Unit 1 Flashcards
How do we organize biological diversity?
Taxonomy
Taxonomy
The naming and classifying of organisms.
Contributions of Carolus Linnaeus
Taxonomic Levels - a 2-word approach to the naming of an organism (genus, species)
Binomial Nomenclature - Domain, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
3 domains of life that all living organisms are classified under
Bacteria, arhcaea, and eukarya.
*Archaea and eukarya are more closely related
Phylogeny
The hypothetical relational history between a group of organisms and how they are related.
It’s hypothetical because you can never be totally sure.
Phylogenetic Tree
A diagram that depicts all phylogenetic relationships.
Systematics
The study of organismal relationships and how they are related.
The Tree of Life vs. the Contemporary Tree of life
A drawing that shows all of the major groups of organisms or all organisms.
vs.
A hypothesis based on DNA sequence data. It’s MUCH bigger.
Extant
The opposite of extinct
Line of Descent
A path that connects an organism with it’s ancestors.
Sister Taxa
Closest living relative
Nodes
The place on a phylogenic tree where a species splits in two.
*Monophyletic Group
- A group of species that includes a common ancestor and all of it’s descendants.
- Aka clade or lineage
Paraphyletic Group
A group that includes an ancestor, but not all of it’s descendants.
Synapomorphy
Shared traits that all members of a monophyletic group have.
Parsimony
A philosophy that states that the most simple explanation is probably the most likely one.
Homology
Features that organisms share because they were inherited from a common ancestor
Convergent Evolution
Two organisms develop a similar morphology in order to prosper in a specific environment.
Morphology
The study of the forms of things
Humans test on mice because ______
Many of our features are homologous
How are phylogenetic trees typically made?
- The idea that the closest relatives should have the most traits in common is kept in mind.
- Phylogenetic analyses (the construction of these trees) are typically done by computers since they are so complex.
Homoplasy
When organisms share trait(s) for reasons other than having a common ancestor.
*What can phylogenetic trees be used for?
- Provide evolutionary hypotheses
- Medicine (ex - determining which strains of a sickness are the most dangerous)
3 categories of prokaryotic cells
Cocci - spherical
Bacilli - rod-shaped
Spirilli - spiral-shaped