Basics Flashcards
What is taxonomy?
Taxonomy is the classification, description, identification, and naming of living organisms.
What is binomial nomenclature?
Binomial nomenclature is the two-word naming system for identifying organisms.
What are the components of binomial nomenclature?
It uses genus and specific epithet.
How is the genus part of the name formatted?
The Genus part of the name is always capitalized.
How is the specific epithet formatted?
The specific epithet is not capitalized.
How are genus and specific epithet presented in writing?
Both are italicized.
What is the abbreviated form of binomial nomenclature?
The abbreviated form is the first initial of genus, followed by a period and full name of the species.
Give an example of binomial nomenclature.
Humans; Homo sapiens
Example of binomial nomenclature.
Give another example of binomial nomenclature.
Escherichia coli; E. coli
Example of binomial nomenclature.
What is horizontal gene transfer?
Horizontal gene transfer is when a gene in one species is absorbed into another’s genome.
In which organisms is horizontal gene transfer especially common?
It is especially common in microorganisms.
What challenge does horizontal gene transfer present?
It can make it difficult to determine how organisms are evolutionarily related.
What is the minimum size for objects to be visible without a microscope?
Objects must measure about or above 100 micrometers (µm) to be visible without a microscope.
How do most microorganisms compare in size to 100 micrometers?
Most microorganisms are much smaller than that.
What is the typical size of bacterial cells?
Bacterial cells are typically about 1 µm.
