10.1 Classification

Question 1

What is classification?

Answer 1

The process by which living organisms are sorted into groups

Question 2

What are the taxonomic groups?

Answer 2

The hierarchical groups of classification

Question 3

What are the order of the taxonomic groups?

Answer 3

[domain], kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

Question 4

Why do scientists classify species?

Answer 4

To identify species - by using a clearly defined system of classification, the species an organism, belongs to can be easily identified

To predict characteristics - if several members in a group have a specific characteristic, it is likely that another species in that group will have the same characteristic

To find evolutionary links - species in the same group probably share the same characteristic because they have evolved from a common ancestor

Question 5

What is a species?

Answer 5

A group of organism that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring

Question 6

Why might the definition of a species not include all organisms and therefore lack accuracy?

Answer 6

1. Some species reproduce asexually
2. Two groups of an organism can be classified as separate species and yet produce fertile offspring
   (E.g. chimpanzees and bonobos), which suggests other criteria can be used to determine species

Question 7

What is the largest unit of classification?

Answer 7

Domain

Question 8

What is the smallest unit of classification?

Answer 8

Species

It only contains one type of organism

Question 9

Why are mules or hinnies infertile?

Answer 9

They contain and odd number of chromosomes (63)

This means that meiosis and gamete production cannot take place because all of the chromosomes need to pair up

This chromosome number is created because horses have 64 chromosomes (32 pairs) and donkeys have 62 chromosomes (31 pairs)

Question 10

What is the classification of humans?

Answer 10

Domain - Eukarya
Kingdom - animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - mammalia
Order -primates
Family - Hominidae
Genus -Homo
Species - sapiens

Question 11

How did organisms used to be classified?

Answer 11

By their common names

E.g. blackbirds for their colour, and song thrushes for their song

Question 12

What is the two-part naming system of organism called?

Answer 12

Binomial Nomenclature
Bi = two
Nomial = part
Nomenclature = naming system

Question 13

Why might two different species have the same species name?

Answer 13

They may have been named by the same scientist
However they would have different Genus names

E.g.
Anolis cuvieri (a lizard)
Oplurus cuvieri (a bird)
Both named by Georges Cuvier