Questions and Answers
What is taxonomy and phylogeny?
Taxonomy is the branch of biology that classifies organisms and assigns each organism a universally accepted name. Phylogeny shows the evolutionary relationships that exist between organisms.
What is the difference between a kingdom and a species?
A kingdom is the broadest and least restrictive level of classification, while a species is the most specific level of classification.
What is the difference between a phylum and a division?
In the animal kingdom, each subdivision of a kingdom is called a phylum, while in the plant kingdom, each subdivision of a kingdom is called a division.
List the seven levels of classification in order from broadest to most specific.
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Who was the first person to attempt to classify living organisms on Earth?
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What method did Aristotle use to classify living organisms?
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Who was the first to attempt a scientific classification of living organisms?
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On what basis did Linnaeus classify living organisms?
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What is binomial nomenclature?
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What are the two parts of a scientific name?
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In what language is the scientific name written?
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What is phylogeny and taxonomy?
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How is the classification process used by modern taxonomists different from the methods used by Linnaeus?
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Why should the use of common names be avoided when classifying living organisms?
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What is a molecular clock?
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What is the correctly written scientific name for the lion?
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What is an example of a derived character?
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In cladistics, what determines the evolutionary relationship between two organisms?
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What is a shared derived character?
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What is the system of classification that is based on shared derived characters?
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List the three domains and describe the basis for separating organisms into these domains.
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Why is the Protista kingdom referred to as the 'catch-all' kingdom and the 'odds and ends' kingdom?
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Study Notes
Taxonomy and Phylogeny
- Taxonomy classifies organisms and assigns universally accepted names.
- Phylogeny illustrates evolutionary relationships among organisms.
Levels of Classification
- Kingdom represents the broadest classification; species represents the most specific.
- A phylum is used for animal kingdom subdivisions; division for plant kingdom subdivisions.
- Seven classification levels from broadest to most specific: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Historical Figures in Classification
- Aristotle was the first to classify living organisms based on habitat (land, sea, air) and plant stem types (herb, shrub, tree).
- Linnaeus advanced scientific classification, focusing on morphology (structures).
Naming Organisms
- Binomial nomenclature is a two-part naming system consisting of genus and species.
- Scientific names are written in Latin.
Modern Classification Techniques
- Modern taxonomists consider various factors beyond morphology, including cellular organization, evolutionary relationships, biochemical composition, genetic data, and embryological similarities.
- Avoid common names for classification due to their misleading nature; many common names do not accurately represent the organisms (e.g., catfish, jellyfish).
Molecular Clock
- A molecular clock uses DNA comparisons to estimate the evolutionary timeline between species.
Derived Characters in Cladistics
- Derived characters, such as hair in mammals, help determine evolutionary relationships in cladistics through shared characteristics.
Domains of Life
- Three domains:
- Domain Bacteria: cell walls contain peptidoglycans.
- Domain Archaea: live in extreme environments; lack peptidoglycans and possess different membrane structures.
- Domain Eukarya: have a nuclear membrane and membrane-bound organelles.
Protista Kingdom
- The Protista kingdom is termed "catch-all" due to its inclusion of diverse organisms that do not fit into other kingdoms, possessing traits of both plants and animals.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the classification of living organisms with these flashcards. Learn about taxonomy, phylogeny, and the different hierarchical levels such as kingdom and species. Perfect for biology students seeking to deepen their understanding of life's diversity.