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Scientific name of the human being is Homo Sapiens. This term was first stated by Carl Linnaes in 1758. The term Homo Sapiens originated from Latin and refers to ‘wise man’. Whereas, the word ‘man’ originated from Germanic Languages as well as being related to the word ‘Manu’ as per Hindu mythology. Humans belong to the Hominidae family. Humans have genetic similarities with other great apes like Gorillas and Chimpanzees. Darwin's theory of Evolution describes this theory in detail.
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Key Terms- Human being, man, taxonomy, evolution, human anatomy, DNA, genes.
Brief History Of Human Being
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According to the new research, the modern kind of human beings originated from Homo erectus (‘upright man’), who originated from Africa between 200,000 years ago. This kind is extinct now.
As per the latest study, there are two models that describe human history- the Out of Africa Model and the Multi-regional Model. Among these two, the out of Africa model has the main key proofs.
- The fossils of jaws from the earliest anthropoids, including Parapithecus, Propliopithecus, and others, were found in the Oligocene bed of Egypt.
- Miocene anthropoid fossils show a wide range of variety, with some exhibiting pre-human traits.
- They might have significantly contributed to the human line and other lineages that eventually became the hominids.
- An anthropoid fossil named Dryopithecus is thought to be close to the location of the origin of divergence.
The Human Lineage
Taxonomy of Human Being
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Here are the taxonomic details of the human being-
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Suborder | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder | Simiiformes |
| Family | Hominidae |
| Subfamily | Homininae |
| Tribe | Hominini |
| Genus | Homo |
| Species | H. sapiens |
General Characteristics of Human Being
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Here are the basic characteristics of the human beings-
- With the flow of time, the evolved human beings are able to walk straight.
- They are the only ones who can use tools.
- Humans have developed brains.
- Humans can use languages to communicate.
Human Communication Diagram
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| Other Concepts Related to This Chapter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ecology | Taxonomic Hierarchy of Plants and Animals | Numerical Taxonomy |
| Flora and Fauna | Binomial Nomenclature | Species Definition |
| Herbarium | Genus | Scientific Names of Animals and Plants |
Basic Idea of Human Anatomy
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Human anatomy is the most complex among other species. An adult human body includes 206 bones, 650 muscles, 79 organs, and around 30 – 40 trillion cells. New cells are created every second.
- Humans have a well built skeleton that protects the inner organs, and helps them to sit and walk straight. This skeleton is made from bones and cartilages.
- Muscles are another important part of human anatomy, that are mostly built with tissues, and help in blood circulation.
- The human body has a head, neck, and four limbs attached to a trunk. These are the outer parts of the human body.
- Whereas the internal organs include the heart, lungs, liver, etc.
Human Anatomy
Chemical Components Of Human Body
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Apart from basic human anatomy, there are some important chemical components that help in human body functioning.
- The human body is made up of water, essential minerals, salts, and other organic components.
- Protein, Carbohydrate, Nucleic acids are the most important organic compounds.
- The important minerals that are found in the human body are- calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, magnesium etc.
Chemical Components of Human Body
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Things to Remember
- Scientific name of the human being is Homo Sapiens.
- The word ‘man’ originated from Germanic Languages as well as being related to the word ‘Manu’ as per Hindu mythology.
- Humans have genetic similarities with other great apes like Gorillas and Chimpanzees.
- An adult human body includes 206 bones, 650 muscles, 79 organs, and around 30 – 40 trillion cells.
- The human body is made up of water, essential minerals, salts, and other organic components.
