classification + evolution Flashcards

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1
Q

classification definition

A

the process by which living organisms are sorted into groups with each group containing organisms with similar features

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2
Q

what classification system is most widely used

A

the linnaean classification system - developed by 18th century scientist carl linnaeus

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3
Q

what are the 7 taxonomic groups in the linnaean classification system

A

(domain) - this was added after
kingdom
phylum
class
order
family
genus
species

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4
Q

species definition

A

a group of organisms that are able to successfully reproduce to have fertile offspring

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5
Q

what are the 3 domains

A

eukarya
bacteria
archaea

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6
Q

what are the differences between the 3 domains

A

organisms in different domains contain a unique form of rRNA and different ribosomes

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7
Q

what type of ribosomes and rRNA is found in eukarya

A

80s ribosomes
RNA polymerase has 12 protein subunits

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8
Q

what type of ribosomes and rRNA is found in bacteria

A

70s ribosomes
RNA polymerase contains 5 protein subunits

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9
Q

what type of ribosomes and rRNA is found in archaea

A

70s ribosomes
RNA polymerase of different organisms has 8-10 different protein subunits, similar to eukaryotes

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10
Q

what is RNA polymerase

A

an enzyme responsible for mRNA transcription

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11
Q

what are the 5 kingdoms

A

prokaryotae
fungi
protoctista
plantae
animalia

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12
Q

describe the features of organisms in the kingdom prokaryotae

A
  • unicellular
  • no nucleus or membrane bound organelles
  • can contain chlorophyll
  • cell wall made of peptidoglycan
  • genetic material floats freely in cytoplasm, in the form of a plasmid
  • small ribosomes
  • no visible feeding mechanism, nutrients absorbed through cell wall or produced internally
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13
Q

what is the difference between archaebacteria and eubacteria

A

archaebacteria live in extreme environments e.g. high temps or pH, anaerobic conditions

eubacteria are found in all environments, most bacteria are eubacteria

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14
Q

describe the features of organisms in the kingdom fungi

A
  • unicellular or multicellular
  • contains nucleus, membrane bound organelles
  • doesn’t contain chloroplasts / chlorophyll
  • cell walls made of chitin
  • no locomotive mechanism
  • mostly made up of mycelium or hyphae
  • most are saprophytic
  • some are parasitic
  • food stored as glycogen
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15
Q

describe the features of organisms in the kingdom protoctista

A
  • mostly unicellular
  • contains nucleus, membrane bound organelles
  • some have chloroplasts, cilia, flagella, for food or movement
  • can be autotrophic or heterotrophic or both
  • some are parasitic
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16
Q

describe the features of organisms in the kingdom plantae

A
  • multicellular
  • contains nucleus, membrane bound organelles
  • contains chloroplasts + chlorophyll
  • cell walls made of cellulose
  • no locomotive mechanism, although gametes can move sometimes
  • autotrophic
  • store food as starch
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17
Q

describe the features of organisms in the kingdom animalia

A
  • multicellular
  • contains nucleus, membrane bound organelles
  • no cell wall
  • no chloroplasts / chlorophyll
  • can move with the aid of contractile proteins, sometimes in the form of muscular organs, gametes can move with cilia + flagella
  • heterotrophic
  • food stored as glycogen
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18
Q

saprophyte definition

A

organisms which obtain nutrients from decaying material

19
Q

autotroph definition

A

organisms which can acquire / synthesise their own nutrients via photosynthesis

20
Q

heterotroph definition

A

organisms which obtain nutrients by ingesting other organisms

21
Q

who developed binomial nomenclature

A

carl linnaeus

22
Q

why is binomial nomenclature so useful

A
  • universal system so it helps scientists more than common names, which are different in different languages
  • often animals have multiple common names
  • they are indicative of closeness of species
  • remember no 2 organisms have the same species AND genus name
23
Q

phylogeny definition

A

the evolutionary history of organisms, explored through evolutionary relationships between different organisms - this can be shown through phylogenetic trees

