Biology Classification Groups Flashcards

Questions and Answers

How do we keep track of different kinds of organisms?

classification

How many major classification groups are there today?

seven

How are organisms grouped today?

when they are alike in some ways

What is the largest classification group?

kingdom Signup and view all the answers

What does a kingdom contain?

the largest number of different organisms Signup and view all the answers

Members of a kingdom share only?

a few traits or characteristics and may not look alike at all Signup and view all the answers

The kingdom is divided into?

smaller and smaller groups Signup and view all the answers

Name the groups a kingdom is divided into.

phylum, class, order, family, genus and species Signup and view all the answers

Think of the classification system as an?

upside down pyramid Signup and view all the answers

The groups at the top of the pyramid have?

more members Signup and view all the answers

As the number of members increase,?

the similarities decrease - organisms are less alike Signup and view all the answers

The groups at the bottom of the pyramid have?

less members Signup and view all the answers

As the number of members decreases,?

the similarities increase - organisms are more alike Signup and view all the answers

What has the smallest space in the pyramid?

species Signup and view all the answers

What is in species in the pyramid?

one kind of organism -- only humans or only elm trees, etc Signup and view all the answers

What are some organisms, like dogs and cats, classified into?

the breed - but regardless of breed all dogs will belong to one species Signup and view all the answers

A member of a particular classification group has traits that are the same as?

all members of its own group as well as all members of the broader classification groups Signup and view all the answers

A member of a particular phylum has traits that are similar to?

all members of that phylum as well as all members of its kingdom (anything above in the pyramid) Signup and view all the answers

A member of a class shares some characteristics with?

members of that phylum and kingdom Signup and view all the answers

A member of an order shares some characteristics with?

members of that class, phylum and kingdom Signup and view all the answers

A member of a species shares some characteristics with?

members of that genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom Signup and view all the answers

Which are more similar -- members of an order or members of a family?

family Signup and view all the answers

Which are more similar -- members of an order or members of a phylum?

order Signup and view all the answers

Which has more members -- a phylum or a family?

phylum Signup and view all the answers

Which has more members -- a genus or a family?

genus Signup and view all the answers

Which group has fewer members -- a family or a genus?

genus Signup and view all the answers

Which group has fewer members -- an order or a phylum?

order Signup and view all the answers

Which group has the most members?

domain Signup and view all the answers

Which group has the least members?

species Signup and view all the answers

Besides a system of classification, what else did Linnaeus develop?

a system for naming organisms Signup and view all the answers

What is Linnaeus' system for naming organisms called?

binomial nomenclature Signup and view all the answers

How are organisms named in binomial nomenclature?

each organism is given a two part scientific name Signup and view all the answers

The first part of the name in Linnaeus' system is?

the name of the genus with which the organism is classified Signup and view all the answers

The second part of the name in Linnaeus' system is?

the second part is the name of the species Signup and view all the answers

When a scientific name is written, what is italicized?

the genus name Signup and view all the answers

What is the scientific name for humans?

homo sapiens Signup and view all the answers

What is the scientific name for wolves?

canis lupis Signup and view all the answers

What is the scientific name for dandelions?

taraxacum officiale Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Classification Overview

Classification is the method used to track and organize various types of organisms.
There are seven major classification groups used today.

Classification Structure

Organisms are grouped based on shared traits or characteristics.
The largest classification group is the kingdom, which contains a wide variety of organisms.
Within a kingdom, groups are further divided into smaller categories: phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
The classification system is often visualized as an upside-down pyramid.

Pyramid Structure

The top of the pyramid includes groups with more members, leading to less similarity among them.
As one moves down the pyramid, group size decreases, and similarity among members increases.
Species occupies the smallest space in the pyramid, representing a single kind of organism.

Organizational Relationships

Organisms within the same classification group share specific traits with others in their group and higher classification levels.
For example, members of a phylum share traits with all members of that phylum and kingdom.
Members of a class share characteristics with their phylum and kingdom, while order members share traits with class, phylum, and kingdom members.

Comparison of Groups

Members of a family are more similar than members of an order.
A phylum contains more members than a family, while a genus has fewer members than a family.
A family has fewer members compared to a phylum, but a genus has even fewer members than a family.

Domains and Species

The group with the most members is the domain, while the group with the least members is species.

Linnaeus' Contributions

Carl Linnaeus developed not only a classification system but also a naming system for organisms known as binomial nomenclature.
In binomial nomenclature, each organism has a two-part scientific name consisting of a genus name (first part) and a species name (second part).
The genus name is italicized in scientific writing, while the species name is not.

Scientific Names

The scientific name for humans is Homo sapiens.
The scientific name for wolves is Canis lupus.
The scientific name for dandelions is Taraxacum officinale.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the major classification groups of organisms with these flashcards. Learn about how organisms are categorized and the different levels of classification in biology. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of biological classification.