information sharing among scientists worldwide.  

• Systematics:

  • The study of the diversification of living organisms.  
  • It aims to understand evolutionary relationships between organisms and classify them accordingly.  
  • It involves techniques such as taxonomy, phylogeny, and bioinformatics.  

• Metabolism:

  • The sum of all chemical reactions that occur within a living organism.
  • It includes both anabolism (building up) and catabolism (breaking down) processes.

• Photosynthesis:

  • The process by which green plants and some other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy.  
  • During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose (sugar).  

• Types of chloroplasts found in algae:

  • Algae exhibit a wide variety of chloroplast types, reflecting their diverse evolutionary origins. Some common types include:
    • Pyrenoid: A protein-rich structure within the chloroplast involved in starch storage.
    • Eyespot: A light-sensitive organelle that helps direct the movement of some algae towards light.  
    • Thylakoids: Membrane-bound compartments within the chloroplast where photosynthesis occurs