Classification and Evolution

Question 1

What is biological classification?

Answer 1

The process of placing living things into groups based on their characteristics/genes.

Question 2

What are the benefits of classification? (3)

Answer 2

Predict characteristics.
Find evolutionary relationships.
Enable international recognition of organisms (common names lack precision).

Question 3

What is phylogeny?

Answer 3

The study of the evolutionary relationships between organisms.
(the basis of classification)

Question 4

What is taxonomy?

Answer 4

The practice and science of classification.

the grouping of organisms based on their evolutionary features into groups called taxa

Question 5

What are the 8 taxa?

Answer 5

Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
(dear king please can our friends go swimming)

Question 6

What is the binomial naming system?

Answer 6

Underline when handwriting (italic when typed).
First the genus of the species using a capital.
Then the species name all lower case.

Question 7

What are the 3 domains? What size ribosomes do they have?

Answer 7

Bacteria (70s ribosomes)
Eukarya (80s ribosomes)
Archaea (70s ribosomes)

Question 8

What are the five kingdoms? (old system)

Answer 8

Prokaryotae     (Bacteria)
Protoctista        (Eukarya)
Plantae             (Eukarya)
Animalia           (Eukarya)
Fungi                (Eukarya)

Question 9

What is a species?

Answer 9

A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

Question 10

What is modern evidence used in classification? (7)

Answer 10

DNA evidence
Haemoglobin/Cytochrome C polypeptide structure
rRNA nucleotide sequence
Cell membrane structure
Antibiotic sensitivity
Embryological evidence (developmental biology)
Fossil records (evolution)

Question 11

How is the the protein Cytochrome C used in classification?

Answer 11

Protein used in respiration found in all living things.
There is variation in the amino acid sequence of this protein amongst different organisms. More differences suggesting the organisms are less closely related.

Question 12

What is evolution?

Answer 12

Change in the genetic composition (allele frequency) of a population over many successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals, which can result in the development of new species.

Question 13

What is intraspecific variation?

Answer 13

Variation within a species, can be:
Genetic
Environmental

Question 14

What is interspecific variation?

Answer 14

Variation between different species.

Question 15

What is an organisms phenotype?

Answer 15

Observable physical or biochemical characteristics.

Genotype + environmental factors

Question 16

What are the causes of genetic variation amongst individuals?

Answer 16

Random mutation (different alleles for the same gene).
Meiosis (independent assortment and crossing over).
Sexual reproduction (reduction and fusion of gametes).

Question 17

What are the causes of environmental variation?

Answer 17

Abiotic factors such as nutrient availability.
Competition
Predation/herbivory

Question 18

What is discontinuous variation?

Answer 18

Variation with two or more discrete categories of variation and no intermediate forms, usually unaffected by the environment.
e.g: sex, blood group, bacteria shape

Question 19

What is continuous variation?

Answer 19

Variation where there is a gradation between two extremes, usually described by a normal distribution, usually influenced by environmental factors.
e.g: height, skin colour

Question 20

How many genes usually control discontinuous/continuous variation?

Answer 20

Discontinuous - often a single gene.

Continuous - a number of genes (polygenes)

Question 21

What are the three types of adaptation?

Answer 21

Anatomical (external and internal physical features).
Behavioural (inherited or learned from parent).
Physiological (processes which occur inside an organism).

Question 22

What are some examples of anatomical adaptations?

Answer 22

Body covering, teeth, camouflage, mimicry

Question 23

What are some examples of behavioural adaptations?

Answer 23

Survival behaviours.
Courtship.
Seasonal behaviours such as migration or hibernation.

Question 24

What are some examples of physiological adaptations?

Answer 24

Poison production, antibiotic production, water holding.

Question 25

What is natural selection?

Answer 25

Individuals with better characteristics have a selective advantage and are more likely to survive to reproductive age.
Their genes/alleles are then passed on to the next generation.
Advantageous characteristics become more common over many successive generations.

Question 26

What are the requirements for evolution?

Answer 26

Pre-existing genetic variation (due to random mutation)
Selection pressure
Reproductive success/failure, and time (many generations)

Question 27

What is divergent evolution?

Answer 27

The process by which an interbreeding population or species diverges into two or more descendant species, resulting in once similar species to become more and more dissimilar.

Question 28

What is some evidence of divergent evolution?

Answer 28

The pentadactyl limb, an example of a homologous structure.

Question 29

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 29

The independent evolution of similar features in species of different lineages, giving rise to analogous structures.

Question 30

What are analogous structures?

Answer 30

Structures that have a similar form or function, but that were not present in the last common ancestor of these groups.

Question 31

What are some examples of analogous structures (evidence for convergent evolution)?

Answer 31

Bat and bird wings.
Similarities between marsupials and placental mammals. (definitely no recent common ancestor due to different reproductive methods)

Question 32

How is MRSA an example of modern day evolution?

Answer 32

Evolved resistance to many antibiotics due to repeated exposure.

Question 33

How are peppered moths an example of modern day evolution?

Answer 33

Industrial revolution caused buildings/trees to blacken with soot, causing the moths to evolve from white to black for camouflage.

Question 34

How should you answer a question about why a characteristic has increased in the population?

Answer 34

Identify the adaptation.
Explain how it helps the organism survive and reproduce.
Describe how alleles coding for the adaptation are passed on to the next generation.
State how this increases allele frequency in the population.

Question 35

What is the name for when a characteristic is controlled by two or more genes?

Answer 35

Polygenic inheritance

Question 36

Who co-published the theory of evolution by natural selection?

Answer 36

Darwin and Wallace

Question 37

What are some examples of how recent evolution has directly impacted humanity?

Answer 37

Drug resistance in microorganisms such as MRSA.

Evolution of pesticide resistance in insects.