Biodiversity (Chapter 10) Flashcards
What are the principles of classification?
- Large groups the divided into smaller groups (taxons)
- Members of groups have features in common
- Based on DNA/fossils/anatomy/embryology
- Reflects evolutionary history
Name the taxonomic ranks in order
Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species
How should the binomial name be written
Genus has CAPITAL letter at start and species is underlined (or italics if typed)
What does phylogenic relationship/hierarchy show?
Shows evolutionary groups within groups
What do phylogenetic trees show?
Can show evolutionary relationships/Closely related animals that have a common ancestor that diverged more recently.
Define species
Organisms that can reproduce to create fertile offspring.
How can protein structure be used to determine evolutionary relationships?
1) Look at amino acid/primary structure.
2) The closer the amino acid sequence then the closer the relationship.
3) Protein structure is related to DNA base/triplet code.
How can base sequence be used to determine evolutionary relationships?
More similar base sequence = closer relationship
Also likely to have amino acid sequence in common
Mutations change base sequence , so amino acids change over time > mutations build up over time > more mutations mean they are more distinctly related > closely related species have a more recent common ancestor
Why is comparing base sequences from a gene better than amino acid sequence for which the gene codes?
- Triplet code - more bases than amino acids
- Introns are non-coding
- DNA code is degenerate (i.e. more than one code for an amino acid)
What is species diversity?
The number of different species and the number of individuals of each within any community.
What is genetic diversity and how can it be effected?
Number of different alleles of each gene. May be low if there has been interbreeding or the population started from only a small number of individuals.
What is ecosystem diversity?
Range of different habitats within a particular diversity.
What is species richness?
Number of different species within a community.
What is biodiversity?
The range and variety of genes, species and habitats in a particular environment.
What is the effect of farming on biodiversity?
Often reduces it (e.g. less hedgerows, monoculture, overgrazing land, pesticides)
