Biology Chapter 14 Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is an autotroph?

An organism that produces its own nutrients from inorganic substances or from the environment instead of consuming other organisms.

What is cladistics?

A method or analysis that reconstructs phylogenies by inferring relationships based on shared characters.

What is a cladogram?

A diagram that is based on patterns of shared, derived traits and shows the evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms.

What is classification in biology?

The grouping of organisms into large categories that are assigned to smaller and more specific categories. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a eukaryote?

An organism made up of cells that have a nucleus enclosed by a membrane, multiple chromosomes, and a mitotic cycle. Signup and view all the answers

What is evolutionary systematics?

The science of naming and classifying organisms, also referred to as taxonomy. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of genus in biological classification?

It is the level of classification that comes after family and contains similar species. Signup and view all the answers

What are heterotrophs?

Organisms that obtain organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products. Signup and view all the answers

What is a hybrid?

Individuals of different species that interbreed and produce offspring. Signup and view all the answers

What does morphology study?

The study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features. Signup and view all the answers

What is a phylogenetic tree?

A branching diagram that shows how organisms are related through evolution. Signup and view all the answers

What is phylogeny?

The evolutionary history of a species or taxonomic group. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a prokaryote?

An organism that consists of a single cell that does not have a nucleus or cell organelles. Signup and view all the answers

What is a species?

A group of organisms that are closely related and naturally mate to produce fertile offspring. Signup and view all the answers

What is taxonomy?

The science of describing, naming, and classifying organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What is the basis for classifying organisms?

Taxonomy, which is the science of naming and classifying organisms. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the biological species concept.

A species is the basic biological unit in the Linnaean system of classification. Signup and view all the answers

How are organisms named scientifically?

The science of naming and classifying organisms is called taxonomy, using binomial nomenclature. Signup and view all the answers

What is a scientific name?

The unique two-part name for a species, consisting of the genus and species identifiers. Signup and view all the answers

The correct order of taxa is ____.

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. Signup and view all the answers

Describe each taxon.

Domain contains kingdoms; Kingdom contains phyla; Phylum contains classes; Class contains orders; Order contains families; Family contains genera; Genus contains species. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Definitions in Biology

Autotrophs: Organisms that synthesize their own nutrients from inorganic substances or environmental sources.
Heterotrophs: Organisms that obtain organic food by consuming other organisms and cannot produce organic compounds independently.
Eukaryote: Organisms with membrane-bound nuclei, multiple chromosomes, and a mitotic cycle; examples include animals, plants, and fungi.
Prokaryote: Single-celled organisms without a nucleus or organelles; includes bacteria.

Classification and Taxonomy

Classification: The systematic grouping of organisms into hierarchical categories, from broad to specific.
Taxonomy: The scientific discipline of naming, describing, and classifying organisms.
Binomial nomenclature: A two-part naming system created by Linnaeus; the first part indicates genus and the second part specifies the species.

Evolutionary Concepts

Evolutionary systematics: The study of the evolutionary relationships among species, integrating phylogeny with classification.
Phylogenetic tree: A branching diagram illustrating the evolutionary connections between different organisms.
Phylogeny: The historical development and evolutionary history of a species or taxonomic group.

Morphological and Cladistic Analysis

Morphology: The branch of biology focused on the form and structure of organisms.
Cladistics: A method that reconstructs evolutionary lineages by analyzing shared characteristics among organisms.
Cladogram: A diagram representing evolutionary relationships based on shared traits.

Species and Hybridization

Species: A group of closely related organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring; positioned below genus in classification.
Hybrid: Offspring produced from the interbreeding of different species.

Biological Species Concept

Defines a species as the primary unit of biological classification; effective for sexually reproducing organisms.
Unsuccessful in categorizing asexually reproducing organisms, commonly seen in bacteria and certain fungi.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Order of taxa: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Each taxonomic level contains increasingly specific categories, from broad domains to unique species.

Scientific Naming Conventions

Scientific names are italicized or underlined, featuring the genus name (capitalized) followed by the species name (lowercase).
Example: Homo sapiens for humans; Felis domesticus for domestic cats.
Genus name can be abbreviated to its first letter (e.g., H. sapiens).

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Description

Test your knowledge of key terms from Biology Chapter 14 with these flashcards. Learn about important concepts like autotrophs, cladistics, and cladograms that are essential for understanding biological classifications and relationships.