Diversity of Life Flashcards
What are the 6 kingdoms
plants, animals, fungi, protists, archaea, bacteria
What is taxonomy
The branch of science that deals with the classification of living things
What is Binomial nomenclature
the system of naming in which 2 Latin words identify every organism
What do the two parts of a name using binomial nomenclature mean
first part is the genus of an organism, second part is the species name
what is the order of classification
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
What can looking at the classification of an organism tell you
How closely the organisms are related
What is a dichotomous key
helps you identify a specimen when you don’t know what it is
what does dichotomous mean
means 2 choices because the key gives you 2 descriptions at a time, choose the one that fits to help identify an object
What kingdoms are comprised of prokaryotic cells
bacteria and archaea
What kingdoms are comprised of eukaryotic cells
protists, fungi, plants, animals
What is a prokaryote
smaller, unicellular, no nucleus (single cellular DNA loop), no organelles bound by membranes, binary fission (may have exchange of genes through conjugation), many are anaerobic
What is a eukaryote
larger, usually multicellular, has a nucleus containing multiple chromosomes, multiple chromosomes, has membrane-bound organelles, sexual and asexual through mitosis or meiosis, most are aerobic
Characteristics of bacteria
all single-celled organisms, prokaryotic cells, have a cell wall made of peptidoglycan
What is peptidoglycan
a mat of sugar molecules woven together with proteins
How are bacteria classified
classified into 30 phyla based on shape, configuration, structure of their cell walls, their source of energy
What are the main shapes of bacteria
cocci, bacilli, spirilli
What is the advantage of the cocci shape in bacteria
more resistant to drying than bacilli
What is the advantage of the bacilli shape in bacteria
more surface area for nutrient absorption
What is the advantage of the spirilli shape in bacteria
provides less resistance to movement
What are the prefixes to classify bacteria by configuration
mono: singly
diplo/di: pairs
strepto: chains
staphylo: clumps
What does aerobic mean
requires oxygen in order to perform cellular respiration to get energy
What does anaerobic mean
do not require oxygen, some actually die in the presence of oxygen
How do bacteria obtain energy without oxygen
Fermentation. The products of fermentation are usually alcohol and carbon dioxide.
What organic compounds can different groups of bacteria produce
ethyl alcohol, lactic acid, acetone, acetic acid, and methane
What is an autotroph
make their own food (either by photosynthetic or chemosynthetic)
what is a heterotroph
need to eat since they cannot make their own food
What does Gram-positive mean
stain purple due to a thick protein layer in their cell walls
What does Gram-negative mean
stain pink due to a thin layer of protein in their cell walls
How are archaea and bacteria similar
common forms are rods and spheres, both groups have members that form aggregations, reproduce using binary fission and can also undergo conjugation.
Can archaea produce endospores
no, but bacteria can
what are endospheres
hard-walled structures that protect the bacteria from extremely high/low temperatures, drying, radiation, toxins, etc.
what is one of the major differences between archaea and bacteria
archaea can live in very extreme environments, they are extremophiles
What are the types of archaea based on the extreme environments they can live in
Thermophiles, acidophiles, halophiles
What are thermophiles
found in environments that have temperatures over 100C such as deep sea vents and hot springs
what are acidophiles
lives in habitats that usually have a pH of less than 3, acidic environments are often caused by sulfur from geothermal activity, ex. volcanic crater lakes, mine drainage lakes
what are halophiles
live in salt concentrations over 20% (some, like the Dead Sea at ~35%, have much higher concentrations)
What is the only organelle in a prokaryotic cell
Ribosomes because they don’t have membranes around them
What is conjugation
A process in which there is a transfer of genetic material involving 2 cells. This process produces cells with new genetic combinations, and thereby provides a chance that some may be better adapted to changing conditions.
What is a plasmid
small, circular loop of DNA in a bacteria cell
Characteristics of protists
eukaryotes, most are single celled (a few plant-like protists are multicellular), most live in aquatic environments,
types of protists
plant-like, animal-like, fungi-like
characteristics of plant-like protists
photosynthetic and contain chlorophyll, aquatic, may be single celled (like euglena) or multicellular (like algae)
characteristics of animal-like protists
are heterotrophic, single celled, further classified by type of locomotion
types of locomotion for animal-like protists
pseudopods, flagella, cillia, spores
characteristics of fungi-like protists
often called slime moulds, heterotrophic, prefer cool and shady and moist places, may be parasitic or saprophytic (eat dead stuff)
what is the endosymbiotic theory
the mitochondria and chloroplast in eukaryotic cells were once aerobic bacteria (prokaryote) that were ingested by a large anaerobic bacteria (prokaryote).