24
Q

give 4 reasons why classification is important

A
  • to identify species
  • to predict characteristics
  • to find evolutionary links between species e.g. common ancestors
  • creates a universal system for global research and collaboration
25
Q

intraspecific variation definition + example

A

variation between individuals WITHIN a species
e.g. height, intelligence

26
Q

interspecific variation definition + example

A

variation BETWEEN different species
e.g. number of legs

27
Q

genetic variation definition

A

differences between the genetic material of organisms, mostly of the same species, inherited by parents, due to meiosis + fertilisation of gametes
- this cannot be changed

28
Q

environmental variation definition + examples

A

differences between organisms, mostly of the same species, due to their environments
e.g. based on nutrition, or physical appearance, hair colour, scars
- this can be changed and is not always determined by genetics

29
Q

what are 4 causes of genetic variation

A
  • alleles + genetics inherited from parents
  • mutations which cause new alleles
  • meiosis which creates unidentical gametes and allows for independent assortment + crossing over
  • sexual reproduction which allows for random fertilisation between 2 unique gametes, ensuring offspring differs from parents
30
Q

allele definition

A

variations of a single gene

31
Q

discontinuous variation definition + examples + how is data displayed + link to genetics

A

characteristics that can only appear in certain categories, no in between
e.g. eye colour, blood type
displayed on a bar chart or pie chart
often these are caused by a single gene

32
Q

continuous variation definition + examples + how is data displayed + link to genetics

A

characteristics that can have numerical values or exist within a range
e.g. height, weight
displayed on a line graph
are not controlled by a single gene and can be affected by environment

33
Q

brief history of the theory of evolution

A

charles darwin studied finches in the galapagos islands, and found that different islands had different finches - the beaks and claws were different shapes and sizes
this lead to the development of the theory of natural selection - different islands had different conditions + food so finches evolved differently, underwent geographical speciation

34
Q

outline the process of natural selection

A
  • new alleles and characteristics arise as a result of mutations
  • due to selection pressures e.g. food availability, organisms born with traits more suited to the environment willl survive longer
  • these organisms with advantageous characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce
  • as a result, advantageous alleles are passed down to offspring
  • those without advantageous alleles will die out
  • over many generations + mutations this results in the evolution of the species
35
Q

convergent evolution definition

A

when 2 species evolve to become more alike

36
Q

divergent evolution definition

A

when two species evolve to become more different

37
Q

what are 4 pieces of evidence for evolution

A
  • fossil record
  • comparative anatomy between living organisms
  • comparative biochemistry between living organisms
  • evidence from embryology
38
Q

how does the fossil record provide evidence for evolution

A
  • it provides information about ancient species
  • this allows for evolutionary relationships between extinct and modern species to be suggested, and the evolution of a single species to be tracked
39
Q

what is a disadvantage of using fossils as evidence for evolution

A

the conditions for fossils to form are very rare - often only prints or parts are found, and soft bodied creatures aren’t able to fossilise due to quick decomposition

40
Q

how does comparative anatomy between living organisms provide evidence for evolution

A
  • homologous structure - parts of living organisms may appear superficially different or have different functions but the underlying structures are the same
  • this could provide evidence for divergent evolution
41
Q

what controls homologous structure + link to evolutionary relationships

A

homologous structure is controlled by hox genes - these are highly conserved
- could be evidence for divergent evolution
- remember as they are highly conserved they will be similar among many organisms

42
Q

how does comparative biochemistry between living organisms provide evidence for evolution

A
  • comparative biochemistry is doen through examining molecular DNA or base sequences
  • this allows for estimates to be made about when organisms last had a common ancestor - the more differences, the longer ago they diverged
43
Q

how does embryology provide evidence for evolution

A
  • 2 organisms that look very similar may develop in a similar way, suggesting a degree of relation
  • as new structures evolve, they often develop at the end of an organisms development
  • this allows for the evolutionary history of an organism to be traced back