Biodiversity and Classification

Question 1

Define phylogenetic

Answer 1

The term phylogenetic refers to the calssification of oragnisms by means of evolutionary relatedness.

Question 2

Define classification

Answer 2

The process of naming and organising organisms into groups based on their characteristics and evolutionary history.

Question 3

Define domain

Answer 3

Largest taxonomic group where all livings things belong to one of the three domains

Question 4

What are taxa?

Answer 4

Levels of classification

Question 5

Name the 8 taxa is order from largest to smallest

Answer 5

Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Question 6

What are the three domains?

Answer 6

Eubacteria
Archaea
Eukaryota

Question 7

Define eubacteria and state what kingdoms belong to it

Answer 7

Prokaryotic bacteria

Question 8

Define archaea and state what kingdoms belong to it

Answer 8

Prokaryotic bacteria with unusual metabolisms that live in extreme conditions and marginal habitats (ecological areas characterized by conditions that are less than optimal for survival and reproduction.

Question 9

Define eukaryota and state what kingdoms belong to it

Answer 9

Eukaryotic organisms including plantae, animalisa, fungi and protoctista

Question 10

Define prokaryota

Answer 10

These are single celled organisms with no membrane bound organelles and a cell wall made of peptidoglycan.

Question 11

Define protoctista

Answer 11

Eukaryotic organisms that are single celled and have no tissue differentiation.

Question 12

Define fungi

Answer 12

Eukaryotic organisms that have a cell wall of chitin, reproduce via spores and are heterotrophic

Question 13

Define planta

Answer 13

Multicellular eukaryotes that have cellulose cell walls and are photosynthetic.

Question 14

Define animalia

Answer 14

Multicellular eukaryotes that have no cell wall, are hetertrophic and relies on nervous coordination.

Question 15

What do organisms in the same domain have in common?

Answer 15

A distinctive patttern of ribosomal RNA.

Question 16

Define homologous structures

Answer 16

Evolved from the same original structure but have different functions. Eg. pentadactyl limbs

Question 17

Deine analogous structures

Answer 17

Evolved from different structures but have the same function.

Question 18

Describe how DNA base sequence is evidence for relatedness

Answer 18

More closely related species show more similarity in their DNA base sequence than those more
distantly related.

Question 19

Describe how DNA hybridisation is evidence for relatedness

Answer 19

This involves comparing the DNA base sequence of two species. DNA from both is extracted, separated and cut into fragments. The fragments from the two species are mixed and, where they have complimentary base sequences,
they hybridise together.

Question 20

Describe how amino acid sequence is evidence for relatedness

Answer 20

The degree of similarity in the amino acid sequence of the same protein in two species will reflect how closely related they are.

Question 21

Describe how immunology is evidence for relatedness

Answer 21

BY mixing the antigens of two species, a precipitate will form. The more precipitate that forms the closer the relation.

Question 22

Give the two definitions of species

Answer 22

The morphological definition – if two organisms look very similar they are likely to.
The reproductive definition – another way of defining species states that two organisms are in the same species if they can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

Question 23

What are the rules when naming a organism

Answer 23

1.The genus name is the first word and always has a capital letter.
2.The species name always comes
second and starts with a lower case
letter (small).
3.The first time a scientific name is
used in a text it should be written
out in full e.g. Panthera tigris; the
genus name can then be abbreviated e.g. P.tigris.
4.Both names should be written in
italics or underlined when hand
written.

Question 24

Define biodiversity

Answer 24

The term biodiversity refers to the number of species and the number of organisms in an given area.

Question 25

How does human influence affect biodiversity?

Answer 25

Lead to a decrease in biodiversity and extinction due to pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, over exploitation and the introduction of invasive species.

Question 26

Describe the process of natural selection and how this affects biodiversity

Answer 26

1. Mutatios or changes in DNA fom a new gene. 2. Thus variation occurs when organisms within a species have different physical appearanes or differences in behaviour. 3. Thus some organisms have a competitve advantage above others as they are more suited for an enviroment ans out compete others for resources. 4. Those that are more suited to the enviroment are more likely to survive. Survival of the fittest 5. Reproduction passes advantageous genes to offspring and so they are also more suited to the enviroment.

