Classification Flashcards
What is classification?
The organisation of organisms into
groups
What is taxonomy?
The classification of organisms into taxa:
kingdom, phylum, class, order, family,
genus, species.
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Name the five kingdoms
Animals, plants, fungi, protists,
prokaryotes
What happens to the number of organisms in each
taxon as you move down the hierarchy?
The number of organisms in each taxon
group decreases
Traditionally, organisms were grouped based on
similarities and differences in their anatomy and
behaviour. What is the problem with this?
● Organisms that are not closely related may look alike and
behave similarly if they live in the same environment e.g.
sharks and dolphins
● Some closely related species may look very different if they live
in different habitats e.g. queen ants, worker ants
What advancements in science have led
scientists to reconsider the five kingdoms
classification system?
● Microscopes
● Biochemistry
● DNAand RNAanalysis
Describe the three domains system of classification
● Organisms are initially divided into an extra
three groups: Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya
● domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order,
family, genus, species.
Which domain do eukaryotic organisms belong to?
Eukarya
Which domains do prokaryotic organisms belong to?
Archaea and Bacteria
Describe the domain Bacteria
Consists of true bacteria e.g. E.coli
Describe the domain Archaea
● Consists of primitive microorganisms
● Contains extremophiles - adapted to
live in extreme conditions e.g. hot
springs