Unit B - Chapter 5

Question 1

What is taxonomy?

Answer 1

The science of classifying organisms.

Question 2

What is bionomial nomenclature and how does it work?

Answer 2

Bionomial Nomenclature is a method of assigning organisms with a two-part scientific name. The name is broken into two parts: The genus (the first part of the name) and the species (the second part of the name).

Question 3

What are the seven main levels of classification in order from general to specific?

Answer 3

Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.

Question 4

Describe the six kingdom-system of classification.

Answer 4

1. Eubacteria: Simple organisms lacking a real nuclei. (ex: bacteria)
2. Archaebacteria: Prokaryotic, heterotrophs. (ex: methanogens, thermophiles)
3. Protista: Single-celled, reproduce sexually and asexually, live in aquatic habitats. (ex: algae, protozoa)
4. Fungi: Multicellular, all heterotrophs, live in terrestrial habitats. (ex: mushrooms, bread mould)
5. Plantae: All multicellular hetertrophs, live in terrestrial habitats. (ex: mosses, plants, conifers)
6. Animalia: All multicellular heterotrophs, live in BOTH terrestrial and aquatic habitats. (spongs, lobsters, mammals, birds)

Question 5

What is phylogeny?

Answer 5

The history of the evolution of organisms.

Question 6

What is the study of fossils called?

Answer 6

Paleontology.

Question 7

What patterns have been found from paleontology?

Answer 7

1. Different species lived on Earth at various times in the past.
2. The complexity of living organisms generally increases from the most distant past to the present.
3. Living species and their most closest matching fossils are typically located in the same geographic region.

Question 8

What is a half-life?

Answer 8

The amount of time it takes for half of a sample of an isotope to decay and become stable.

Question 9

What is the difference between homologous, analogous and vestigial features?

Answer 9

Homologous features are features that are similar in structure but serve a different function. Analogous features are features similar in structure and function but come from different ancestors. Lastly, vestigial features are features that we have but no longer use and probably had a purpose a long time ago.

Question 10

Describe artificial selection.

Answer 10

Artificial selection is the process of humans selecting and breeding individuals with the desired traits.

Question 11

What theories were proposed by Buffon, Linnaeus and Darwin?

Answer 11

Buffon: believed that species could change over time and these changes could lead to new organisms.
Linnaeus: believed that few species at creation had become hybrids, which had then formed new species.
E. Darwin: all life had developed from a single source.

Question 12

Describe Lamarck’s theory.

Answer 12

Lamarck suggested that simple, new species were created by spontaneous generation and gradually became more complex. Also believed that organisms had the ability to produce new parts to adapt to their environment

Question 13

Describe C. Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection.

Answer 13

Natural Selection:

• all organisms inherited variations.
• some individuals are better adapted to survive an environmental change and reproduce.
• over time inherited traits that provided the survival advantage became more common.

Question 14

What are the three types of mutation?

Answer 14

Neutral Mutation: no effect.
Harmful Mutation: negative effect.
Beneficial Mutation: positive effect.

Question 15

What is speciation? Allopatric speciation?

Answer 15

Speciation is the formation of a new species and allopatric speciation is speciation by reproductive isolation

Question 16

Define Theory of Gradualism and Theory of Punctuated Equilibrium.

Answer 16

Theory of Gradualism: speciation occurs slowly.

Theory of Punctuated Equilibrium: speciations occurs rapidly.

Question 17

What is divergent evolution?

Answer 17

When species evolve rapidly into many different species.