what are evidence that support the endosymbiotic theory
the DNA of mitochondria and chloroplasts, the way the organelles reproduce, and the internal structure and biochemistry of the organelles
characteristics of fungi
heterotrophs, incapable of their own locomotion (non-motile), have cell walls made of chitin, most are multicellular (a few, like yeast, are single celled)
How do fungi feed
they absorb nutrients from the environment around them
how do fungi digest
release digestive enzymes into their surroundings, then absorb the digested nutrients into their cells
what is hyphae
a multicellular, thread-like filament that makes up the basic structural unit of a fungus
what is mycelium
a complex, net-like mass made of branching hyphae
what is the fruiting body
the spore-producing reproductive structure in fungi
what is fragmentation
a piece of mycelium breaks and forms a new individual
what is a spore
microscopic biological particles that allow fungi to be reproduced
4 ways that fungi can be grouped according to how they obtain nutrition
parasitic, predatory, mutualistic, saprobial
how do parasitic fungi obtain nutrients
absorb nutrients from the living cells of a host organism
how do predatory fungi obtain nutrients
soil fungi, whose mycelia have specialized structures for trapping prey
how do mutualistic fungi obtain nutrients
have partnerships with other organisms, mycelia cover the roots of a plant, mycelia increase absorptive surface of the pant roots, allowing the plant to take more nutrients, fungus receives sugar from the plant
how do saprobial fungi obtain their nutrients
feeds on dead organisms or organic wastes
characteristics of plants
eukaryotes, multicellular, lack mobility, have cell walls made of cellulose, photosynthetic autotrophs, have tissue and organ development (sometimes complex)
What are the challenges of early plants
organisms had to transport nutrients rather than relying on water to “bathe” their cells to acquire nutrients through diffusion, had to develop a method of reproduction that did not depend on water, limiting water loss (there is a greater evaporation rate on land)
What is the order of the plant kingdom
vascular plants, seeded, angiosperms, dicot/monocot
what is a vascular plant
has transport tubes (ex. veins) ex. maple tree
what is a non-vascular plant
no transport tubes, ex. mosses, hornworts, liverworts
example of seedless plant
ex. ferns (uses spores), horsetails
what is a gymnosperm
“naked” seeds, has cones, ex. pine cones
what is an angiosperm
enclosed or covered seeds, has flowers
what is a monocot
one cotyledon, parallel veins, ex. corn
what is a dicot
two cotyledon, branching veins, ex. bean, peanut
what is photosynthesis
the process of using energy from the sun to create food for the organism
what kingdoms undergo photosynthesis
all plants, some bacteria and protists
4 main organs in plants
roots, stems, leaves, flowers
where does photosynthesis occur in plants
leaves and stems
what is the process of photosynthesis
using light to change carbon dioxide into sugar for the plants, oxygen is given off as waste in this process
what is the equation for photosynthesis
CO2 + H2O -> C6H12O6 + O2
What 2 main stages can photosynthesis be divided into
The Light Reaction, and the Calvin Cycle
where does the light reaction occur
in the thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast. these membranes contain several pigments, the most important being chlorophyll.
what are photosystems in the light reaction
chlorophyll pigments clustered into groups
what is the reaction center in the light reaction
special chlorophyll that photosystems funnel energy to. uses energy to split water into oxygen and hydrogen
what does the light reaction produce
oxygen is given off as waste, hydrogen atoms are used to produce ATP (an energy carrier molecule)
Where does the Calvin Cycle occur
in the stroma of the chloroplast
What happens in the Calvin cycle
carbon dioxide that is brought in through leaf pores are attached together using ATP from the light reaction to make sugar (C6H12O6)
what is a cotyledon
part of the embryo within the seed of a plant, the first leaves of a plant
characteristics of animals
multicellular eukaryotes, cells have no cell walls (only a membrane), heterotrophs, motile
How are animals classified into phyla
based on the basis or differences in their structure, tissues and organ systems
what are major characteristics used to classify animals
body organization (tissues, organs, organ systems), number of body or “germ” layers (2 or 3) in development, body symmetry (bilateral or radial), digestive tract (1 or 2 openings), body cavity of coelum (does the organism have a body cavity or not)
example of porifera
sponge
example of cnidaria
jellyfish, anenomes, corals
example of platyhelminthes
flatworms (tapeworms)
example of annelida
earthworm (segmented)
example of mollusca
clams, snails, octopus
example of anthropoda
spiders, scorpions, crustaceans
example of echinodermata
sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sand dollars
characteristics of porifera
aquatic, radial, 2 layers of cells with no tissue specialization, sessile as adults, 1 digestive opening
characteristics of cnidaria
aquatic, radial, 2 layers of cells but have specialized tissues, motile, have a body cavity, 1 digestive opening
characteristics of platyhelminthes
least complex worms, no coelum, 3 layers of cells, simple nervous system, body with head, 2 digestive openings
characteristics of annelida
coelomate, segmented, distinct head, several organ systems, 2 openings
characteristics of mollusca
bilateral, 3 layers of cells, coelum, 2 openings, organ systems, capable of movement, exoskeleton
characteristics of anthropoda
exoskeleton, 2 openings, bilateral symmetry
characteristics of echinodermata
radial, internal skeleton, segmented body, hard exoskeleton, has organs
what is a capsid
the protein shell outside of the virus
why isn’t a virus a living thing
require a host cell to reproduce, no cellular parts or structure
What is the basic structural parts of a virus
they all have a nucleic acid core (DNA/RNA) surrounded by a protein capsid
what is the significance of viruses
they can cause diseases in animals and plants, can be used in biotechnology to clone genes and insert them into another organism by “infecting” it
what are the two ways a virus can reproduce
lytic cycle, lysogenic cycle
how does the lytic cycle work
a virus injects its DNA into a host cell, taking over the cell and causing it to start producing viral parts. Once those parts are assembled, the cell ruptures, releasing new viral particles.
how does the lysogenic cycle work
the virus fuses itself into the DNA and become part of the cell. when the cell divides, the virus is part of the daughter cell’s DNA as well