Unit 1- taxonomy,characteristics of life, and chemical compounds of life Flashcards
what is an organism?
an individual living thing
what is biology?
the study of living things
what are the characteristics of a scientific name?
1) usually Latin roots
2) composed of 2 words:
•1st word=genus
•2nd word=species
3) 1st word (genus) capitalized
2nd word (species) lowercase
4) must be underlined or italicized
name the classification levels/taxonomic levels from most general to most specific
Domain Kingdom Phylum (Division for plants) Class Order Family Genus Species
what is taxonomy?
a branch of biology that deals with the classifying and naming of living things
who is the “father of taxonomy”?
Carolus Linnaeus-
•a Swedish botanist
which two kingdoms were in the original classification system?
plant and animal
what was the original classification system based on?
physical characteristics of the organism
name the three domains
- bacteria
- archaea
- eukarya
describe this domain: bacteria
- this domain contains decomposers, photosynthesizers, & few cause disease
- bacteria come in many shapes
- contains the kingdom eubacteria
describe this domain: archaea
- life’s extremists:
- •methanogens: “methane makers”
- •extreme halophiles: “salt lovers”
- •extreme thermophiles: “heat/cold lovers”
- they are believed to be extremely ancient
- includes kingdom eubacteria
describe this domain: eukarya
includes these kingdoms:
•protista: single celled
- fungi: mushrooms, molds, yeast
- plantae: flowering plants, mosses, ferns, gymnosperms
- animalia: contains many organisms
describe this kingdom: Plantae
- domain: eukarya
- photosynthetic
- autotrophs
describe this kingdom: Animalia
- domain: eukarya
- multicellular
- heterotrophs
describe this kingdom: archaebacteria
- more ancient than eubacteria
- live in very extreme environments, so it is rare than we come into contact with them
- currently in the domain Archaea
describe this kingdom: Eubacteria
- they are commonly found in the same environment we are in, so we come into contact with them all the time
- they are currently in the domain Archaea
what is the discussion about bacteria?
scientists argue about whether bacteria should be in the same kingdom called monera, or if they should remain in two different kingdoms like they are now (archaebacteria & eubacteria)
describe this kingdom: Protista
- includes mostly unicellular organisms
- in domain eukarya (so they have a nucleus)
- can be heterotrophic or autotrophic
- most live in water
- two main groups: Algae and Protozoa
describe this kingdom: fungi
- in domain eukarya (have a nucleus)
- includes yeast, molds, mushrooms
- they are heterotrophic
- could be sexual or asexual
what is binomial nomenclature?
- it means “two names”
- it is the way to write a scientific name for organisms
- ex: Ho̠m̠o̠ s̠a̠p̠i̠e̠n̠s̠
what is the criteria for classification of organisms?
- biochemical information
- •DNA (genetic information), protein analysis
- cytological information (cell structure)
- embryonic development
- behavior
why do we use scientific names?
1) organisms have one scientific name, but could have multiple different common names
2) common names vary based on location
3) common names can be misleading or confusing
what is a taxonomic key?
- a tool used to identify organisms already classified by taxonomists
- aka dichotomous keys
- consists of a series of paired statements that describe alternative characteristics of the organism
- ex: finding a leaf and finding out what tree it came from
what is a prokaryotic cell?
- cell without a nucleus
- DNA not organized
- bacteria
what is a eukaryotic cell?
- a cell with a nucleus
- nucleus contains DNA
- about 10x larger than a prokaryotic cell
- many membrane-bound organelles
describe a unicellular organism
•composed of one cell
- examples:
- •paramecium
- •amoeba
- •euglena
describe a colonial organism
- a group of few to many cells that are often loosely attached to each other
- each cell could survive on its own, but have an easier time together (think, people living in a colony
- examples:
- •algae
- •volvox
- •bacteria
describe specialized cells
- they are in multicellular organisms
- these cells depend on each other to do their jobs
- each cell has a different, specific job
- examples:
- •muscle cells
- •nerve cells
- •bone cells
in order from smallest to largest, what is the complexity levels in multicellular organisms
cells→tissues→organs→organ systems→organism
what is a heterotroph?
•an organism that obtains their food/nutrition from their environment
(consumers)
•either through absorption or ingestion
what is an autotroph?
- an organism that makes their own food (producer)
* will either be photosynthetic of chemosynthetic
what is absorption?
- one mode of a heterotroph
- release enzymes outside of their body, digest the food outside of their body, and absorb nutrients
- fungi do this
what is ingestion?
- one mode of a heterotroph
- they take food into the body to digest and absorb it
- humans do this
what does it mean to be photosynthetic?
- one mode of an autotroph
- uses sunlight, H₂O, CO₂, to make organic compounds (sugar/carbs) for food
- plants do this
what does it mean to be chemosynthetic?
- one mode of an autotroph
- don’t use sunlight
- use compounds other than those used in photosynthesizers to make organic compounds/food
- some types of bacteria do this
what are the 9 characteristics of life?
- life is based on organic chemistry
- composed of at least one cell
- use energy
- form and size range
- growth
- life span
- response to environment
- reproduction
- adapt-evolve over time
what is the organic chemistry all life is made of?
carbs, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
what is homeostasis?
- the condition of a constant internal environment
* life processes needed to maintain a fairly constant environment within an organism
what are the 9 life processes?
