Taxonomy, Systematics, And Phylogeny

A set of 35 vocabulary flashcards focusing on the key terms and concepts related to taxonomy, systematics, and phylogeny.

Systematics

Study of biodiversity and evolutionary relationships between species.

Taxonomy

Branch of systematics that identifies, names, and organizes living things into categories.

Phylogeny

The evolutionary history of a group.

Binomial Nomenclature

Two-word naming system in which the first word is the genus name and the second word is the specific epithet.

Domain

The highest taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms.

Kingdom

The second highest taxonomic rank, grouping together related phyla.

Phylum

Taxonomic rank below kingdom, grouping together related classes.

Class

Taxonomic rank below phylum, grouping together related orders.

Order

Taxonomic rank below class, grouping related families.

Family

Taxonomic rank below order, grouping related genera.

Genus

Taxonomic rank below family, grouping related species.

Species

The basic unit of classification; a group of organisms that can interbreed.

Clade

An evolutionary branch that includes a common ancestor and all its descendants.

Cladistics

Method that uses shared, derived traits to develop hypotheses of evolutionary history.

Homologous Structures

Structures that stem from a common ancestor.

Analogous Structures

Structures that serve the same function but do not share a common ancestry.

DNA Barcoding

Method of identifying species using a short fragment of DNA sequence.

Eukarya

Domain that includes all organisms with eukaryotic cells.

Archaea

Domain of prokaryotic, unicellular organisms that often live in extreme environments.

Bacteria

Domain of prokaryotic, unicellular organisms that can be found in various environments.

Phylogenetic Tree

Diagram that shows evolutionary relationships between species.

Ancestral Traits

Traits that are present in all members of a group and were present in the common ancestor.

Derived Traits

Traits that are present in some members of a group but absent in the common ancestor.

Natural Groups

Groups of organisms that share a common evolutionary history.

DNA Sequence Alignment

Arrangement of DNA sequences to identify similarities and differences.

Morphological Traits

Physical characteristics used for classification of organisms.

Molecular Clock

Method that uses mutation rates to estimate the time of divergence between species.

Prokaryotic Organisms

Single-celled organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus.

Eukaryotic Organisms

Organisms whose cells contain a membrane-bounded nucleus.

Photosynthetic Bacteria

Bacteria that can perform photosynthesis, such as cyanobacteria.

Multicellular Organisms

Organisms composed of more than one cell.

Saprozoic Nutrients

Nutrients obtained by absorption of organic molecules from the environment.

Chitin

A fibrous substance that makes up the cell walls of fungi.

Cytokinesis

The process of cell division following mitosis.

Phonetics

Study of the sounds of human speech.

Binomial Name of Humans

Homo sapiens.

Classification Hierarchy

Ordered system for organizing organisms from broad to specific categories.