Classification#

Question 1

What is taxonomy and what does it involve?

Answer 1

It is the science of classification. It involves naming organisms and organising them into groups based on their similarities and differences.

Question 2

What are the separate stages in the classification hierarchy?

Answer 2

1. Domain
2. Kingdom
3. Phylum
4. Class
5. Order
6. Family
7. Genus
8. Species

Question 3

What are the 5 different kingdoms organised into?

Answer 3

1. Prokaryotae
2. Protoctista
3. Fungi
4. Plantae
5. Animalia

Question 4

What are the features of each of the five different kingdoms?

Answer 4

1. Prokaryotae: prokaryotes, unicellular, no nucleus & less than 5 nanometres in size
2. Protoctista: eukaryotes, usually living in water, single/simple mutlicellular organisms
3. Fungi: eukaryotes, chitin cell wall, saprotrophic
4. Plantae: eukaryotes, cellulose cell walls, chlorophyll, autotrophic
5. Animalia: eukaryotes, no cell wall, multicellular, hetertrophic

Question 5

Define the term ‘saprotrophic’.

Answer 5

An organism that absorbs substances from other dead/decaying organisms.

Question 6

Define the term ‘autotrophic’.

Answer 6

Organisms that produce their own food.

Question 7

Define the term ‘heterotrophic’

Answer 7

Organisms that consume plants and animals.

Question 8

Define the term ‘phylogeny’.

Answer 8

The study of the evolutionary history of groups of organisms. It determines which species are related and how closely.

Question 9

What is molecular phylogeny?

Answer 9

It looks at organisms’ molecules (DNA & proteins) to see how closely related they are. The more closely related two organisms are, the similar the molecules.

Question 10

What are the 3 domains that all organisms are grouped into?

Answer 10

1. Bacteria
2. Archaea
3. Eukaryota