Question 27

How does succession affect biodiversity?

Answer 27

The change in composition of an area as organisms change their habitat results in an increase in animal biodiversity but an decrease in plant biodiversity.

Question 28

What are the uses of plamts and animals for humans?

Answer 28

Source of foos Source of raw materials such as cotton and wood Provide useful chemicals and pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, aspirin and other drugs used in healthcare. Used to produce gentically modified crops by splicing resistant genes reulting in increased crop yield.

Question 29

Define extinction

Answer 29

The loss of a species due to a change in climate or habitat, increase competition, new predators or diseases.

Question 30

Name the different conservation methods

Answer 30

CITES-Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species SSSI-sites of special scientific interest Seed Banks Government Legislation Governament Agencies Captive Breeding Programmes

Question 31

What do CITES do?

Answer 31

Ban the sale of endangered species and their parts or products.

Question 32

What do national parks and SSSI's do?

Answer 32

Protect habitats from over-development.

Question 33

What do Government agencies do as conservation for endangered animals?

Answer 33

Educate, raise awareness, fund conservation projects and monitor chanhges in biodiversity and organisms risk status.

Question 34

What do Government legislations do as conservation for endangered animals?

Answer 34

Pass laws to protect habitats and species at risk.

Question 35

What do seek banks to as a conservation method.

Answer 35

Carry out research into plant species and their genetic diversity. Collect and preserve seeds of all species.

Question 36

What do captive breeding programmes do as a conservation method?

Answer 36

Breed endangered species in captivity, ensuring limited human contact. Then reintroduce the organisms into the wild and monitor their numbers.

Question 37

What is the formula for simpsons biodiversity index?

Answer 37

S= 1-∑n(n-1)/N(N-1) The higher the value, the higher the biodiversity of that area.

Question 38

What is simpsons biodiversity index used for?

Answer 38

Used to monitor biodiversity of a habitat overtime and compare to other habitats.

Question 39

Define gene pool

Answer 39

All the alleles fro all the genes in a population

Question 40

How can we assess genetic biodiversity?

Answer 40

The number of allleles ar a locus The proportion of the population of a species with a particular gene. Genetic profilling

Question 41

What is genetic profilling?

Answer 41

Genetic profile or fingerprint is the term for a pattern unique to each individual, related to the base sequences of their DNA

Question 42

How is genetic profilling carried out?

Answer 42

The DNA is cut using restriction endonucleases which are enzymes that cut the DNA molecule at specific base sequences. The DNA is separated using a process called electrophoresis. The banding pattern formed can be compared and similarities and differences analysed.

Question 43

How can the banding patteren in genetic profilles be compared?

Answer 43

These single base differences are called SNPs, stand for single nucleotide polymorphism. Hyper variable regions (HVR) or short tandem repeats (STRs) are differences in long lengths of noncoding DNA. The more SNPs and HVRs a population has, the more differences there are in its DNA profiles, thus a greater biodiversity.

Question 44

Define genetic polymorphism

Answer 44

When there are two or more alleles for a specific gene.

Question 45

Define Natural Selection

Answer 45

This is the gradual process in which inherited characteristics become more or less common in a population, in response to a change in the environment and new selection pressures.

Question 46

Define adaptive radiation

Answer 46

This is the formation of new species from a single common ancestor. Eg finches

Question 47

What is palaeontology?

Answer 47

Palaeontology is the study of plants and animals of the geological past, as represented by their fossil remains. Rocks can often be dated precisely by radiometric dating techniques. Knowing the age of the rocks and the study of the fossil record tells scientists about the sequence and timing of the appearance of the major groups of living organisms.

Question 48

What are the three forms of adaptation?

Answer 48

Anatomical traits- changes in structure Physiological traits-changes in bodily process Behavioural traits-changes in how the organism interacts with the enviroment