BIODIVERSITY Flashcards
Definition of classification?
Name given to the process of sorting organisms into groups with similar features
The order of the classification system?
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
The name of the classification system groups?
Taxonomic groups
Who first proposed the classification system?
Carl Linnaeus
How many kingdoms and domains are there?
3 domains and 5 kingdoms
Why do scientists classify organisms?
To identify species, to predict characteristics and to find evolutionary links between common ancestors
The 3 domains?
Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya
Definition of a species?
A group of organisms that are able to reproduce fertile offspring
How does a binominal name work?
First word indicates genus which is always capitalized, second word is species which is always in italics or underlined, most names derive from Latin
What are the five kingdoms?
Prokaryotae (bacteria), Protoctista (unicelluar eukaryotes), Fungi, Plantae and Animalia
What was the name for the principle that believed forces of the Earth such as sedimentation and erosion shaped the world?
Uniformitarianism
Difference between a prokaryotae and protoctista?
Prokaryotae has no nucleus or membrane bound organelles or chloroplasts, protoctista has all off them
How many kingdoms are there for Carl Woese system?
6 kingdoms — it adds Archaebacteria
What is archaebacteria?
‘Ancient bacteria’ that can live in extreme conditions
What is phylogeny?
The evolutionary relationships between organisms, the study of it is called phylogenetics
What is Eubacteria?
The changed kingdom name for prokaryotae, known as ‘trye bacteria’, most types of bacteria, chemically different from Archaebacteria
What are phylogenetic trees?
Branched diagrams which show that different species have evolved from a common ancestor, much of the evidence is gained from fossils
Advantages of phylogenetic classification?
Produces a continuous tree, no hierarchal nature implying different groups are equivalent
Charles Darwin’s theory?
Theory of Evolution, organisms evolve over many years due to natural selection
What animal did Darwin famously work on?
Finches, noticed they had different beaks and claws
Evidence for evolution?
Paleontology, comparing anatomy and biochemistry
What does the presence of a homologous structure provide evidence for?
Divergent evolution
What is divergent evolution?
Describes how, from a common ancestor, different species have evolved with adaptive features. Occurs in new habitats
What is neutral evolution?
Molecule variability that does not affect its function
