Chapter 1-2

Question 1

Define species

Answer 1

A group of interbreeding organisms that are capable of producing fertile offspring

Question 2

Define biodiversity

Answer 2

Full range of different living things in a particular area

Question 3

What are two continents with high biodiversity

Answer 3

Australia and US. Recognised as megadiverse countries (possess particularly diverse ecosystems)

Question 4

Define genus

Answer 4

Classification level above species

Question 5

What did Alfred Russel Wallace do

Answer 5

Spent 4 years in the amazon, 8 in the Malay Archipelago. Discovered 5000 new species, collected 125660 specimens. Boat caught fire, lost most specimens and notes

Question 6

Who was Joseph Banks

Answer 6

naturalist who collected 110 new genera and 1300 new species of plant material. Noted the abundance of ants and the ‘sameness’ of the Australian landscape

Question 7

Who was Charles Darwin

Answer 7

Set foot on Australian soil in Jan 1836. Observed animals similar in form and behaviour to animals in England. Speculated why and how different animals could fit similar roles

Question 8

What are the three levels biodiversity can be considered at?

Answer 8

Ecosystem diversity, Species diversity and Genetics diversity

Question 9

What is the diversity of species

Answer 9

within an ecosystem there are different types of organisms which are all adapted to that particular area

Question 10

What is the diversity of ecosystems

Answer 10

The differences in communities and their physical environments. Composed of biotic and abiotic factors and all components are linked by cycling of nutrients (eg CO2, O2, H2O)

Question 11

What is the diversity of genetics

Answer 11

Differences between individuals of one species. Populations with higher genetic diversity are more resilient. (Eg, human eye colour)

Question 12

Define ecosystem

Answer 12

An interacting community of populations of organisms and the physical environment in which they live

Question 13

What is the ecosystem concept

Answer 13

Assumes that an ecosystem has some isolation from other ecosystems, however materials do cross boundaries and earth as a whole is connected through cycling of nutrients + transformation of energy

Question 14

What is unique about The Australian Flora and Fauna

Answer 14

Quite different to that found anywhere else on Earth and is very diverse. Has approximately 1 million species of plants, animals and micro organisms representing 7% of the worlds total. Is considered a mega diverse country.

Question 15

Define endemic

Answer 15

A species that is native to a particular geographic region and not introduced. EG, kangaroo, Koala and platypus.

Question 16

What is the biological species concept

Answer 16

Is one of the definitions of a species based on the capacity for individuals to interbreed. Individuals within a species are reproductively isolated from individuals not belonging to that species

Question 17

What are two problems with the biological species concept

Answer 17

not possible to apply to fossils of extinct organisms and that wo closely related organisms can produce hybrids.

Question 18

What are the three species concepts

Answer 18

Biological, Morphological and Phylogenetic species concept

Question 19

What is the morphological species concept

Answer 19

The definition of a species based on physical characteristics used with fossils and characterizes species by its morphology (eg human head).

Question 20

What are the problems with using the morphological species concept

Answer 20

as there is a disagreement as to which feature should be used

Question 21

What is the Phylogenetic species concept

Answer 21

States that all species come from common ancestors.

Question 22

What are the problems with the phylogenetic species concept

Answer 22

As it is based on genetic techniques only

Question 23

What is the underlying idea between all three concepts

Answer 23

A species shares a gene pool of which all organisms outside the species do not have access to and that genes can flow between all individuals within a particular species

Question 24

Define hybrid

Answer 24

An organism resulting from two different species interbreeding (eg Horse + Donkey = Mule)

Question 25

Define biotic

Answer 25

Living factors (Predators, parasites)

Question 26

Define abiotic

Answer 26

Non living factors (Light intensity, Temperature, pH of soil, salinity, water availability)

Question 27

Why do we need to classify

Answer 27

To organise as the diversity of life on earth is so enormous.
To allow biologists to analyse information.
To allow biologists to communicate with each other (compare findings)

Question 28

What is a limitation of classification

Answer 28

classification systems simplify information that would otherwise be too complex to analyse. This is a reason as to why they work but is also a limitation

Question 29

Define taxonomic levels are what are they

Answer 29

The classification of organisms into a number a groups. Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species (Dear King Philip Come Over For Good Soup)

Question 30

What are the three domains and their differences

Answer 30

Eurkarya (contain DNA within a nucleus and have membrane bound organelles)
Archaea + Bacteria (Prokaryotes meaning they are single called, differences in the way DNA is stored and how proteins are synthesized)

Question 31

What are the 6 kingdoms

Answer 31

Animalia (animals) eg mammals
Pantae (Cell walls with cellulose, can photosynthesise) eg mosses
Protista (Single celled + in aqueous environments) eg, amoebae
Fungi (Cell walls made of chitin) eg mushrooms
Archea
Bacteria

Question 32

What is the binomial system

Answer 32

A system of naming organisms using two parts, a Genus (Capital) and a descriptive name (lowercase). Must be underlined or in italics. Genus can be appreciated (E. Coli instead of Escherichia coli).

Question 33

What is classification based on

Answer 33

ideas that members of the same group share characteristics that are not present in members outside of the group. Can be split into Physical characteristics, reproductive method and Molecular sequences

Question 34

What are the physical characteristics of classification

Answer 34

Any describable aspect of an organism (hair, limbs, cells)

Question 35

Define reproductive method of classification

Answer 35

Variation in how organisms reproduce can be used to classify (Sexual vs Asexual, Placentals vs marsupials)

Question 36

What are the molecular sequences of classification

Answer 36

DNA is made up of four bases (A+T, C+G). The order determines features. Proteins are made up of amino acids, the order can also be used to classify.

Question 37

what are the taxonomic levels for humans

Answer 37

Kingdom(Animalia), Phylum (Chordata), Class (mammalia), Order (Primates), Family (Hominidae), Genus (Homo), Species (Homo Spaniens)