Mrs H bio 9 Taxonomy, Variation and Biodiversity

Question 1

what is taxonomy?

Answer 1

the science of classification. involves naming and grouping organisms according to shared characteristics. allows scientists to identify and study organisms and then compare their findings

Question 2

define a species

Answer 2

a group of similar organisms able to reproduce and produce fertile offspring

Question 3

what is the first word of an organisms scientific name?

Answer 3

genus name

Question 4

what is the second name of an organisms scientific name?

Answer 4

species name

Question 5

what is the taxonomy hierarchy?

Answer 5

domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

Question 6

how is evolutionary relationship linked to how closely related organisms are?

Answer 6

organisms that share the same common ancestor more recently are said to be more closely related than those who shared the same common ancestor less recently

Question 7

why might it be difficult to decide which species an organism belongs to or if its a new distinct species?

Answer 7

1) they are extinct
2) they produce asexually
3) practical or ethical issues

Question 8

how can DNA be used to classify organisms?

Answer 8

the more closely related the species, the more similar their DNA base sequence will be as over time mutations in DNA cause a greater and greater difference in the DNA base sequences of different organisms

Question 9

how can proteins be used to classify organisms?

Answer 9

sequence of amino acids within a protein is coded for by the base sequence of a gene in the DNA. related organisms have similar DNA base sequence and so similar amino acid sequences within their proteins

Question 10

how can immunological comparisons be used to classify organisms?

Answer 10

antibodies have a specific tertiary structure which means they have specific binding sites allowing them to bind to specific proteins, if organisms have similar DNA they will produce similar proteins with similar amino acid sequences.

Question 11

what is the method for immunological comparisons?

Answer 11

add antibodies from an organism to the equivalent proteins in other organisms and measure how many of the antibodies bind. when antibodies bind to a protein in a solution, a precipitate is made. the more precipitate is formed, the closer the organisms are related. the more antibodies bind, the more precipitate will form so mass of precipitate could be used to determine how similar the 2 proteins and therefore species are

Question 12

how can courtship behaviour be used to classify organisms?

Answer 12

it is genetically determined so organisms that are more closely related display similar patterns of courtship behaviour. species specific so can be used in species recognition

Question 13

what is biodiversity?

Answer 13

the number of species and the number of individuals of each of the species within any one community

Question 14

define species richness

Answer 14

the no. of different species in a community

Question 15

define habitat

Answer 15

the environment in which an organism lives

Question 16

define community

Answer 16

all the individuals of all the species living together in the same area at the same time

Question 17

what is the species diversity index formula?

Answer 17

(look up)

Question 18

what do national trust projects do? and what needs to be considered?

Answer 18

aim to encourage biodiversity. whenever habitats are developed, compromises have to be made. (e.g. making a wood will destroy the open ground which habitat of species that do not live in the woods

Question 19

what factors effect diversity?

Answer 19

the suitability of the ecosystem for supporting a range of species. the more favourable to climate and the more nutrients, shelter and space available, the greater the range of species growing, therefore the greater the diversity

Question 20

how is stability of ecosystems determined?

Answer 20

the higher the diversity, the more stable that ecosystem is.

Question 21

why does a higher diversity mean a more stable ecosystem?

Answer 21

with a wide variety of organisms, less likely that a disease or change in climate will affect every organism, allowing the ecosystem to continue to exist

Question 22

give the 4 ways in which farming reduces diversity

Answer 22

1) natural plants and animals are lost then the land is cleared, ploughed
2) these activities may reduce food sources and habitats
3)growth of specific crop/ animals occurs and growth of other species is controlled or stopped
4) pesticides and herbicides may be used to kill unwanted species and fertilisers are designed to encourage growth of specific crops

Question 23

what is organic farming?

Answer 23

where pesticides and inorganic fertiliser use is restricted supporting higher biodiversity

Question 24

what are the downsides of the farming methods that increase biodiversity?

Answer 24

biodiversity can increase the diversity and volume of pest species due to an increase of new and varied food sources

Question 25

what is phylogeny?

Answer 25

study of evolutionary history of groups of organisms which tells us how closely related species are