10: Biodiversity

Question 1

What is classification?

Answer 1

The organisation of living organisms into groups.

Question 2

What do members of a single species have in common?

Answer 2

They are capable of breeding to produce living, fertile offspring.
-> therefore they are able to produce more offspring meaning that, when a species reproduces sexually, any of the genes of the individual can be combined with any other.

Question 3

What is the system for identifying organisms called?

Answer 3

The binomial system

Question 4

What are the two features of the binomial system?

Answer 4

It is a universal system based on Latin or Greek names:

1: GENERIC name
- > denotes the GENUS to which the organism belongs to
2: SPECIFIC name
- > denote the SPECIES to which the organism belongs to

Question 5

What does courtship behaviour help to achieve?

Answer 5

It ensures that mating is successful and that offspring have the maximum chance of survival.

Question 6

What 5 key things does courtship behaviour enable individuals to do?

Answer 6

1: recognise members of their own species
2: identify a mate that is capable of breeding
3: form a pair bond
4: synchronise mating
5: become able to breed

Question 7

What does recognising members of their own species ensure?

Answer 7

That mating only takes place between members of the same species
-> only members of the same species can produce fertile offspring

Question 8

What does being able to identify a mate that is capable of breeding ensure?

Answer 8

That both partners are sexually mature, fertile and receptive to mating

Question 9

What will forming a pair bond lead to?

Answer 9

Successful mating and raising of offspring

Question 10

When does synchronised mating occur?

Answer 10

When there is the maximum probability of the sperm and egg meeting

Question 11

How do individuals become able to breed?

Answer 11

By bringing a member of the opposite sex into a physiological state that allows breeding to occur

Question 12

Why is courtship behaviour most important for males when it comes to conception in females?

Answer 12

Females undergo a cycle of sexual activity in which they can only conceive during a short time. Courtship behaviour is used by males to determine whether the female is in this receptive stage.

Question 13

What is the theory and practice of biological classification?

Answer 13

Taxonomy

Question 14

What are the 2 main forms of biological classification?

Answer 14

1: artificial classification
2: phylogenetic classification

Question 15

What is artificial classification?

Answer 15

This divides organisms according to differences/features that are useful at the time. These include analogous characteristics where they have the same function but different evolutionary origins

Question 16

What 3 points summarise phylogenetic classification?

Answer 16

• it’s based upon evolutionary relationships between organisms and their ancestors
• classifies species into groups using shared feature derived from their ancestors
• arranges the groups into a hierarchy, in which groups are contained within larger composite groups with no overlap

Question 17

What are the 3 recognised domains?

Answer 17

1: bacteria
2: archaea
3: eukarya