Classification and evolution

Question 1

What is evolution?

Answer 1

A theory that states that newer species descend from older species are called evolution. It is how organisms acquire adaptations over time.

Question 2

What is adaptation?

Answer 2

Inherited traits of a species that help them better survive.

Question 3

What animals were the first living things?

Answer 3

The animals that were the first living things were bacteria. Evidence comes from fossils of prokaryotes that are 3 billion years old.

Question 4

What is a cladogram?

Answer 4

Displays evolutionary relations between organisms. Features:
Root - Common ancestor
Nodes - corresponds to the hypothetical common ancestor
Outgroup - Most distant species from this ancestor
Clades - Common ancestors and all of their descendants

Question 5

Why is variation vital for evolution?

Answer 5

When DNA is passed on there is always some mutation in the DNA of the offspring. Their offspring will have more genetic mutation or variation. This is how new species are created.

Question 6

Who was charles darwin?

Answer 6

He was the person who first proposed the idea of evolution. He did most of his research in the Galapagos Island on tortoises and finches. He traveled on a ship called the HMS beagle.

Question 7

What is natural selection?

Answer 7

This explains how an organism develops traits that allow it to better survive. This occurs when there is some variation in the inherited traits of an organism. These organisms are more likely to have an advantage. Evolution occurs by natural selection. Natural selection acts on the phenotype (the traits or characteristics) of an individual, not on the underlying genotype.

Question 8

What is taxonomy?

Answer 8

Taxonomy is the study and practice of classifying organisms.

Question 9

What is Linnean classification?

Answer 9

The standard system of classification includes classifying organisms into 7 taxa based on physical similarities.
1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Order
5. Family
6. Genus
7. Species

Question 10

What is Bionomial nomenclature?

Answer 10

It is the process of giving a species a two word Latin name

Question 11

Revision of Linnaean classification

Answer 11

This created the domains based on phylogenetic similarities. There are three domains:
1. Archae
2. Bacteria
3. Eukaryota

Question 12

Domains - Archae and bacteria

Answer 12

Similarities
1. Small and single-celled organisms
2. Prokaryotic cells
3. Reproduction - Asexual
4. Cells surrounded by cell walls

Differences
1. Bacterial cell wall contains polysaccharide peptidoglycan
2. Archae live in extreme conditions

Question 13

Domains - Eukaryota

Answer 13

1. Have a well defined nucleus
2. DNA inside nucleus
3. Reproduction - Sexual
4. Eukaryotic cells
5. Membrane-bound organelles
6. Mostly multicellular.

Question 14

Kingdoms

Answer 14

There are 5 kingdoms: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Monera

Question 15

Kingdoms - Monera

Answer 15

1. Prokaryotic unicellular organisms
2. No nuclear membrane or membrane-bound organelles
3. Cell wall made of protein and polysaccharide compound but not cellulose
4. Asexual reproduction through the binary fusion
5. Can be either archae or bacteria.

Question 16

Kingdoms - Protista

Answer 16

1. Eukaryotic
2. Can be multicellular
3. Sexual or asexual reproduction
   Ex: Amoeba, euglena and plasmodium

Question 17

Kingdoms - Plantae

Answer 17

1. Cell wall made of cellulose
2. Eukaryotic multicellular organisms
3. Autotrophic
4. Have plastids
5. Photosynthetic pigment - chlorophyll
6. Non-Motile
7. Sexual and A-sexual reproduction

Question 18

Kingdoms - Animalia

Answer 18

1. Eukaryotic multicellular organisms
2. No cell wall or photosynthetic pigments
3. Mostly motile
4. Hetrotophic
5. Store carbon as glycogen and fat
6. Sexual and Asexual reproduction

Question 19

Kingdoms - Fungi

Answer 19

1. Eukaryotic, multicellular, or unicellular
2. Cell wall made of chitin
3. Nonmotile consist of threads called hyphae
4. Heterotrophs
5. Important decomposers can be saprophytic.