4.3 (10) - Biodiversity

Question 1

What is a species?

Answer 1

Individuals capable of breeding to produce living, fertile offspring

Question 2

How do you name a species?

Answer 2

• Binomial system (2 names), based on Greek and Latin names
• First (generic) name: name of the genus that the organism belongs to
• Second (specific) name: indicates the species to which they organism belongs
• When typing, use italics, or underline when handwriting
• First letter of first name = uppercase, first letter of second name = lowercase

Question 3

What is courtship behaviour?

Answer 3

The signs that are displayed by members of the same species, in order to try and mate with each other

Question 4

What are some examples of courtship behaviour?

Answer 4

• Recognising members of their own species to produce fertile offspring
• Identifying a mate capable of breeding
• Forming a pair bond
• Synchronise mating (when female is in season)
• Become able to breed (change physiologically)

Question 5

What is classification?

Answer 5

Grouping organisms together

Question 6

What is taxonomy?

Answer 6

The theory and practice of classification

Question 7

What are 2 types of classification?

Answer 7

• Artificial classification

- Phylogenetic classification

Question 8

What is artificial classification?

Answer 8

Dividing organisms according to differences that are useful at the time

Question 9

What is phylogenetic classification?

Answer 9

Classification based upon evolutionary relationships, classifies species into groups and arranges these groups into a hierarchy.

Question 10

What are the 8 taxonomic ranks

Answer 10

Domain → kingdom → phylum → class → order → family → genus → species

Question 11

What are the 3 domains?

Answer 11

• Bacteria
• Archaea
• Eukarya

Question 12

What are bacteria like?

Answer 12

• No membrane-bound organelles
• Unicellular (single celled)
• Ribosomes are smaller (70S), compared to eukaryotic cells
• Cells walls made of murein
• Single loop of DNA (naked), with no histones attached

Question 13

How are archaea different to bacteria?

Answer 13

• Genes and proteins are synthesised more similarly to eukaryotes
• Cell walls do not contain murein
• Membranes contain fatty acid chains and glycerol attached via ester bonds
• Complex form of RNA polymerase

Question 14

What are eukarya like?

Answer 14

• Cells contain membrane-bound organelles
• Membranes contain fatty acid chains and glycerol attached via ester bonds
• Not all have a cell wall, but if they do, no murein is present
• Ribosomes are larger (80S) than bacteria and archaea
• Divided into 4 kingdoms

Question 15

What does ‘biodiversity’ mean?

Answer 15

A term used to describe variety in the living world

Question 16

What are 3 types of biodiversity?

Answer 16

• Species diversity
• Genetic diversity
• Ecosystem diversity

Question 17

What does ‘species diversity’ mean?

Answer 17

The number of different species and the number of individuals of each species there are within a community

Question 18

What does ‘genetic diversity’ mean?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What does ‘ecosystem diversity’ mean?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What are some agricultural factors that reduce biodiversity?

Answer 20

• Using pesticides
• Over-grazing
• Deforestation
• Draining aqueous environments
• Pollution
• Not allowing time for the ‘fallow period’
• Not rotating crops
• Breeding/creating monocultures
• Removing hedges

Question 21

How can we conserve and maintain biodiversity?

Answer 21

• Protect more areas of land (with laws)
• Use organic fertilisers
• Create natural meadows (where lots of crop species can grow) - stop planting monocultures
• Reduce the use of pesticides - use biological agents instead
• Keep hedges
• Maintain ponds and wetlands
• Planting more trees
• Eating less/no meat
• Restoring ruined habitats

Question 22

What is the meaning of ‘interspecific variation’?

Answer 22

Differences between different species

Question 23

What is the meaning of ‘intraspecific variation’?

Answer 23

Differences within members of the same species

Question 24

What 2 reasons might a sample not be representative of a whole population?

Answer 24

• Sampling bias

- Chance

Question 25

Under what circumstances is random sampling most effective at avoiding sampling bias?

Answer 25

• When a large sample size is used
• When data analysis is performed

Both of these methods can reduce the effect of chance, too.

Question 26

How do you calculate the mean of a set of data?

Answer 26

Add all the numbers up and divide the total by how many numbers there are.

Question 27

How do you calculate the median of a set of data?

Answer 27

The middle number when the numbers are all arranged in ascending order.

Question 28

How do you calculate the mode of a set of data?

Answer 28

The number that appears the most frequently.

Question 29

What is a normal distribution curve?

Answer 29

A bell-shaped curve, typical of features that show continuous data (eg. height and weight).

Question 30

What does the mean look like on a normal distribution curve?

Answer 30

The maximum height of a normal distribution curve.

Question 31

What does ‘standard deviation’ mean?

Answer 31

The distance from the mean to the point where the curve changes from being convex to concave (point of inflection).

Question 32

What does the standard deviation give a measure of?

Answer 32

The standard deviation gives a measure of the range of values either side of the mean.