4.3 - Quantifying biodiversity Flashcards
What is the binomial system?
system by which each species is given a unique 2 part Latin name, made up of the genus and species
What is the first part of a species’ latin name according to the bionomial system? What do you need to remember when writing?
the genus (begins with a capital letter)
What is the second part of a species’ latin name according the binomial system? What do you need to remember when writing?
the species (all lower case)
Which part of an organism’s latin name tell you how closely related 2 species are?
if they have the same genus they are closely related
Define species richness.
the number of species present in a given habitat
Define species eveness.
the number of individuals within in each species in a habitat
What are the five kingdoms that taxonomists classify organisms into?
- animalia
- plantae
- fungi
- protoctista
- prokaryotae
What defines the kingdom ‘Animalia’?
eukaryotes that get their energy by eating material from other organisms (heterotrophs)
What defines the kingdom ‘Plantae’?
eukaryotes that make their own food using photosynthesis
What define the kingdom ‘Fungi’?
eukaryotes that get their food by absorbing nutrients from decaying matter (after it has been broken down by enzymes)
What defines the kingdom ‘Protoctista’?
eukaryotes that photosynthesise or feed on organic matter from other source, but are not included in other kingdoms
What defines the kingdom ‘prokaryotae’?
prokaryotic organism
What are the 3 domains?
1.bacteria
2.archaea
3.eukaryota
What is taxonomy?
(classification) placing of organisms into groups based on shared features
What is the order of the taxonomic hierarchy?
- kingdom
- phylum
- class
- order
- family
- genus
- species
What happens in the process of peer review?
- other scientists check the validity, significance & originality of a scientist’s work
- this makes sure that the research is ready to be published
What word describes the evolutionary history of living organisms?
phylogeny
What do phylogenetic trees represent?
evolutionary relationships between species
What do organisms in each of the three domains contain that are unique to their domain?
RNA sequences
Are fungi and protists prokaryotic?
no - they are eukaryotic
Are bacteria eukaryotes or prokaryotes?
prokaryotes
Are viruses prokaryotic or eukaryotic?
no domain - but can sometimes be archaea
