4.3.1 biological classification Flashcards
1
Q
binomial system
A
system that uses genus name & the species name to avoid confusion when naming organisms
2
Q
why do we classify living organisms
A
- for our convenience
- make study of living things manageable
- easier to identify organisms
- see relationship between species
3
Q
name the 8 current taxonomic levels in the modern classification hierarchy
A
- domain
- kingdom
- phylum
- class
- order
- family
- genus
- species
4
Q
describe domain
A
- highest taxonomic rank
- 3 domains: archaea, eubacteria & eukaryote
5
Q
describe kingdom
A
- (traditionally) 5 main kingdoms:
> plantae
> animalia
> fungi
> protoctista
> prokaryote (no nucleus)
6
Q
describe phylum
A
- major subdivision of kingdom
- contains all groups of organisms with same body plan eg. backbone
7
Q
describe class
A
- all possess same general traits eg. number of legs
8
Q
describe order
A
- subdivision of class using additional info
- eg. class mammal is divided into meat-eating (order carnivora) & vegetation ewting (order herbivora)
9
Q
describe family
A
- group of closely related genera
- eg. within ‘order carnivora’ we recognise the ‘dog’ & ‘cat’ family
10
Q
describe genus
A
- group of closely related species
11
Q
describe species
A
- basic unit of classification
- all members of same species show variations (essentially the same)
12
Q
what’s the binomial naming system for
A
system for naming organisms using the genus name & species name
13
Q
who devised the binomial naming system
A
carl linnaeus
14
Q
why does using a common name not work for naming organisms
A
- same organism may have diff common name in diff parts of a country
- diff common names used in diff countries
- translation of languages/dialects may give diff names
- same common name may be used for diff species in other parts of world
