Classification terms

Question 1

Biodiversity

Answer 1

the variety of plants and animals in a particular habitat

Question 2

Classification

Answer 2

the arrangement of plants and animals in taxonomic groups according to their similarities

Question 3

Taxonomy

Answer 3

scientific classification of plants and animals

Question 4

Systematics

Answer 4

the study and diversification of living forms and their among living things through time

Question 5

Cladistics

Answer 5

a method of hypothesizing relationships among organisms

Question 6

Nomenclature

Answer 6

the choosing of names for things

Question 7

Binomial Nomenclature

Answer 7

the system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organism, the first one indicating the genus and the second the specific species.

Question 8

Hierarchical

Answer 8

to place things in order of rank

Question 9

Taxon/Taxa

Answer 9

a taxonomic group of any rank, such as a species, family, or class

Question 10

Clade

Answer 10

a group of organisms believed to comprise all the evolutionary descendants of a common ancestor

Question 11

Kingdom

Answer 11

a taxonomic category of the highest rank, grouping together all forms of life having certain fundamental characteristics in common

Question 12

Phylum

Answer 12

a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class

Question 13

Division

Answer 13

a division takes a whole and splits it up into parts and then places the divided information into various categories

Question 14

Genus

Answer 14

a taxonomic category ranking used in biological classification that is below a family and above a species level, and includes groups of species that are structurally similar or phylogenetically related

Question 15

Species

Answer 15

classification comprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding

Question 16

Domain

Answer 16

the highest taxonomic rank of organisms in which there are three groupings: Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya

Question 17

Prokaryote

Answer 17

unicellular organism that lacks a membrane-bound nucleus, mitochondria, or any other membrane-bound organelle

Question 18

Eukaryote

Answer 18

organisms whose cells have a nucleus enclosed within membranes, unlike prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea), which have no membrane-bound organelles

Question 19

Heterotrophic

Answer 19

mode of nutrition in which organisms depend upon other organisms for food to survive

Question 20

Autotrophic

Answer 20

mode of nutrition in which organisms use inorganic chemicals to produce their own food

Question 21

Saprotrophic

Answer 21

process of digestion involved in the processing of decayed (dead or waste) organic matter

Question 22

Unicellular

Answer 22

consisting of a single cell

Question 23

Multicellular

Answer 23

consisting of more than one cell

Question 24

Motility

Answer 24

the ability of organisms and fluid to move or get around

Question 25

Homologous traits

Answer 25

having the same relation, relative position, or structure

Question 26

Analogous traits

Answer 26

(of organs) performing a similar function but having a different evolutionary origin, such as the wings of insects and birds

Question 27

Dichotomous key

Answer 27

a tool that allows the user to determine the identity of items in the natural world, such as trees, wildflowers, mammals, reptiles, rocks, and fish. Keys consist of a series of choices that lead the user to the correct name of a given item

Question 28

Phylogenetic tree

Answer 28

a diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms

Question 29

Node

Answer 29

a point in a network or diagram at which lines or pathways intersect or branch

Question 30

Common ancestor

Answer 30

an ancestor that two or more descendants have in common

Question 31

Cladogram

Answer 31

a branching diagram showing the cladistic relationship between a number of species