Classification Flashcards
what is classification?
the name given to the process by which living organisms are sorted into groups. The organisms within each group share similar features.
what are the taxonomic groups?
- kingdom
- phylum
- class
- order
- family
- genus
- species
who proposed the linnean classification system?
Carl Linnaeus
why do scientists classify organisms?
- To identify species.
- To predict characteristics
- To find evolutionary links.
what is the advantage of using a single classification system?
scientists worldwide can share their research;
what are the three domains?
- Archae
- Bacteria
- Eukarya
what happens when you move down each level?
there are more groups but fewer organisms in each group. the organisms in each group become more similar and share more of the same characteristics.
what is a species?
a group of organisms that are able to reproduce to produce fertile offspring.
what happens if a horse is bred with a donkey?
an infertile mule is produced.
why are mules and hinnies infertile?
their cells contain an odd number of chromosomes (63.) Mieosis and gamete production cannot take place correctly as all chromosomes must pair up.
what species are humans?
Homo sapiens
how were organisms classified before classification systems?
according to certain physical characteristics, behaviour, or habitat. These are called common names.
why was classifying organisms by physical attributes bad?
- it was not good for scientists working internationally as organisms may have more than one common name, and different names in different languages.
- common names do not provide information about relationships between organisms.
what system is now used to name organisms?
the binomial nomenclature.
how should the scientific name be presented?
- in italics. (underline the name on a handwritten document.)
- the first letter of the genus name should be uppercase, but not any other letter.
