Classification and Evolution

Question 1

What is taxonomy?

Answer 1

Organisms being classified by their physical characteristics.

Question 2

What are the 5 kingdoms?

Answer 2

Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protoctista and Prokaryotae.

Question 3

What are the three domains?

Answer 3

Archaea, Eubacteria and Eukaryotae.

Question 4

What is the taxonomic hierarchy?

Answer 4

Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Question 5

What is phylogeny?

Answer 5

Organisms being classified by their genetic and molecular makeup.

Question 6

What are phylogenetic trees?

Answer 6

A diagram that shows how closely related species are to eachother. The more genetically similar organisms are to eachother, the closer they are on the tree.

Question 7

What is binomial classification?

Answer 7

The first name is the genus and the last name is the species. The genus is in normal writing with a captial letter. The last name is in lower case and in italics.

Question 8

What is an advantage of the binomial system?

Answer 8

It gives species a universal name, therefore all scientists worldwide can use this name for the species.

Question 9

Originally, how were organisms placed into one of the 5 kingdoms?

Answer 9

Observations of their features

Question 10

Nowadays, how are organisms placed into one of the 5 kingdoms?

Answer 10

Observations of their features, characteristics of their cell structure, anatomy, and form of nutrition.

Question 11

What are autotrophic organisms?

Answer 11

Organisms that make their own food, usually using energy from the sun.

Question 12

What are heterotrophic organisms?

Answer 12

Organisms that depend on other organisms for nutrition, by eating them.

Question 13

What are the characteristics of Prokaryotae?

Answer 13

Single-celled, prokaryote, heterotrophic, cell wall ( usually made of peptidoglycan).

Question 14

What are the characteristics of Protoctista?

Answer 14

Single-celled or simple body form, eukaryote, heterotrophic and autotrophic, no cell wall.

Question 15

What are the characteristics of Fungi?

Answer 15

Single-celled or multicellular, eukaryote, heterotrophic, chitin cell wall, cells are multinucleated, has hyphae.

Question 16

What are characteristics of Plantae?

Answer 16

Multicellular, eukaryote, autotrophic, cellulose cell wall

Question 17

What are characteristics of Animalia?

Answer 17

Multicellular, eukaryote, heterotrophic, no cell wall.

Question 18

What can cause variation?

Answer 18

Genetic and environmental factors

Question 19

What is interspecific variation?

Answer 19

Variation between individuals of different species

Question 20

What is intraspecific variation?

Answer 20

Variation between individuals of the same species

Question 21

Define discontinuous variation

Answer 21

A characteristic can be placed into a discret category, such as blood group.

Question 22

Define continuous variation

Answer 22

Characteristics have a range and can be placed on a continuum.

Question 23

What is the student’s T-test for?

Answer 23

It is used to determine if two sets of data are significantly different from eachother.

Question 24

What are the 3 types of adaptation?

Answer 24

Anatomical, physiological and behavioural.

Question 25

What is an example of an anatomical adaptation for animals in extreme cold?

Answer 25

Thick fur

Question 26

What is an example of a physiological adaptation for animals in extreme cold?

Answer 26

Building up think layers of blubber under the skin for winter.

Question 27

What is an example of a behavioural adaptation for animals in extreme cold?

Answer 27

Huddle up for warmth.

Question 28

What is the mechanism for natural selection?

Answer 28

1) All organisms must compete to survive and overcome selective pressures. E.g. food, water,predation and disease. 2) All organisms show variation. 3) Selection: some individuals will be better adapted to overcoming a paticular selective pressure than others and are more likely to survive long enough to have offspring. 4) Adaptation: the offspring will have the same advantageous characteristics as the parents if the characteristic is the result of genetic infomation. Over time, more of a population will have the advantageous characteristic.

Question 29

What theory did Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace independently come up with?

Answer 29

Theory of natural selection

Question 30

How does the fossil record provide evidence for evolution?

Answer 30

We can examine extinct species and compare ancient organisms with mordern ones. The age of the fossils can be measured by dating the rocks they are found in. The fossil record gives us the fossils in chronological order.

Question 31

How does DNA provide evidence for evolution?

Answer 31

The DNA sequences of species can be compared to see how closely related species are.

Question 32

How can molecular evidence be used to provide evidence for evolution?

Answer 32

the amino acid sequence of common proteins, such as cytochrome c, can be compared to see how closely related species are. Cytochrome c, ia an essential protein invloved in respiration and is common to almost all organisms.