Important PYQs Related to This Chapter
- The scientist widely regarded as the triple crown of biology… (AMUEEE 2015)
- Evolutionary history of an organism is known as…(NEET 2006)
- Reason of diversity in living beings is… (NEET 2001)
- The living organisms can be unexceptionally distinguished from… (NEET 1998)
- Rauwolfia - serpentina belongs to… (KCET 2007)
- Edaphology is… (KCET 2007)
- Read the statements given below and identify the incorrect statement… (KCET 2012)
- Which of the following taxonomic categories of housefly is… (KEAM)
- Sympathetic neural system induces… (NEET 1991)
- The nerve centers which control the body temperature and the urge for eating are in…(NEET 2010)
- The Nissl's granules of nerve cells are made up of… (NEET 1997)
- Which of the following statement(s) about taxonomical aids is/are true? I. Keys are used to identify plants and animals based on similarities…? (KEAM)
- Which one of taxonomic aids can give a comprehensive account of complete compiled information of any one genus…? (KEAM)
- Binomial nomenclature was first introduced by…?
- Which of the following pairs of specific names belong to the same common genus…?
Sample Questions
Ques. What is the scientific name of Human Beings? (1 Mark)
Ans. Scientific name of the human being is Homo Sapiens.
Ques. Explain the etymological background of the name- Human. (2 Marks)
Ans. There are two basic etymological backgrounds of the name Human. The word ‘man’ originated from Germanic Languages as well as being related to the word ‘Manu’ as per Hindu mythology.
Ques. What are the basic characteristics of humankind? (3 Marks)
Ans. Carl Linnaes, in 1758, first used the term Homo Sapiens- originated from Latin and refers to ‘wise man’. As per the research, the modern kind of human beings originated from Homo erectus (‘upright man’), which originated in Africa between 200,000 years ago. Here are the basic characteristics of the human beings-
- With the flow of time, the evolved human beings are able to walk straight.
- They are the only ones who can use tools.
- Humans have developed brains.
- Humans can use languages to communicate.
Ques. Mention the taxonomic details of Human Being. (3 Marks)
Ans. Here are the taxonomic details of the human being-
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Hominidae
Subfamily: Homininae
Tribe: Hominini
Genus: Homo
Species: H. sapiens
Ques. What is Taxonomy? Why is it important? (3 Marks)
Ans. Taxonomy can be explained as the science of naming, describing, and classifying all the species of living organisms, like- plants, animals, microorganisms etc.
Here are the importance of Taxonomy-
- It helps in categorizing the organisms and microorganisms.
- It provides biological informations, traits of the organisms.
- Taxonomy also provides the physical developments of entire animals and plants.
Ques. What are the Chemical Components found in the Human Body? (3 Marks)
Ans. Apart from basic human anatomy, there are some important chemical components that help in human body functioning.The human body is made up of water, essential minerals, salts, and other organic components.Protein, Carbohydrate, Nucleic acids are the most important organic compounds.The important minerals that are found in the human body are- calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, magnesium etc.
Ques. What is the Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin? (3 Marks)
Ans. Charles Darwin, in his book ‘The Origin Of Species’ explained that evolution happens with the help of natural selection. He called it- “survival of the fittest”. He also mentioned-
- Two similar species can not be identical.
- The basic traits of any species flow down from the previous generation to the next.
- Not all offspring that are born can survive.
Ques. State the history of mankind briefly. (3 Marks)
Ans. The word ‘man’ originated from Germanic Languages as well as being related to the word ‘Manu’ as per Hindu mythology.According to the new research, the modern kind of human beings originated from Homo erectus (‘upright man’), who originated from Africa between 200,000 years ago. This kind is extinct now.
- As per the latest study, there are two models that describe human history- the Out of Africa Model and the Multi-regional Model.
- Among these two, the out of Africa model has the main key proofs.
- The fossils of jaws from the earliest anthropoids, including Parapithecus, Propliopithecus, and others, were found in the Oligocene bed of Egypt.
- Miocene anthropoid fossils show a wide range of variety, with some exhibiting pre-human traits.
- They might have significantly contributed to the human line and other lineages that eventually became the hominids.
Ques. What is DNA? (2 Marks)
Ans. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, can be explained as the “hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms”. These are made from chemical building blocks that are called nucleotides.
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