Biology As Flashcards
What is the binomial system of naming organisms?
A two-part Latin name consisting of the genus (capitalized) and species (lowercase)
Example: Homo sapiens
What are the two parts of the binomial name?
Genus and species
Why is the binomial naming system important?
Ensures scientists across different languages and regions can identify species consistently
What does a species name often reflect?
Characteristics of the organism
What is the hierarchical classification of organisms?
Organisms are categorized into levels: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species
What happens at each successive level of classification?
Groups organisms based on shared characteristics, becoming more specific
What is the purpose of the hierarchical system in biology?
Helps scientists organize and understand evolutionary relationships
True or False: The binomial system allows for identifying organisms in various languages.
True
Fill in the blank: The binomial naming system consists of the _______ and species.
Genus
What are homologous traits?
Homologous traits are characteristics that come from a common ancestor, which may not always look the same but are structurally similar and share an evolutionary origin.
What do evolutionary relationships reflect?
Evolutionary relationships reflect the evolutionary history of species, grouping them according to their common ancestry.
What is the significance of closely related species?
Closely related species share more recent common ancestors and are placed in the same group.
How does natural classification differ from artificial classification?
Natural classification organizes species in a way that mirrors the actual evolutionary tree of life, helping scientists understand how species are related through time.
What is the biological species concept?
The biological species concept defines species as groups of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups.
What does reproductive isolation mean?
Reproductive isolation means that members of different species cannot produce fertile offspring.
What is the concept of a niche?
A niche refers to the role or function of an organism within an ecosystem, including how it obtains its food, where it lives, and how it interacts with other organisms in the environment.
How are species distinguished by ecological niches?
Species that occupy different ecological niches and adapt to different environmental conditions are considered distinct species, even if they can potentially interbreed.
What are morphological traits?
Morphological traits are physical characteristics, like size and structure, that are useful for identifying species, especially in classification.
What defines behavioral traits in species?
Species are defined by unique behaviors, especially mating rituals, which act as barriers to interbreeding.
Define an ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment in a specific area, forming a complex web of relationships.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity can be assessed at different levels, including the number of species and their relative abundance.
How does biodiversity vary in different ecosystems?
This level of biodiversity looks at the variety among different species in a given area and how evenly they are distributed.
Give an example of biodiversity in different ecosystems.
A rainforest might house 100 different species of trees, while a grassland might house only 20. The rainforest is richer in species.
Example: A rainforest has 100 different species of trees, while a grassland has only 20.
What does Genebre Diversity refer to?
Differences in ANA among individuals of the same species.