Chapter 1 - Understanding Biodiversity Flashcards
Define biodiversity.
the number and variety of species and ecosystems on Earth
3 types of biodiversity
genetic diversity, species diversity, structural diversity
5 human impacts
habitat loss, over-exploitation, pollution, climate change, invasive species
hybridization
the cross-breeding of 2 different species
morphology
(the study of ) the physical characteristics of an organism
Differences between genetic diversity, species diversity, and structural diversity
Genetic - genetic variation within an organism; refers to individuals of the same species Species - variety of species in an ecosystem and the number of individuals within each of those species Structural - range of physical shapes and sizes within an ecosystem
heterotroph
an organism that obtains nutrients by consuming other organisms (living or dead)
autotroph
an organism that uses sources of energy to produce nutrients from water, gases, and/or minerals; they make their own food
taxonomy
the science of identifying and classifying all organisms based on physical attributes and evolutionary relationships
What is a clade?
A taxonomic group that contains a common ancestor and ALL its descendants
Difference between a prokaryote and a eukaryote
Prokaryotes are single-celled and do not contain membrane bound organelles Eukaryotes are single or multi-celled and do contain membrane bound organelles
Characteristics of Kingdom Eubacteria
- Prokaryotic - Vary in size/shape - Diverse means of obtaining energy - Reproduce asexually
Characteristics of Kingdom Archaea
- prokaryotic - most are very small - live in extreme environments - reproduce asexually
Characteristics of Kingdom Protista
- eukaryotic - some have chloroplasts and cell walls - heterotrophic, photosynthetic or both - reproduce asexually or sexually - most live in aquatic environments
Characteristics of Kingdom Fungi
- eukaryotic - cell wall composed of chitin - most are multicellular - no chloroplasts - all heterotrophic - reproduce sexually or asexually
Characteristics of Kingdom Plants
- eukaryotic - all are multicellular - cell walls composed of cellulose - contain chloroplast - photosynthetic and autotrophic - reproduce asexually and sexually
Characteristics of Kingdom Animal
- eukaryotic - all are multicellular - cells have no cell walls or chloroplasts - heterotrophic - most reproduce sexually - live in terrestrial and aquatic environments
What is the highest taxonomic level of the traditional Linnaean system of classification?
Kingdom
Define domain and name them.
The highest taxonomic level; Eubacteria, Archaea and Eukaryotes
phylogeny
the study of evolutionary relatedness between or within species
eukaryotes
single or multi-cellular organisms with membrane bound organelles
prokaryotes
single celled organisms that does not contain membrane bound organisms (instead it contains the nucleoid with loops of DNA called plasmids)
List the 10 phyla of animals (+ what they are).
1) Porifera - sponges
2) Cnidaria - jellyfish
3) Annelida - segmented worms
4) Platyhelminthes - flatworms
5) Nematoda - roundworms
6) Rotifera - rotifers
7) Echinodermata - starfish
8) Mollusca - snails
9) Arthropoda - insects
10) Chordata
Distinguishing characteristics of porifera + examples
- no tissues/nerves
- just one inner + outer layer
e. g. sponges
Distinguishing characteristics of cnidaria + examples
- simplest animals w/ specialized tissue
- tentacles w/ nematocysts
e. g. jellyfish, coral
Distinguishing characteristics of playhelminthes
- unsegmented
- parasites
e. g. tapeworm, liver fluke
Distinguishing characteristics of nematoda + examples
- unsegmented w/ complete digestive tract
- cylindrical
- parasites
e. g. dog heartworm, pinworm
Distinguishing characteristics of annelida + examples
- segmented
e. g. earthworm, feather-duster worm
Distinguishing characteristics of mollusca + examples
- 3 main parts
- radula for scraping/boring
e. g. snails, squid, octopi, clams
Distinguishing characteristics of arthropoda + examples
- segmented bodies
- jointed appendages
- outer skeleton of chitin
e. g. insects, spiders, crabs
Distinguishing characteristics of echinodermata + examples
- 5 “limbs”
- hydraulics vascular system
e. g. sea urchin, starfish
Distinguishing characteristics of chordata + examples
- bony skeleton
- paired appendages
- only vertebrates
e. g. fish, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, birds
7 classes of the phylum chordata (+ examples)
1) Agnathans - jawless fish with skeletons made of cartiledge (lamprey, hagfish)
2) Actinopterygii - common fish with bony skeleton (e.g. bass, trout)
3) Chondrichthyes - cartilagenous fish that are mostly predators (e.g. sharks, rays)
4) Amphibia - aquatic larval stage and tetrapods as adults (e.g. frogs, salamanders)
5) Reptilia - tetrapods with dry scaly skin (e.g. snakes, lizards)
6) Aves - warm blooded tetrapods (e.g. birds)
7) Mammalia - warm blooded tetrapods with hair and give birth to live young with milk (e.g. cows, humans, dogs)
