4 Biodiversity

Question 1

What is the definition of species?

Answer 1

A group of similar organisms that can breed together to produce fertile offspring.

Question 2

What is the name of the system by which species are named, what does it feature and how are names written?

Answer 2

The binomial system, it features two names. The first is the generic name which denotes the genus in which the organism belongs, the second is the specific name which denotes the species in which the organism belongs.
The names should be written in italics (underlined if handwritten) with the first name having a capital letter.

Question 3

(5 bulletpoints)

Courtship behaviour allows individuals of a species to:

Answer 3

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

These all increase the probability of producing fertile offspring

Question 4

2 examples of courtship behaviour?

Answer 4

Vocal sounds (songs or calls)
Visual displays (feathers displays or "dances")

Question 5

What is the grouping of organisms called?

Answer 5

Classification

Question 6

What is the practice of biological classification called?

Answer 6

Taxonomy

Question 7

What are the two main forms of biological classification?

Answer 7

Artificial classification

Phylogenic classification

Question 8

How are organisims divided in artificial classification?

Answer 8

According to physical features, e.g number of legs, feathers, size, shape. These are described as analogous characteristics (same function but different evolutionary origins).

Question 9

How are organisms divided in phylogenetic classification?

Answer 9

Based upon evolutionary relationships, shared features between organisms and their ancestors. This classification also arramges groups into a hierarchy.

Question 10

What is a domain and how many are there?

Answer 10

A domain is the highest taxonomic rank, there are three domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya

Question 11

What are the four kingdoms in Eukarya?

Answer 11

Fungi, Plantae, Animalia and Protoctista

Question 12

What are the ranks in classification?

Answer 12

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
(Kung-fu Panda Climbed Over Fences Gobbling Sushi)

Question 13

What is species diversity?

Answer 13

Refers to the number of different species and the number of individuals of each species within any one community

Question 14

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 14

Refers to the variety of genes possessed by the individuals that make up the population of a species

Question 15

What is ecosystem diversity?

Answer 15

Refers to the range of different habitats from a small local habitat to the whole of the Earth

Question 16

What is species richness?

Answer 16

The number of different species in a particular area at a given time

Question 17

What is the equation for index of diversity?

Answer 17

d=N(N-1)/sum of n(n-1)

d= index of diversity 
N= total number of organisms of all species
n= total number of organisms of each species

Question 18

Give examples of practices that can directly remove habitats and reduce species diversity

Answer 18

Removal of hedgerows
Creating monocultures
Draining marshland
Over-grazing land

Question 19

Give examples of practices that indirectly remove habitats and reduce species diversity.

Answer 19

Using pesticides

Lack of crop rotation

Question 20

Give some management techniques which help increase biodiversity

Answer 20

Plant hedges instead of putting up fences
Don’t drain the corners of fields
Maintain existing hedgerows
Use organic fertilisers
Use crop rotation that involves a nitrogen-fixing crop
Create natural meadows

Question 21

Traditionally, how was genetic measured?

Answer 21

By observing characteristics of organisms

Question 22

What are the limitations of using observable characteristics?

Answer 22

Many are polygenic (coded for by more than one gene) and so they vary continuously
Characteristics can also be modified by the environment

Question 23

What is the modern method of inferring DNA differences?

Answer 23

By looking directly at DNA base sequences to determine the exact order of the nucleotides.

Question 24

How is DNA sequencing done?

Answer 24

Each nucleotide base is tagged with a specific coloured fluorescent dye, which produces a series of coloured bands. These can then be analysed by a computer.

Question 25

Analysis of DNA sequences allows us to?

Answer 25

Determine evolutionary relationships and compare species

Question 26

What do mutations cause?

Answer 26

The sequence of nucleotide bases to change

Question 27

Genetic diversity within, and between, species can be measured by comparing?

Answer 27

The amino acid sequences of their proteins, as this sequence is determined by mRNA which is determined by DNA

Question 28

What is interspecific variation?

Answer 28

How one species differs from another

Question 29

What is intraspecific variation?

Answer 29

How individuals within a species differ from one another

Question 30

Give two reasons why measurements may not be representative?

Answer 30

Sampling bias - the selection process may be biased as unrepresentative choices may be made
Chance - the individuals chosen may not be representative of the total population, purely by chance.

Question 31

One way to minimise chance?

Answer 31

Use a large sample size