Animal Classification

Question 1

What is classification?

Answer 1

Classification is sorting organisms with similar characteristics into groups.

Question 2

Name the 5 kingdoms.

Answer 2

Animalia, plantae, fungi, prokaryotae and protoctista.

Question 3

What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms?

Answer 3

Prokaryotes don’t have membrane-bound organelles.

Question 4

What are the different ranks of classification?

Answer 4

Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. King penguins congregate on frozen ground sometimes.

Question 5

-Higher- Why is it important to classify species?

Answer 5

So that scientists can accurately identify species from different areas. -Extra Info- For example, a robin in the UK has the name Erithacus rubecula, whereas an American robin has the name of Turdus migratorius. We can tell from this that they aren’t closely related.

Question 6

-Higher- Why is binomial classification important?

Answer 6

• Clearly identifies species
• Study and conserve species
• Target conservation efforts

Question 7

What are the characteristics of organisms in the Animalia kingdom?

Answer 7

They’re multicellular with no cell wall or chlorophyll. Heterotrophic feeders.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of organisms in the Plantae kingdom?

Answer 8

Multicellular, have cell walls and chlorophyll, autotrophic feeders

Question 9

What are the characteristics of organisms in the Fungi kingdom?

Answer 9

Multicellular, have cell walls, do not have chlorophyll, saprophytic feeders.

Question 10

What are the characteristics of organisms in the Protoctista kingdom?

Answer 10

Usually unicellular, with a nucleus.

Question 11

What are the characteristics of organisms in the Prokaryote kingdom?

Answer 11

Unicellular, with no nucleus.

Question 12

Are viruses alive? Why?

Answer 12

They don’t show all the processes for life.

Question 13

What are homeotherms? Give some examples of vertebrates with this characteristic.

Answer 13

A homeotherm can regulate their body temperature - homeostasis. Examples: birds and mammals.

Question 14

What is a poikilotherm? Give examples.

Answer 14

A poikilotherm cannot maintain their own body temperature. Examples: fish, amphibians, reptiles

Question 15

What is a species?

Answer 15

A species contains organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring, and share characteristics that they do not share with other species.

Question 16

Why is the production of fertile offspring not the only classifier for a species?

Answer 16

Not all organisms reproduce sexually, and some hybrids are fertile.

Question 17

What can complicate classification?

Answer 17

• Variation within a species
• Hybridisation (closely related species breeding to produce offspring that share characteristics of their parents)
• Ring species (neighbouring populations may have slightly different characteristics but can still interbreed as part of a chain - the two ends of the chain cannot interbreed.

Question 18

What are keys?

Answer 18

Keys are used to help identify species. They can either be branching or a series of paired statements.