Pack 11

Question 1

Define a species.

Answer 1

Individuals are able to breed to produce living, fertile offspring.

Question 2

What is classification?

Answer 2

Grouping of organisms

Question 3

What is taxonomy?

Answer 3

The theory and practice of classification.

Question 4

What is the problem with naming species based on their appearance?

Answer 4

Species that are unrelated have the same name as they look similar.

Question 5

What are three features of the binomial naming system?

Answer 5

• Universal - latin or greek names.
• First name - generic name denotes the genus.
• Second name - specific name denotes the species.

Question 6

What three rules must be used when using the binomial naming system?

Answer 6

• Italics or underlined.
• First letter of the generic name is uppercase. First letter of the specific name is lower case.
• If the specific name is not known it can be written as ‘sp’

Question 7

What 5 things does courtship behaviour allow? (Why is it a necessary precursor to mating?)

Answer 7

• Recognise members of their own species.
• identify a mate that is capable of breeding - sexually mature and fertile
• form a pair bond
• synchronise mating - maximum probability of sperm meeting egg
• Become able to breed.

Question 8

Define artificial classification.

Answer 8

Divides organisms according to differences such as colour, size, number of legs leaf shape etc. The features have the same function but do not have evolutionary origins - analogous.

Question 9

Define analogous.

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Define phylogenetic

Answer 10

relating to the evolutionary development and diversification of a species or group of organisms, or of a particular feature of an organism.

Question 11

Define phylogenetic classification. (3)

Answer 11

a - based on evolutionary relationships
b - classifies species into groups using shared features derived from ancestors
c - arranges the groups into a hierarchy, in which the groups are contained within larger groups with no overlap.

Question 12

What is a homologous characteristic?

Answer 12

Characteristic has similar evolutionary origins regardless of function. E.g. wing of a bird and arm of a human.

Question 13

What is each group within a phylogenetic classification called?

Answer 13

A taxon (taxa)

Question 14

List all taxa in order.

Answer 14

Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.

Question 15

Name the three domains.

Answer 15

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

Question 16

What type of cells are archaea and how do they differ from bacteria?

Answer 16

Prokaryotes - genes and protein synthesis is more similar to eukaryotes; membranes contain fatty acid chains attached to glycerol by ester linkages; no murein; more complex RNA polymerase.

Question 17

Define Biodiversity. What three components?

Answer 17

General term used to describe variety in the living world. Refers to the no. and variety of living organisms in an area.

Species, genetic and ecosystem diversity.

Question 18

Define Species Diversity.

Answer 18

The number of different species and the number of individuals of each species within any one community.

Question 19

Define Genetic Diversity

Answer 19

The variety of genes possessed by the individuals that make up a population of a species.

Question 20

Define Ecosystem diversity.

Answer 20

The range of different habitats, from a small local habitat to the whole earth.

Question 21

Define Species Richness. What is it a measure of?

Answer 21

Number of different species in a particular area at a given time. Species diversity.

Question 22

What is the disadvantage of species richness?

Answer 22

Two communities may have the same number of species but one may have equal amounts of each the other may have mainly only one species and few of the others.

Question 23

What is the index of diversity and what is its advantage over species richness?

Answer 23

It takes into account the number of different species as well as the number of individuals of each species.

The higher the number the greater the diversity.

Question 24

Define community.

Answer 24

All the living organisms present in an ecosystem at any given time.

Question 25

Define ecosystem.

Answer 25

All the living and nonliving components of a particular area.

Question 26

What is the result of farmers selecting species for particular qualities?

Answer 26

The genetic variety of alleles they possess is reduced.

Question 27

What does an agricultural ecosystem do?

Answer 27

Decreases the species diversity.

Question 28

Why does growing a large amount of one crop decrease the species diversity?

Answer 28

An area can only support a certain amount of biomass. Therefore if most the area is taken up by one species others compete for the little space and resources left.

Question 29

What is decreased due to intensive farming that causes a decrease in species diversity?

Answer 29

The number of habitats.

Question 30

What four practices have directly removed habitats or decreased species diversity?

Answer 30

• Removal of hedgerows and woodland.
• Creating monocultures.
• Filling in ponds and draining Marshes and wetland.
• Over-grazing of land.

Question 31

What three practices have indirectly removed habitats or decreased species diversity?

Answer 31

• Use of pesticides and inorganic fertilisers.
• Escape of effluent from silage stores and slurry tanks into water courses.
• Absence of crop rotation and lack of intercropping or under sowing.

Question 32

What techniques can increase species and habitat diversity?

Answer 32

• maintain hedgerows rather than fences
• Maintain ponds
• Leave wet field corners
• Plant native trees on land with low species diversity.
• Reduce the use of pesticides and organic fertilisers.
• Intercropping to control weeds
• Natural meadows
• Leave cutting verges till after flowing and seed dispersal.
• Introduce conservation headlands.

Question 33

When organisms evolve what changes to produce a change in characteristics?

Answer 33

Their DNA and therefore the proteins they make.

Question 34

What are the limitations (2) of using observable characteristics to measure genetic diversity?

Answer 34

• A large number of observable characteristics are coded for by multiple genes.
• Environment also influences characteristics.

Question 35

How do observable characteristics reflect genetic diversity?

Answer 35

Each observable characteristic is determined by a gene or genes. The variety within a characteristic depends on the number and variety of alleles of that gene.

Question 36

What is a more accurate way of measuring genetic diversity other than using observable characteristics?

Answer 36

Comparing DNA sequences.

Question 37

Other than measuring genetic diversity what else can DNA sequencing be used for?

Answer 37

Determining evolutionary relationships.

Question 38

How can DNA sequencing show which two organisms are most closely related?

Answer 38

They have the most similar DNA code.

Question 39

How can genetic diversity be accurately measuring other than comparing DNA sequences? 2 ways

Answer 39

• mRNA base sequence

- Protein amino acid sequence

Question 40

What is interspecific variation?

Answer 40

The variation between different species.

Question 41

What is infraspecific variation?

Answer 41

The variation between members of the same species.

Question 42

Define sampling bias

Answer 42

The selection process may be biased. The investigator may make unrepresentative choices. Un§wittingly or deliberately.

Question 43

Other than sampling bias why might a sample not be representative?

Answer 43

By chance.

Question 44

How can you make a sample more representative other than the sampling method? (2 ways)

Answer 44

Larger sample size; analysis of the collected data - statistical tests.