Biodiversity Flashcards
What is the process called of organising living organisms into groups?
Classification
What is a species?
A species is a group of organisms that are able to produce living, fertile offspring
What is the system called to name species?
Binomial system
How does the binomial system work?
1st name - generic name genus
2nd name - specific species
What are the rules of binomial naming?
- Names must be printed in italics or written and underlined
- First letter of genus must be a capital but species all lower case
- If specific species name is unknown write spec
What is it called when species have similar behaviour traits which ensures they reproduce?
Courtship
What 5 things does courtship behaviour allow individuals to do?
- Recognise members of their own species so mating only takes place between same species everwise cant produce fertile offspring
- Identify a mate capable of breeding both need to be sexually mature, fertile and receptive to mating
- Form a pair bond will lead to successful mating and raising of offspring
- Synchronised mating so it takes place when there is maximum probability of sperm and egg meeting
- Become able to breed by bringing a member of opposite sex into a physiological state that allows breeding to occur
What is the theory and practice of biological classification called?
Taxonomy
What are the two types of classification?
- Artificial classification
2. Phylogenetic classification
What is artificial classification?
Divides organisms according to differences useful at the time
What is phylogenetic classification based on?
Evolutionary relationships, shared features from ancestors arranged into a hierachy no overlap of larger composite groups
What is the highest tax?
Domain
What are the three recognised domains?
Bacteria, archea and eukarya
What are bacteria?
No membrane bound organelles, unicellular, 70s ribosomes, single loop of dna, cell walls made up of murein
What are archea?
Group of single celled prokaryotes like bacteria but different because genes and protein synthesis more similar to eukaryotes and no murein in cell wall and more complex form of rna polymerase and fatty acid chains in walls with ether linkages