Species and taxonomy

Question 1

What is the main thing that a species has in common?

Answer 1

They are capable of breeding to produce living, fertile offspring

Question 2

What did Carl Linnaeus create?

Answer 2

The binomial naming system

Question 3

What are the features of the binomial system?

Answer 3

• It is universal
  -1st name, generic name, is genus where the organisms belongs
• 2nd name, specific name, is species where organism belongs

Question 4

What do members of the same species have and what does this mean?

Answer 4

Similar or the same genes and so resemble one another physically and biochemically

Question 5

How does it help members of the same species to have similar or the same genes?

Answer 5

Allows them to distinguish members of their own species from those of others

Question 6

How can individuals recognise members of their own species and why?

Answer 6

By the way they act - the behaviour of members of the same species is more alike than that of members of different species

Question 7

What is the ability to display a behaviour by?

Answer 7

It is genetically determined - and it has evolved

Question 8

What does the ability to display a behaviour influence?

Answer 8

The chances of survival

Question 9

What is essential for the survival of species?

Answer 9

Courtship and mating

Question 10

What is the means by which a species can survive over time?

Answer 10

Reproduction

Question 11

How do individuals ensure that their DNA is passed on to the next generation?

Answer 11

They have adaptations that ensure their DNA is passed on through the reproductive process

Question 12

Why do we need to ensure mating is succesful?

Answer 12

As females of most species only produce eggs at specific times - mating needs to be succesful so that offspring have the maximum chance of survival

Question 13

What does courtship behaviour enable individuals to do?

Answer 13

• Recognise members of their own species
• Identify a mate that is capable of breeding
• Form a pair bond which leads to succesful mating and raising of offsprings
• Synchronise mating so it takes place at maximum probability of succesful reproduction
• Become able to breed

Question 14

How do males see if they are at the stage of their reproductive cycle?

Answer 14

By detecting their behaviour patterns

Question 15

During courtship, what do animals use to communicate with a potential mate and members of their own sex?

Answer 15

Signals

Question 16

What is another way that individuals recognise that their partner is of the same species?

Answer 16

There is a chain of actions between males and females - it is the same for all members of a species but differs for members of different species

Question 17

What is the grouping of organisms known as?

Answer 17

Classification

Question 18

What is the theory and practice of biological classification known as?

Answer 18

Taxonomy

Question 19

What are the 2 main forms of biological classification?

Answer 19

Artificial classification
Phylogenetic classification

Question 20

How does artificial classification divide organisms?

Answer 20

• According to differences that are useful at the time (e.g. colour, size)
• Described as analogous characteristics where they have the same function but not the same evolutionary organisms

Question 21

What is phylogenetic classification based on?

Answer 21

The evolutionary relationships between organisms and their ancestors

Question 22

How does phylogenetic classification classify species?

Answer 22

Into groups using shared features derived from their ancestors

Question 23

How does phylogenetic classification arrange the groups?

Answer 23

Into a hierarchy

Question 24

What are relationships in a phlyogenetic classification partly based on?

Answer 24

Homologous characteristics

Question 25

What are homologous characteristics?

Answer 25

They have similar evolutionary origins regardless of their functions in the adult of a species

Question 26

What is each group within a phylogenetic biological classification called?

Answer 26

A taxon

Question 27

What is taxonomy?

Answer 27

The study of groups in a phylogenetic biological classification and their positions in a hierichal order, where they are known as taxonomic ranks

Question 28

What are taxonomic ranks based on?

Answer 28

The evolutionary line of descent of the group members

Question 29

What is the highest taxonomic rank?

Answer 29

Domain

Question 30

What are the 3 groups created by Carl Woese?

Answer 30

Bacteria Arachaea Eukarya

Question 31

What are Archaea?

Answer 31

A group of single-celled prokaryotes that were originally classified as bacteria (which they resembel in appearance)

Question 32

How do archaea differ from bacteria?

Answer 32

- Genes and protein synthesis more similar to eukaryotes - Their memebranes contain fatty acid chains attached to glycerol by ester linkage - No murein in cell walls - Have a more complex form of RNA polymerase

Question 33

What is the Eukarya domain divided into?