- nutrition
- transport
- respiration
- synthesis
- growth
- excretion
- regulation
- reproduction
- metabolism
describe nutrition
- taking materials from external environment and changing them into forms they can use
- heterotroph vs autotroph
describe transport
•process by which substances enter & leave cells and become distributed within the cells
describe respiration
- process which releases chemical energy stored in food
- NOT BREATHING
- aerobic & anaerobic respiration
What is the difference between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration?
- aerobic respiration requires O₂
* anaerobic respiration occurs without O₂
describe synthesis
- building compounds
* combine simple substances (products of digestion) chemically to form more complex substances
describe assimilation
- incorporation of materials into an organism’s body
* these compounds were built by synthesis
describe growth
•process by which organisms increase in size
describe how unicellular organisms grow
•increase in cell size
describe how multicellular organisms grow
- increase in both number and size of the cell
- •a cell can only get so big
•accompanied by cellular specialization
describe excretion
- removal of wastes from the body
* wastes are products of chemical reactions that occur within cells
Describe regulation
- all activities that help maintain an organism’s homeostasis
- examples: nervous & endocrine system (hormones)
describe reproduction
- process by which living things produce new organisms of their own kind
- not necessary for survival of an individual- just for survival of a species
- include asexual & sexual reproduction
what are the characteristics of asexual reproduction?
- one parent
* offspring identical to its parent (genetically)
what are the characteristics of sexual reproduction?
- two parents
* offspring not identical to either parent
describe metabolism
- all of the chemical reactions occurring within the cells of an organism (sum total)
- continuous release & use of energy
- catabolism+anabolism=metabolism
describe catabolism
- part of metabolism
- catabolic reactions
- reactions that release energy
- reactions that break things apart
describe anabolism
- part of metabolism
- anabolic reactions
- reactions that use energy
- reactions that put things together
what is the difference between organic and inorganic compounds?
- organic compounds contain Carbon
* organic compounds are typically more complex
organic compounds contain these elements:
•CHONPS
- Carbon
- Hydrogen
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Sulfur
what are the 4 macromolecules?
•polysaccharides/carbohydrates
•
What is the difference between aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration?
- aerobic respiration requires O₂
* anaerobic respiration occurs without O₂
describe synthesis
- building compounds
* combine simple substances (products of digestion) chemically to form more complex substances
describe assimilation
- incorporation of materials into an organism’s body
* these compounds were built by synthesis
describe growth
•process by which organisms increase in size
describe how unicellular organisms grow
•increase in cell size
describe how multicellular organisms grow
- increase in both number and size of the cell
- •a cell can only get so big
•accompanied by cellular specialization
describe excretion
- removal of wastes from the body
* wastes are products of chemical reactions that occur within cells
Describe regulation
- all activities that help maintain an organism’s homeostasis
- examples: nervous & endocrine system (hormones)
describe reproduction
- process by which living things produce new organisms of their own kind
- not necessary for survival of an individual- just for survival of a species
- include asexual & sexual reproduction
what are the characteristics of asexual reproduction?
- one parent
* offspring identical to its parent (genetically)
what are the characteristics of sexual reproduction?
- two parents
* offspring not identical to either parent
describe metabolism
- all of the chemical reactions occurring within the cells of an organism (sum total)
- continuous release & use of energy
- catabolism+anabolism=metabolism
describe catabolism
- part of metabolism
- catabolic reactions
- reactions that release energy
- reactions that break things apart
describe anabolism
- part of metabolism
- anabolic reactions
- reactions that use energy
- reactions that put things together
what is the difference between organic and inorganic compounds?
- organic compounds contain Carbon
* organic compounds are typically more complex
organic compounds contain these elements:
•CHONPS
- Carbon
- Hydrogen
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Sulfur
what are the 4 macromolecules?
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- lipids
- nucleic acids
What charge does each part of H₂O have? explain why
*H₂O is partially charged– it’s a polar molecule– the electrons are not being shared easily
- Oxygen has a partial negative charge- because it hold the electrons closer to itself
- Hydrogen has a partial positive charge because it doesn’t hold the electrons as close
what is cohesion?
- a property of H₂O
- attraction between molecules of the same substance– why water makes perfect droplets every time
- allows water to absorb large amounts of heat without a big change in temperature– protects organisms from overheating
what is adhesion?
- property of water
- attraction between the water molecules & molecules of another substance
- makes water good at dissolving things
- why droplets stick to other surfaces
what does it mean to be a solvent?
•the substance is great at dissolving things.
Describe capillary action
- action of water being drawn up within small tubes
- caused by cohesion and adhesion
- this is involved with transporting water within plants from the roots to the leaves
- it will climb higher in narrower tubes
what makes carbon so good at forming bonds?
- carbon has 4 valence electrons
- carbon can form 4 covalent bonds with a variety of atoms
- this ability makes large, complex molecules (chains & rings) possible
- “duct tape of life” sticks to other atoms and other carbons
what are carbohydrates made of, and and to what ratio?
C, H, O
1 : 2 : 1
what is the molecular formula of glucose?
C₆H₁₂O₆
what are some examples of monosaccharides?
where do we get them from?
- glucose
- galactose
- fructose
•get them from fruits
what are some examples of disaccharides?
where do we get them from?
- sucrose
- maltose
- fructose
•get them from sweets
