Biology KPCOFGS Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the definition of Taxonomy?

The classification of chemical compounds

The process of evolution

The study of ecosystems

The science of classifying organisms and assigning each organism a unique universally accepted scientific name (correct)

What is a Taxon?

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

What is a Kingdom in the context of taxonomy?

A large taxonomic group made up of closely related phyla.

Who was Aristotle?

A Greek philosopher who first classified organisms as plants or animals. Signup and view all the answers

What is a Phylum?

A group of closely related classes. Signup and view all the answers

What is Binomial Nomenclature?

The classification system in which each species is assigned a two-part scientific name. Signup and view all the answers

What does a Phylogenetic Diagram show?

It is a tree-like picture that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following defines a Heterotroph?

Organisms that cannot make their own food and get their energy from consuming other organisms Signup and view all the answers

What is the Eukarya domain?

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

What is Chitin?

A substance found in the cell walls of fungi. Signup and view all the answers

What defines a Thermophile?

Organisms that like hot environments. Signup and view all the answers

What are Autotrophs?

Organisms that can make their own food using photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Signup and view all the answers

What is a Eukaryote?

An organism whose cells contain nuclei. Signup and view all the answers

What is a Helophile?

An organism that likes high salt environments. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Animalia kingdom consist of?

Multicellular eukaryotic heterotrophs whose cells do not have cell walls or chloroplasts. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes Archaebacteria?

Ancient unicellular prokaryotes whose cell walls do not contain peptidoglycan. Signup and view all the answers

What is Eubacteria?

Kingdom of unicellular prokaryotes whose cell walls are made of peptidoglycan. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Protista kingdom?

Composed of eukaryotes that are not classified as plants, animals, or fungi. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Fungi kingdom composed of?

Heterotrophs including mushrooms, toadstools, and yeast. Signup and view all the answers

What defines the Plantae kingdom?

Composed of multicellular photosynthetic autotrophs that have cell walls containing cellulose and chloroplasts. Signup and view all the answers

What is the most inclusive taxonomic category?

Domain. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Genus in taxonomy?

Part of the scientific name that is always capitalized. Signup and view all the answers

What is a Class in taxonomy?

A group of similar orders. Signup and view all the answers

What is an Order in taxonomy?

A group of similar families. Signup and view all the answers

What is a Dichotomous Key?

A series of paired statements that describe characteristics of different organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What is Peptidoglycan?

A substance made of sugars and peptides found in the cell walls of Eubacteria. Signup and view all the answers

What is Cellulose?

Makes plants and protists sturdy. Signup and view all the answers

What are the Taxonomic Levels of Linnaeus?

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

What is Homo Sapien?

Binomial nomenclature for humans. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Taxonomy and Classification

Taxonomy is the science of classifying organisms and providing each with a universally accepted name.
A taxon is a specific group or level within the classification hierarchy of organisms.
Linnaeus's classification hierarchy includes seven main taxonomic levels: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Classification Hierarchy

Kingdom: The largest taxonomic category comprised of closely related phyla.
Phylum: A grouping of closely related classes.
Class: Comprises a group of similar orders.
Order: Contains similar families.
Family: Groups together related genera.
Genus: The first part of a scientific name, always capitalized.
Species: The second part of the scientific name, unique to each species.

Pioneers in Classification

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, was the first to classify organisms as either plants or animals.

Naming Systems

Binomial nomenclature assigns each species a two-part scientific name, enhancing clarity in identification.
For humans, the binomial nomenclature is Homo sapien.

Domains and Kingdoms

Eukarya: Domain including organisms with nucleated cells such as protists, plants, fungi, and animals.
Animalia: A kingdom of multicellular eukaryotic heterotrophs without cell walls or chloroplasts.
Archaebacteria: Ancient unicellular prokaryotes found in harsh environments, lacking peptidoglycan in their cell walls.
Eubacteria: Unicellular prokaryotes with cell walls made of peptidoglycan.
Protista: Eukaryotic kingdom not classified as plants, animals, or fungi.
Fungi: Heterotrophic kingdom including mushrooms and yeast, obtaining nutrients from dead organic matter.
Plantae: Kingdom of multicellular photosynthetic autotrophs, characterized by cell walls made of cellulose and containing chloroplasts.

Important Biological Concepts

Heterotroph: Organisms that cannot produce their own food and obtain energy by consuming others.
Autotrophs: Organisms that can produce their own food, primarily through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
Eukaryote: Organisms whose cells have a nucleus.
Thermalphile: Organisms adapted to hot environments.
Helophile: Organisms that thrive in high salt environments.

Structural Components

Chitin: Found in the cell walls of fungi, providing structural support.
Cellulose: A key component of plant and protist cell walls, contributing to sturdiness.
Peptidoglycan: A substance consisting of sugars and peptides found in eubacterial cell walls.

Identification Tools

Phylogenetic diagrams visually represent evolutionary relationships among organisms.
A dichotomous key is a tool consisting of paired statements for identifying and classifying living things based on their characteristics.

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Description

Explore the essential concepts of taxonomy with these interactive flashcards. Each card defines critical terms including Taxonomy, Taxon, and Kingdom, which are foundational to understanding biological classification. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their knowledge of scientific naming and hierarchy.