Try to collect all the currently accepted meanings for the word ‘species’. Discuss with your teacher the meaning of species in case of higher plants and animals on one hand, and bacteria on the other hand.

* Each **different kind of plant, animal or organism** that you see represents a species.
* The number of species known and described ranges between **1.7-1.8 million**, representing biodiversity. New organisms, including new species, are continuously being identified.
* In the system of Binomial nomenclature, each biological name has two components. The **second component denotes the specific epithet**, which represents a particular species. The specific epithet starts with a small letter. For example, in the scientific name of mango, *Mangifera indica*, *indica* is the specific epithet representing the species. Other examples include *Solanum tuberosum* (potato) and *Panthera leo* (lion), where *tuberosum* and *leo* are the specific epithets.
* Within the taxonomic hierarchy, **species is considered the lowest category** for all organisms, including those in the plant and animal kingdoms.
* Taxonomic studies define a species as a **group of individual organisms with fundamental similarities**.
* One should be able to distinguish one species from other closely related species based on **distinct morphological differences**.
* A genus may comprise one or more specific epithets representing different organisms that share morphological similarities. For instance, the genus *Panthera* includes species like *tigris* (tiger) and *leo* (lion), which share features but are distinct species.
* Ernst Mayr, a renowned evolutionary biologist, is credited with having **pioneered the currently accepted definition of a biological species**. While the sources mention this significant contribution, they do not explicitly detail Mayr’s full definition beyond the description of a group with fundamental similarities and distinct morphological differences.

Regarding the meaning of species in the case of higher plants and animals versus bacteria, the sources **do not explicitly provide different accepted meanings or criteria** for classifying species across these different groups. The general definition provided (“group of individual organisms with fundamental similarities” distinguishable by “morphological differences”) appears to be presented as applicable broadly to organisms within the context of this introductory text.