Biological Classification and Evolution

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on biological classification and evolution, including terminology, concepts, and relevant examples.

What is biological classification?

The process of sorting living things into groups.

What is taxonomy?

The practice or the study of classification.

Why do we classify organisms?

To make the study of living things manageable, easier to identify organisms, and to understand relationships between species.

What are the three domains in the modern classification system?

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryota.

Name the six kingdoms of life.

Archaea, Bacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia.

What is the basic unit of classification?

Species.

What does the binomial naming system consist of?

Two names: Genus and species in Latin.

Who developed the binomial naming system?

Carl Linnaeus.

What is the biological species concept?

It classifies species as a group of similar organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

What is convergent evolution?

When two unrelated organisms develop similar features due to adaptation to similar environments.

What does phylogeny study?

The evolutionary relationships between organisms.

Difference between monophyletic, paraphyletic, and polyphyletic groups?

Monophyletic includes a common ancestor and all its descendants; paraphyletic includes an ancestor and some descendants; polyphyletic does not include a single common ancestor.

What are the types of adaptations?

Physiological, Behavioral, Anatomical.

What is natural selection?

The process where environmental selection favors certain advantageous traits in organisms.

What drives natural selection?

Selection pressure from factors like predation, competition, and disease.

What is genetic variation and how does it occur?

Variation in genes that can occur through mutations, crossing over, or independent assortment during meiosis.

What role do epigenetics play in gene expression?

Heritable changes in gene function without changing DNA sequence, often influenced by environmental factors.

What is the significance of cytochrome c in classification?

The sequence of amino acids in cytochrome c can indicate how closely related different species are.

What is a key characteristic of continuous variation?

It has no distinct categories and is influenced by multiple genes.

Why do we use statistical tests in biology?

To assess data significance, validity, reproducibility, and correlations.

Example of a statistical test used for comparing means?

Student’s t-test.