How organisms are classified

Question 1

What are the three domains?

Answer 1

archaea

bacteria

eukarya

Question 2

How are organisms defined as being in the same species?

Answer 2

being able to reproduce and produce fertile offspring

for example if a horse and a donkey breed, they produce an infertile mule therefore they are not in the same species

Question 3

Why is a mule infertile?

Answer 3

has an odd number of chromosomes, therefore is unable to undergo meiosis correctly as chromosomes must pair up

Question 4

What are common names?

Answer 4

where organisms are given names according to their physical characteristics

e.g. blackbird and song thrush

Question 5

Why are common names not useful?

Answer 5

not useful for scientists working internationally

may have multiple common names

don’t reveal relationships between organism

Question 6

What is binomial nomenclature?

Answer 6

system developed by Linnaeus

first word indicates the organism’s genus

second word indicates the organisms species, the”specific name”

names are derived from Latin, written in italics or underlined, capital letter on the first letter of the genus