4.3 Classification + Evolution Flashcards
Define classification
The process of naming and organising organisms into groups based on their characteristics.
What are the 8 groups of classification ?
Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.
What are the two components in a biological name?
Generic name - the genus of the organism
Specific name - the species the organism belongs to
What is the advantage of the binomial naming system ?
It is universal ; the name of each species is the same across languages
What are the five kingdoms ?
Prokaryote, Protoctista, fungi, Plantae, Animalia.
How are organisms classified into a kingdom ?
Based on similarities in observable characteristics.
How was the domain system of classification developed ?
By analysing molecular differences between organisms to determine their evolutionary relationships (phylogeny)
What is the difference between classification and phylogeny ?
Classification is organising organisms into groups, phylogeny is investigating the evolutionary links between organisms
Explain how natural selection results in evolution
Random mutations result in new alleles
Some alleles provide an advantage against selection pressures, making the individual more likely to survive
Their offspring receive the allele, and are said to have evolved a new characteristic
How did Darwin and Wallace contribute to the theory of evolution ?
Observed the bird beaks on close islands and came to conclusion that the birds with beaks best suited for eating their food will be more likely to survive and pass on this trait to their offspring
Give evidence for the theory of evolution
Fossils = allows us to compare extinct species to alive ones
Genomic DNA = sequences of genomes show how closely related species are
Molecular = proteins consist of the same 20 amino acids across all organisms
What causes variation ?
Genetic = mutations, random fertilisation
Environmental = climate, diet, culture
Explain the differences between inter specific and intraspecific variation
Intraspecific is variation within the same species
Interspecific is variation between different species
Differentiate between continuous and non continuous variation
Continuous = variation exists across a range ie. Height or root length
Non continuous = variation exists as distinct categories such as bacteria shape or blood type
Why might we calculate a spearman’s rank correlation coefficient ?
To measure correlation between two variables i.e. the extent of to which changing one variable affects the other variable .
