Biodiversity And Classification

Question 1

What is species diversity?

Answer 1

1. Variety of living organisms in a certain region

2. Variation of different organisms making up an ecosystem

Question 2

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 2

1. Variety of genes within a species

2. Ensure survival of the species

Question 3

What is ecological diversity?

Answer 3

1. Variety of ecosystems found on earth

Question 4

What is a species?

Answer 4

1. Groups of similar organisms that can interbreed freely and produce fertile offspring

Question 5

What is a keystone species?

Answer 5

1. An organism that plays an unusually large role in an ecosystem
2. Important in maintaining species diversity
3. Dies out= many other species die out
   E.g. Protea for fynbos ecosystems

Question 6

What is classification?

Answer 6

1. The system of grouping organisms together based on shared characteristics

Question 7

What is taxonomy?

Answer 7

1. The science of classification
2. Grouping of organisms based on similarities/ shared characteristics, using:
   •biochemistry
   •fossil records
   •genetics
   •molecular biology

Question 8

What is nomenclature?

Answer 8

1. Naming of organisms

Question 9

What is systematics?

Answer 9

1. Placing of organisms into groups

Question 10

Who was Carolus Linnaeus?

Answer 10

1. Developed the Linnaen system of binomial nomenclature

Question 11

What is the Linnaen system?

Answer 11

1. Greek & Latin (mutual languages) used
2. Uses the hierarchical system- genus
   - species
3. Both names underlined or written in italics

Question 12

What is a binomial name?

Answer 12

1. Formal species name consisting of two parts

Question 13

What is a genus name?

Answer 13

1. First part of the name

2. Capital letter first

Question 14

What is a species name?

Answer 14

1. Second part of name

2. No capitals

Question 15

What is classification essential for?

Answer 15

1. Communicating
2. Describing & Placing
3. Arranging collections
4. Understanding relationships
5. Mapping Geographical & Ecological patterns
6. Conservation

Question 16

What are the classification keys?

Answer 16

1. Tables
2. Pictorial
3. Dichotomous
4. Branched (tree)
5. Venn diagram

Question 17

What is hierarchical classification?

Answer 17

1. A highly organized system made up of nested sets of increasing/ decreasing rank
2. Effective way of arranging large groups of objects-artificial
   - natural
3. Objects can be easily added and found

Question 18

What are nested sets?

Answer 18

1. Each level is more inclusive as you go up

Question 19

What is a key?

Answer 19

1. Practical device used to name and classify unfamiliar organisms
2. Made of a series. Of written questions/ statements
3. Answers/ choices made in each step lead to final identification

Question 20

What is biodiversity?

Answer 20

• the variety of living organisms on earth

Question 21

What is a prokaryote?

Answer 21

1. No distinct nucleus
2. Lack of complex organelles
3. DNA is free in cytoplasm
4. All prokaryotes are called bacteria

Question 22

What is a Eukaryote?

Answer 22

1. Has a distinct nucleus
2. Have complex organelles
3. DNA lies within nucleus
4. Protists, plants, fungi & animals are eukaryotes

Question 23

What is the criteria used to classify organisms?

Answer 23

1. Body structure
2. Cell wall composition
3. Cell-ultra structure
4. Mode of nutrition
5. Method of reproduction
6. Motility