1.3 Keys

Question 1

What is taxonomy?

Answer 1

Taxonomy is the science of classifying living organisms based on their similarities and differences.

Question 2

What are the five kingdoms of living organisms?

Answer 2

Monera (Bacteria)
Protista
Fungi
Plantae (Plants)
Animalia (Animals)

Question 3

What are the key features used to classify organisms into the kingdom Monera?

Answer 3

Unicellular (made up of one cell)
Prokaryotic (no nucleus or membrane-bound organelles)
Can be autotrophic (make their own food) or heterotrophic (consume other organisms).
Examples: Bacteria and Blue-green algae.

Question 4

What are the key features used to classify organisms into the kingdom Protista?

Answer 4

Unicellular (some are multicellular, but most are unicellular)
Eukaryotic (have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles)
Can be autotrophic (e.g., algae) or heterotrophic (e.g., protozoa).
Examples: Amoeba, Paramecium, Algae.

Question 5

What are the key features used to classify organisms into the kingdom Fungi?

Answer 5

Multicellular (except for yeast, which is unicellular)
Eukaryotic (have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles)
Heterotrophic (feed on dead or decaying organic matter through absorption).
Examples: Mushrooms, Molds, Yeast.

Question 6

What are the key features used to classify organisms into the kingdom Plantae?

Answer 6

Multicellular
Eukaryotic
Autotrophic (photosynthesize to make their own food using light energy, carbon dioxide, and water).
Have cell walls made of cellulose.
Examples: Flowering plants, Mosses, Ferns.

Question 7

What are the key features used to classify organisms into the kingdom Animalia?

Answer 7

Multicellular
Eukaryotic
Heterotrophic (cannot make their own food, so they consume other organisms).
Lack cell walls.
Can move at some stage of their life cycle.
Examples: Humans, Insects, Fish, Birds.

Question 8

How do scientists classify organisms into kingdoms based on nutrition?

Answer 8

Autotrophs make their own food (e.g., plants and some protists).
Heterotrophs rely on other organisms for food (e.g., animals, fungi).

Question 9

What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Answer 9

Prokaryotic cells: No nucleus, no membrane-bound organelles (e.g., bacteria in the kingdom Monera).
Eukaryotic cells: Have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (e.g., protists, fungi, plants, and animals).

Question 10

How does the presence or absence of a cell wall help classify organisms?

Answer 10

Plants and fungi have a cell wall (plants have cellulose, fungi have chitin).
Animals do not have a cell wall.
Bacteria have a cell wall made of peptidoglycan.

Question 11

What role does reproduction play in the classification of organisms?

Answer 11

Asexual reproduction is common in Monera (bacteria), Protista, and some fungi.
Sexual reproduction is common in Animalia and Plantae (though some plants and fungi can also reproduce asexually).

Question 12

What is the significance of movement in the kingdom Animalia?

Answer 12

Movement is a key characteristic of animals, as they can move at some point in their life cycle. This is in contrast to plants and fungi, which do not exhibit movement in the same way.

Question 13

What is photosynthesis and which kingdom performs it?

Answer 13

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants (and some protists and bacteria) convert light energy into chemical energy to produce their own food. It occurs mainly in the Plantae kingdom, but also in some Protista and Monera (e.g., cyanobacteria).

Question 14

What are multicellular organisms and which kingdoms do they belong to?

Answer 14

Multicellular organisms are made up of more than one cell. They are found in the Plantae, Animalia, and Fungi kingdoms.

Question 15

What are some examples of organisms in the kingdom Protista?

Answer 15

Amoeba (a type of protozoan)
Paramecium (another type of protozoan)
Chlorella (a type of green algae)
Plasmodium (causes malaria).

Question 16

What are viruses, and why are they not classified into any of the five kingdoms?

Answer 16

Viruses are not classified in any kingdom because they are not made of cells, cannot reproduce on their own, and must infect a host cell to replicate. They are considered non-living.

Question 17

What are the main groups of vertebrates in the animal kingdom?

Answer 17

The main groups of vertebrates are:

Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish

Question 18

What are the main characteristics of mammals?

Answer 18

Warm-blooded, have hair or fur, give birth to live young (except monotremes), and produce milk to feed young.

Question 19

What are the main characteristics of birds?

Answer 19

Warm-blooded, have feathers, lay eggs, and have beaks instead of teeth.

Question 20

What are the main characteristics of reptiles?

Answer 20

Cold-blooded, have scaly skin, lay eggs (with leathery shells), and breathe through lungs.

Question 21

What are the main characteristics of amphibians?

Answer 21

old-blooded, have moist skin, lay eggs in water, and have a two-stage life cycle (larvae and adult).

Question 22

What are the main characteristics of fish?

Answer 22

Cold-blooded, live in water, have scales, fins, and gills for breathing.

Question 23

What are the main groups of arthropods in the animal kingdom?

Answer 23

Myriapods, Insects, Arachnids, Crustaceans

Question 24

What are the main characteristics of myriapods?

Answer 24

Long bodies with many segments, numerous legs, and antennae (e.g., centipedes and millipedes).

Question 25

What are the main characteristics of insects?

Answer 25

Three body segments (head, thorax, abdomen), six legs, and usually have wings (e.g., bees, butterflies).

Question 26

What are the main characteristics of arachnids?

Answer 26

Four pairs of legs, two body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen), no antennae (e.g., spiders, scorpions).

Question 27

What are the main characteristics of crustaceans?

Answer 27

Have a hard exoskeleton, multiple pairs of legs, and antennae (e.g., crabs, lobsters, shrimp).