Taxonomy, Phyllotaxy, and Microscopes - Unit 1 bio terms

Characteristics of living organisms

1. One or more cells

2. DNA is genetic/hereditary material 

Taxonomy 

the classification and naming of living organisms; separated into kingdoms

Taxon

a group of real organisms that occupies a particualr rank in the hierarchy

Broadest to most specific taxons

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Father of Taxonomy

Cardus Linnaeus ← his latinized name (Carl Van Linné)

• made modern system of naming: binomial nomenclature

Archaea

• Domain: Archaea

• Kingdom: Archaebacteria (archaea)

• Nucleus in cell: No

• Cellularity: Unicellular, Filamentous, or Colonial

• Cell size: <10 μm (micrometers)

• Mode of nutrition: Autotrophic or Heterotrophic

• Cell walls: Yes, but NO pepitdoglycans

• Motile (does it move): Some do 

• Color: Varies

Bacteria

• Domain: Bacteria

• Kingdom: Eubacteria (bacteria)

• Nucleus in cell: No

• Cellularity: Unicellular, Filamentous, or Colonial

• Cell size: < 10 μm (micrometers)

• Mode of nutrition: Autotrophic or Heterotrophic

• Cell walls: Yes, but peptidoglycans present

• Motile: Some do

• Color: Varies (some green or blue-green)

Protists

• Domain: Eukarya

• Kingdom: Protista

• Nucleus in cell: Yes

• Cellularity: Unicellular, Filamentous, Colonial, or Multicellular

• Cell size: > 10 μm

• Mode of nutrition: Autotrophic and Heterotrophic

• Cell walls: Some have cells walls, and some do not 

• Motile: Some do

• Color: Varies (some green)

Fungi

• Domain: Eukarya

• Kingdom: Fungi

• Nucleus in cell: Yes

• Cellularity: Multicellular (exception = yeast)

• Cell size: > 10 μm

• Mode of nutrition: Absorptive heterotrophs

• Cell walls: Yes, chitin present

• Motile: No

• Color: Varies (mainly NO green)

Plants

• Domain: Eukarya

• Kingdom: Plantae

• Nucleus in cell: Yes

• Cellularity: Mulitcellular

• Cell size: > 10 μm

• Mode of nutrition: Photosynthetic Autotrophs

• Cell walls: Yes, cellulose present

• Motile: No

• Color: Green (almost all)

Animals

• Domain: Eukarya 

• Kingdom: Animalia 

• Nucleus in cell: Yes

• Cellularity: Multicellular

• Cell size: > 10 μm

• Mode of nutrition: Ingestive heterotrophs 

• Cell walls: No

• Motile: Yes

• Color: Varies (mainly NO green)

Absorptive Heterotroph

• decomposes organic matter externally so it can absorb its nutrients 

Autotroph

• makes its own food; ex: photosynthesis 

Binomial (Nomenclature)

• The two-part format for naming a species, consisting of a genus and specific epithet; ex: Homo Sapiens L.  or Callinectes sapidus Rath. (first letter in genus has to be capitalized, whole name must be italicized or underlined with author’s intial(s)) 

Biology

• The study of Life/living organisms

Cell Theory

• All living organisms are composed of cells, and all cells come from other cells

  • 1. All living organisms are made of one or more cells

  • 2. All cells come from pre-existing cells

  • 3. Nothing less than a cell can be considered a living organism AND it’s the basic or fundamental unit of life  

Colonial

• a visible mass of microorganisms all originating from a single mother cell

Emergent Properties

• New properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangements and interactions of parts as complexity increases

Eukaryotic Cell

• complex cells characterized by a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-bound organelles

Evolution

• The process of change that has transformed life on earth from its earliest forms to the vast array of organisms living today 

• Core theme of biology

• Charles Darwin made two main points

  • Descent with modification

  • Natural Selection

Descent with modification

• ex: flamingo, penguin, and hummingbird (all have common bird features, but the features are specialized for each bird’s lifestyle)

Natural Selection

• a process in which individuals with certain inherited traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than others without said traits, leading to evolutionary changes in population over time

Filamentous 

• cells in form of long rods or chains 

Heterotroph

• Can not make its own food 

Mixotroph

• capable of both autotrophy and heterotrophy 

Robert Hooke

• Examined piece of bark from oak tree and discovered cells walls

  • cellulae (little rooms in Latin) 

Ingestive Heterotroph 

• gets its food by ingesting other organisms 

Mulitcellular

• consists of more than one cell

DNA

• Deoxyribonucleic Acid 

  • RNA makes copy of DNA, then RNA molecule carries information to the protein-manufacturing machinery in cell 

  • DNA → RNA → protein-manufacturing machinery

Artificial Seclection

• selective breeding of domesticated animals and plants to promote the occurrence of desirable traits

  • ex: we use artificial selection when choosing specific traits or genes in organisms that we breed. Our intentional and unintentional manipulations change the environment and thus affect natural selection. 

