Classification Flashcards
What is classification? What is similiar?
The name given to the process by which living organisms are sorted into groups. Share similiar features.
What are taxonomic groups?
the most widely used classfication system ordered in a heirarchy
What are the seven groups in the classification system?
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species (memorise like a chant)
What are hierarchal classification systems also referred to as?
Linnean classification
What is the further taxon of classification?
Domain
What led to the addition of this further level?
Further studies into genetical material
Why are classification systems always changing?
Due to advances in scientific thinking and techniques which provide more detail into the biological and genetic make-up of organisms.
What is the system of naming called?
binomial nomenculture
What is binomial nomenculture?
the system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organisms, the first one indicating the genus and the second the specific epithet.
What does epithet mean?
Title- e.g. the species in binomial nomenculture
Why do scientists classify organisms? (3 brief points)
- to identify species
- to predict characteristics
- to find evolutionary links
Define species
A group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring
What are the 3 domains?
Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya
What makes offspring infertile?
Having an odd number of chromosomes, because meiosis and gamete production cannot take place correctly.
Why can’t meiosis and gamete production take place normally in infertile offspring?
Must be even number as chromosomes must pair up.
What is the plural of genus?
genera
What is the classification of humans?
Eukarya Animalia Chordata Mammalia Primates Hominidae (great apes ://// ) Homo sapiens
What is intraspecific and
interspecific variation?
- Intraspecific: differences that occur within a species
- Interspecific: differences that occur between different species
What are groups in classification called?
taxon
plural- taxa
What did Carl Linneaus base his classification system upon?
human observation ,and limited ohysical and sexual characteristics.
What did Carl Linneus do when clasifying humans?
Divided them into varieties: white, red, tawny and black
What did Carl linneaus’ book System Naturae propose?
Heirarichal views based on innate moral and intellectual capacities.
Contributed to birth of scientific racism.
What is an articficial classification system?
System grouping using observable characteristsics instead of phylogeny.
What was Linneaus’ taxonomy of plants based upon?
Their reproductive organs.
Controversial for the church
What is important when writing bonimial nomenculture? What is the term to describe this system?
italic or underlined if handwritten.
Universal
What are the 5 recognised kingdoms? What are the 3 other debated kingdoms (2 would replace bacteria)
archaebacteria
eubacteria
viruses
What is the 3-Doman classification?
A form of classification that used DNA, RNA and protein comparison to show phylogenic links
What is phylogeny?
The study of relationships among different groups of organisms and their evolutionary development.
What is taxonomy?
the science/study of classification
What factors cause variation?
Genetic, environmental
characterisstics that cause variation can be either ____ or _______
continuous variation
discontinuous variation
How is discontinuous data shown graphically?
Most commonly shown as a bar chart with qualitative categories on the x-axis and frequency on the y-axis.
Discontinuous variation
- Characteristics that show spearate categories and classes
- no intermediate types
- data is qualitative (no units)
- strong genetic influence
- e.g. gender, shape of bacteria
How is continuous data shown graphically? General shape?
Most commonly shwn as a histogram with quantitaive categories on x-axis and frequency on y-axis
- general shape is bell shaped
Continuous variation
- characterisstics that range between 2 extremes
- graduation in values - continuum (continuous sequence)
- data is quantitative (measured in units)
- no types or catogories
- strong environmental influence and if genes are involved is often polygenic
- e.g. height, weight, mass of plants
