Biodiversity w/ some Important Biochem Flashcards
What are the three domains of life?
Eukarya - Protists, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia (membrane bound nucleus only unicellular in protist/fungi)
Bacteria - Part of the Prokaryotes, unicellular, only membrane bound DNA, usually smaller, no organelles, Cell Walls HAVE Peptidoglycan
Archaea - Part of Prokaryotes, unicellular, no organelles, membrane bound DNA, Cells walls do NOT have Peptidoglycan
What is taxonomy
The branch of biology that identifies, names, and classifies species
What is classification
Grouping of organisms based on a set of criteria that helps organize and indicate evolutionary relationships
Who is Linnaeus
He is the father of modern taxonomy where his 6 level classification method is still in use today. The reason why his system is used is because a species can have many names which can be confusing however his system narrows each and every species to a specific name (Genus, species or Homo sapiens) note that first word is capitalized and second isn’t and there is italicizing occurring on both words.
What are Species
A group of organisms that interbreed in nature and produce fertile offspring
What is the main goal of classifying species
Assign species to different taxa to reflect on their physical and evolutionary similarities
What are Archaea
groups of ancient bacteria that live in harsh habitats and are believed to be the first life forms on Earth, no peptidoglycan in cell wall, occasionally no cell wall at all
Extra Facts about Bacteria?
Also called ‘True Bacteria’, cell wall peptidoglycan
What are protists
mostly single-celled eukaryotes (some multicellular), some have chloroplasts (some autotrophs and some heterotrophs), include all eukaryotes that are not of the other three kingdoms, sometimes have a cell wall made of cellulose or none at all
What are Fungi
Eukaryotes that are mostly multicellular, have cell walls that are made of chitin, unable to carry out photosynthesis because they are heterotrophs (cannot produce their own food)
What are Plantae
Multicellular Eukaryotes that have cell walls made of cellulose, and chloroplasts for photosynthesis (autotrophs)
What are animalia
Multicellular Eukaryotes, heterotrophs, have cell membranes without cell walls, and are divided into invertebrates and vertebrates
What is an ancestor
An organism which other groups of organisms have descended from
What is Physiology
The branch of biology dealing with physical and chemical functions of organisms, including internal processes
What is a phylogenetic tree
A branching diagram that shows evolutionary relationships between different organisms.
What is the order of Linnaeus’ system of classification
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
What is a dichotomous key
A branching diagram that presents two choices at every branch until there is only one organism left
What does it mean for two species sharing evolutionary history
They have a fairly recent common ancestor
What is species diversity
Variety of species in a given area, specifically the abundance of this species
What is genetic diversity
Variety of genetic characteristics in a population of interbreeding organisms, greater genetic diversity increases chance for organism to survive
What is ecosystem diversity
Variety of ecosystems found in the Earth’s biosphere, Rainforests (high), Deserts+polar (low), more as you get closer to equator
What is Biodiversity
Measured by species in an area, more biodiversity means increased health of environment
What is a keystone species
Species that many others depend on for survival, Coral in Reefs
What is a gene pool
All the genes of all individuals in a population
What is a population
Group of individuals of the same species in an area
What is resilience
The ability for an ecosystem to remain functional and stable in Prescence of any disturbances
What are examples of ecosystems
Flower pot, skin, schoolyard, lake ontario,
What are some functions of ecosystems
Atmospheric Gas Supply, water supply, and food production
Why is keeping species diversity high important to overall health of the earth
Ecosystems with more species diversity end up being more resilient, produce more biomass, and trapped more CO2 and consumed NO3 which can be toxic in high concentrations