Question

Which collections of preserved plant and animal specimens help for study and reference?

• A. I, II and III only
• B. I and III only
• C. III only
• D. II only

Hint:

NCERT Classification Tools: Herbarium = Preserved plant specimens Museum = Preserved animal specimens Botanical Garden = Living plant collections Monograph = Written taxonomic account

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: Taxonomists require preserved specimens for identification, classification, comparison, and future reference. Different biological repositories preserve organisms in different ways. Examples include:
• Herbarium
• Botanical Gardens
• Museums Monographs are written scientific accounts and are not collections of preserved specimens.

Step 1: Study Herbarium.
A herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens. Plants are:
• Collected
• Pressed
• Dried
• Mounted on sheets
• Properly labelled Hence herbarium serves as a reference collection.

Step 2: Study Botanical Gardens.
Botanical gardens maintain living collections of plants. These collections are useful for:
• Taxonomic studies
• Conservation
• Education
• Research Therefore they also aid study and reference.

Step 3: Study Museums.
Museums preserve plant and animal specimens using:
• Preservatives
• Dry preservation
• Skeleton collections
• Stuffed specimens Hence museums are valuable reference centers.

Step 4: Examine Monographs.
A monograph is a detailed written account of a taxon. It is not a collection of preserved specimens. Hence statement IV is incorrect.

Step 5: Select the correct combination.
Correct collections are: \[ I,\ II,\ III \] Therefore, \[ \boxed{\text{I, II and III only}} \]