Classification & Biodiversity Topic 14 Flashcards
(19 cards)
Who started the modern system of classifying species?
Carl Linnaeus
A Swedish botanist known for developing a systematic approach to classification.
What is the purpose of the binomial system?
To give each species a scientific name using Latin words, consisting of a genus and species name
For example, humans are named Homo sapiens.
What mnemonic helps remember the taxonomic hierarchy?
King Philip Came Over For Good Soup
This phrase represents the order: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
What are the three domains proposed by Carl Woese?
- Archaea
- Bacteria
- Eukarya
This system replaced the older five-kingdom classification.
Define biodiversity.
The variety of living organisms in an area
Biodiversity can include species richness and ecosystem diversity.
What is a habitat?
The place where an organism lives
Habitats can vary greatly, from forests to deserts.
What is a community in ecological terms?
All the populations of different species in a habitat
Communities are characterized by interactions among species.
Why is biodiversity important? List two reasons.
- New medicines may be discovered
- Preserve food chains and keep ecosystems stable
Other reasons include maintaining interdependence and providing economic benefits.
What are two causes of the reduction in biodiversity?
- Monoculture
- Deforestation
Human pollution and land use also contribute to biodiversity loss.
What are some methods to protect biodiversity?
- Breeding programmes for endangered species
- Protection and regeneration of rare habitats
- Reduction of deforestation
Other methods include recycling resources and reintroducing native species.
What is species richness?
A measure of the number of different species in a community
It is an important component of biodiversity.
What does the index of diversity take into account?
The number of different species and population size
A higher index indicates greater biodiversity.
Fill in the blank: The scientific name for humans is _______.
Homo sapiens
This name reflects both the genus and species.
True or False: The higher the index of diversity, the more homogeneous the area is.
False
A higher index indicates more biodiversity, not homogeneity.
What is the significance of Carl Woese’s 1990 proposal?
It introduced the three-domain system of classification
This system is based on evolutionary relationships established through ribosomal RNA analysis.
What does phylogeny mean?
is the evolutionary history of a group of organisms, and the relationships between them
What is phylogenetic classification system?
It’s a method of classifying organisms based on their evolutionary history
What does diverge mean?
It means the development of different traits in related species or populations
What does taxonomy mean?
It’s the scientific study of classifying, naming, and describing organisms