Nomenclature vs. Classification

• Nomenclature

  • the naming of organisms

• Classification

  • organizing of the organisms 

Levels of biological organization

• atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ-systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, biosphere

Nucleus

• central core of an atom, containing protons and neutrons, and in eukaryotic cells 

Photosynthetic Autotroph

• creates its own food by using sunlight to produce sugars

Prokaryotic cell

• a cell that lacks a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-bound organelles 

Schleiden

• Botanist (studied plants) 

• cofounded cell theory 

Schwann

• Zoologist (studied animals) 

• cofounded cell theory 

Unicellular

• consist of a single cell, where all life processes occur within that one cell

5 major themes of Biology 

1. Evolution

2. Information Flow

3. Structure and Function

4. Energy and Matter

5. Interactions

Information flow

• Life depends on the flow of information

  • instructions come from DNA (the blueprints) 

• All forms of life use essentially same chemical language to translate info stored in DNA into proteins, called genetic code 

• Information from internal and external environment affects gene expression where and when particular genes are activated and proteins made 

Structure and Function

• at a molecular level, structure of protein correlates with tis function

  • ex: strong ligaments holding bones together

• the organisms whose structures best performed, their functions would have been likely to have reproductions; thereby passing those adaptations onto their offspring (explained by natural selection) 

Energy and Matter

• life depends on the transfer and transformation of energy and matter

• the input of energy, primarily from the sun, and the conversion of energy from one form to another make life possible 

• dynamics of ecosystem => the flow of energy and the cycling of matter 

Interactions

• life depends on interactions within and between systems

• the emergent properties of each level result from the specific arrangement and interactions of its parts 

• an alteration in one of the components of such a system disrupts its functioning and can lead to disease

  • ex: type 1 diabetes: pancreatic cells no longer produce insulin; type 2 diabetes: body cells no longer respond to insulin

Category vs. Taxon

• Taxon is a unit of classification that groups organisms based on shared characteristics, while category refers to the specific ranks within the classification system that organize these groups hierarchically

Population

• a group of individuals of the same species

Community

• an interacting group of various species in a common location 

Molecule 

• two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds 

Organelle

• a membrane-enclosed structure with a specialized function within a cell

Cell

• basic unit of living matter, serving as the fundamental structural unit of life

• defined by its plasma membrane, which separates it from its environment, and contains various organelles that perform essential functions for its organism 

Tissue

• an integrated group of cells that share a common function and structure, forming the building blocks of organs in both plants and animals

Organ

• a specialized structure composed of various types of tissues that work together to perform specific functions within an organism

Organ System

• a group of organs that work together to perform vital body functions 

Organism

• an individual living thing, which consists of one or more cells

Ecosystem

• All the organisms in a given area, along with the nonliving (abiotic) factors with which they interact, forming a biological community and its physical environment

Biosphere

• The entire portion of earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the plant’s ecosystems

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

• organism has to be dead and isn’t shown in natural color

• allows you to view internal structures of living cells in detail

• function:

  • sends electron through thin slices of specimens to show internal structure 

• best for:

  • studying texture, shape, and surface features

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)

• has to be dead and isn’t shown in natural color 

• function:

  • produces detailed 3D images at the surface of specimens 

• best for:

  • studying texture, shape, and surface features 

Compound Light Microscope (CLM)

• max magnification = 400x

• alive and in natural color

• function: 

  • uses visible light and glass lenses to magnify specimens (up to 1000x)

• best for:

  • viewing living or stained cells, cell shape, size, arrangement 

Dissecting Microscope/Scope (DS)

• max magnification = 20x

• alive and in natural color

• function:

  • use low magnification (typically up to 100x) with light reflected off the surface of specimens to produce a 3D view

• best for:

  • observing the surface details of larger specimens (insects, plants, small animals) and for dissection work 

Parts of a CLM

• ocular lenses

• objective lenses

• stage

• coarse focus

• fine focus

• nose piece

• mechanical stage adjustment knobs