Biology Classification Vocabulary Flashcards
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Questions and Answers

What is biodiversity?

  • A system for naming organisms
  • A group of organisms that can reproduce
  • The variety of organisms at all levels from populations to ecosystems (correct)
  • The classification of plants and animals based on their relationships

    • What is taxonomy?

    The practice of classifying plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships.

    Define taxon.

    A group or level of organization into which organisms are classified.

    What is the domain in biological classification?

    <p>The most inclusive taxonomic category; larger than a kingdom.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a kingdom in taxonomy?

    <p>The second largest taxonomic group; there are six - Animalia, Plantae, Protista, Eubacteria, Archaebacteria, Fungi.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a phylum?

    <p>A major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define division in the context of taxonomy.

    <p>A grouping of similar classes of plants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a class in biological classification?

    <p>A taxonomic group containing one or more orders.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define order in taxonomy.

    <p>A taxonomic group containing one or more families.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a family in biological classification?

    <p>A taxonomic group containing one or more genera.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a genus?

    <p>A taxonomic group containing one or more species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define species.

    <p>A group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a subspecies?

    <p>Populations of the same species that differ genetically because of adaptations to different living conditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define variety in taxonomy.

    <p>A taxonomic category consisting of members of a species that differ from others in minor heritable characteristics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a strain in biology?

    <p>A group of organisms within a species that differ in trivial ways from similar groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is binomial nomenclature?

    <p>A system for giving each organism a two-word scientific name consisting of the genus name followed by the species name.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define systematics.

    <p>The study of biological diversity in an environmental context, encompassing taxonomy and involving the reconstruction of phylogenetic history.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is phylogenetics?

    <p>The analysis of evolutionary, or ancestral, relationships between taxa.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define phylogenetic diagram (tree).

    <p>A branching diagram that models the relationships by ancestry between different species or taxonomic groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are homologous features?

    <p>Structures that share a common origin but may serve different functions in modern species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define analogous features.

    <p>Features that are similar in appearance and function, but do not appear to have the same evolutionary origin.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is cladistics?

    <p>A biological classification system based on phylogeny; assumes groups of organisms diverge and evolve from a common ancestral group.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a shared character?

    <p>A feature shared by all members of a particular group of organisms, an evolutionary novelty unique to a clade.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define derived character.

    <p>A feature that evolved only within a particular taxonomic group.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a clade?

    <p>A group of species that includes an ancestral species and all its descendants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a cladogram?

    <p>A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define molecular clock.

    <p>Uses DNA comparisons to estimate the length of time that two species have been evolving independently.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an amnion?

    <p>The extraembryonic membrane in birds, reptiles, and mammals that surrounds the embryo, forming an amniotic sac.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define eukaryote.

    <p>A cell that contains a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a prokaryote?

    <p>A unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nuclei.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define Bacteria.

    <p>Domain of unicellular prokaryotes that have cell walls containing peptidoglycans.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Archaea?

    <p>Single-celled, no nucleus, live in harsh conditions, oldest organisms on earth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define Eukarya.

    <p>Domain of all organisms whose cells have nuclei, including protists, plants, fungi, and animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Theory of Endosymbiosis?

    <p>Eukaryotes formed when a large prokaryote engulfed a smaller prokaryote, and the two organisms lived symbiotically, eventually evolving into a single organism.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define Archaebacteria.

    <p>Bacteria that live under extreme conditions such as high temperature, high salt content, and low oxygen.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are Protista?

    <p>Kingdom composed of eukaryotes that are not classified as plants, animals, or fungi.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define Fungi.

    <p>A kingdom of eukaryotic organisms that are heterotrophic and digest their food externally, absorbing nutrient molecules into their cells.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Plantae?

    <p>The taxonomic kingdom comprising all living or extinct plants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Define Animalia.

    <p>The taxonomic kingdom comprising all living or extinct animals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Biodiversity and Classification

    • Biodiversity encompasses the variety of organisms across all levels, from populations to ecosystems.
    • Taxonomy is the systematic classification of plants and animals based on their natural relationships.
    • A taxon is a classification group that organizes organisms systematically.

    Taxonomic Hierarchy

    • Domain is the broadest taxonomic category, larger than a kingdom.
    • Kingdom is the second largest group, encompassing major life forms: Animalia, Plantae, Protista, Eubacteria, Archaebacteria, and Fungi.
    • Phylum represents major classifications within kingdoms, while division specifically refers to plant groups.
    • Class groups organisms into one or more related orders; order contains families, and family includes one or more genera.
    • Genus consists of related species, leading to the most specific classification: species, which can breed to produce fertile offspring.

    Subclassification

    • Subspecies showcases genetic variations of the same species due to different environmental adaptations.
    • Variety refers to species members with minor but heritable variations.
    • Strain indicates minor differences within species groups.

    Naming and Classification Systems

    • Binomial nomenclature is a two-word naming system for organisms, combining genus and species names.
    • Systematics studies biological diversity in environmental contexts, involving both taxonomy and phylogenetic history.

    Evolutionary Relationships

    • Phylogenetics analyzes the evolutionary relationships between taxa.
    • A phylogenetic diagram, or phylogenetic tree, visually represents ancestral relationships among species.
    • Homologous features originate from a common ancestor but serve different functions; e.g., dolphin flippers and human hands.
    • Analogous features are similar in function or appearance but do not have a shared evolutionary origin.

    Cladistics and Characters

    • Cladistics is a biological classification method based on evolutionary history and derived traits.
    • Shared characters are features unique to a particular clade.
    • Derived characters evolve within specific taxonomic groups, defining their uniqueness.
    • A clade includes an ancestral species and all its descendants.

    Diagrams and Analysis

    • Cladograms depict evolutionary relationships; molecular clocks estimate evolution timelines based on DNA comparisons.

    Organism Classification

    • Amnion is an extraembryonic membrane in certain vertebrates that surrounds the embryo.
    • Eukaryotes have complex cells with nuclei and organelles, while prokaryotes are unicellular and lack membrane-bound nuclei.
    • Bacteria represent a domain of unicellular prokaryotes with peptidoglycan cell walls.
    • Archaea are ancient, single-celled organisms thriving in extreme environments.
    • Eukarya includes all organisms with nucleated cells, such as protists, plants, fungi, and animals.

    Kingdom Descriptions

    • Archaebacteria thrive in extreme conditions (high temperature, salinity, reduced oxygen).
    • Protista consists of eukaryotic organisms not classified as plants, animals, or fungi.
    • Fungi are eukaryotes that absorb nutrients externally; they are heterotrophic.
    • Plantae comprises all living or extinct plants, while Animalia includes all living or extinct animals.

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    Description

    Enhance your understanding of key terms in biological classification with this set of flashcards. Each card presents a word related to biodiversity and taxonomy, along with its definition. Perfect for students looking to strengthen their grasp of ecology and organism classification.

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