Answer 33

4 kingdoms: - Protoctista - Fungi - Plantae - Anamalia

Question 34

What are the largest groups in kingdom known as?

Answer 34

Phyla

Question 35

How are the phyla in kingdom organised into phylum?

Answer 35

Organisms in each phylum have a body plan radically different from organisms in any other phylum

Question 36

How is the hierachy divided into class?

Answer 36

Diversity within each phylum allows it to be divided into classes

Question 37

How is the hierachy divided into order?

Answer 37

Each class is divided into orders of organisms that have additional features in common

Question 38

How is the hierachy divided into family?

Answer 38

Each order is divided into families and at this level the difference is less obvious

Question 39

How is the hierachy divided into genera?

Answer 39

Each family is divided into genera

Question 40

How is the hierachy divided into species?

Answer 40

Each genus is divided into species

Question 41

What is phylogeny?

Answer 41

The evolutionary relationship between organisms

Question 42

How are the phylogenetic relationships of different species usually represented?

Answer 42

By a tree-like diagram called a phylogenetic tree

Question 43

What is placed where on the phylogenetic tree?

Answer 43

- Oldest species at the base - Most recent ones represented by ends of the branches

Question 44

What has allowed scientists to further investigate the evolutionary relationships between species?

Answer 44

Advances in genome sequencing and immunology

Question 45

What is used to investigate evolutionary relationships in genome sequencing?

Answer 45

DNA, mRNA and amino acids(of a protein)

Question 46

What is sequencing technology?

Answer 46

It can determine the order of DNA bases, mRNA bases and amino acids within an organisms genome

Question 47

Why is genome sequencing useful?

Answer 47

For comparison with an extinct species or ones that are very physically similar

Question 48

What will allow for a more accurate estimate of evolutionary relatedness?

Answer 48

Looking at multiple proteins or multiple regions of the genome

Question 49

What are the conditions for the protien used in genome sequencing?

Answer 49

Must be present in a wide range or organisms and show sufficient variation between species

Question 50

What will the sequence data of more closely related species be like?

Answer 50

The sequences will be more similar

Question 51

Why do species that have been separated for longer have more different sequences?

Answer 51

They have had a greater amount of time to accumulate mutations and changes

Question 52

Apart from genome sequencing, how can the proteins of organisms be compared?

Answer 52

Immunological techniques

Question 53

Which protein is commonly used for immunological experiments?

Answer 53

Albumin

Question 54

In immunological experiments, what do the resulsts signify?

Answer 54

The greater the weight of the precipitate, the greater the degree of complementority between the antibody and protein so the species are more closely related

Question 55

What is DNA hybridisation?

Answer 55

2 complimentary single-stranded DNA molecules combine through base pairing to form a single double-stranded DNA molecules

Question 56

What is biodiversity?

Answer 56

The variety and number of species living in a particular area at a particular time

Question 57

What are the 3 components of biodiversity?

Answer 57

Species diversity Genetic diversity Ecosystem diversity

Question 58

What is species diversity?

Answer 58

Number of different species and the number of individuals of each species within any one community

Question 59

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 59

Variety of genes possessed by the individuals that make up a population of a species

Question 60

What is ecosystem diversity?

Answer 60

Range of different habitats, from a small local habitat to the whole of the earth

Question 61

What is one measure of species diversity?

Answer 61

Species richness

Question 62

What is species richness?

Answer 62

The number of different species in a particular area at a given time (community)

Question 63

What is the equation for the index of diversity?

Answer 63

d= N(N-1)/sum of n(n-1) d = index of diversity N = total no. organisms of all species n = total no. organisms of each species

Question 64

What does a higher d value mean?

Answer 64

The greater the species diversity

Question 65

What does biodiversity reflect about an ecosystem?

Answer 65

How well it is likely to function

Question 66

What does a higher species diversity index mean for an ecosystem?

Answer 66

The more stable it is and the less it is affected by change (climate change)

Question 67

Give an example of when there is a change in an ecosystem but there is a high species diversity index?

Answer 67

If there is a drought, this community is much more likely to have at least one species able to tolerate drought than a community with a lower index So some members are likely to survive and maintain the community