BIOL 201 – Chapter 4: Taxonomy and Classification

Question-and-answer flashcards covering key terms, scientists, hierarchical ranks, domains, kingdoms, and principles of binomial nomenclature from BIOL 201 Chapter 4 notes.

What are the primary ranks of the Linnaean hierarchy (from broadest to most specific)?

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum (or Division), Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

What does it mean to say the Linnaean system is “hierarchical”?

Each taxonomic rank is nested within the rank above it; members of a lower rank share all the characteristics of higher ranks plus additional, more specific traits.

Who was Carolus Linnaeus and what was his major contribution to biology?

An 18th-century Swedish naturalist who formalized the hierarchical system of classification and introduced binomial nomenclature for naming species.

What was Carl Woese’s key contribution to taxonomy?

He used ribosomal RNA comparisons to propose three Domains—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—above the kingdom level.

Name the three Domains introduced by Woese.

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

How do Domains relate to the traditional five-kingdom system?

The Domains group kingdoms by fundamental cell type: Bacteria contains Kingdom Monera (true bacteria), Archaea contains the archaeans, and Eukarya contains Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

List the five kingdoms of the five-kingdom classification scheme.

Monera (Prokaryotae), Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

What general features characterize Kingdom Animalia?

Multicellular, eukaryotic, lack cell walls, reproduced- from an embryo

What general features characterize Kingdom Plantae?

Multicellular, eukaryotic, cell walls of cellulose, photosynthetic a

What general features characterize Kingdom Fungi?

Mostly multicellular (yeasts unicellular), eukaryotic, cell walls of chitin, absorptive heterotrophs.

What general features characterize Kingdom Protista?

Primarily unicellular or simple multicellular eukaryotes; may be autotrophic or heterotrophic; highly diverse group.

What is binomial nomenclature?

The two-part Latinized naming system for species consisting of a genus name followed by a specific epithet.

How is a scientific name correctly written using binomial nomenclature?

Genus capitalized, specific epithet lowercase, both italicized (or underlined when handwritten); e.g., Escherichia coli.

What is the “specific epithet” in a scientific name?

The second word of a binomial name that, together with the genus, uniquely identifies a species.

Define the taxonomic term “genus.”

A group of closely related species that share common characteristics and ancestry.

What is meant by “phylogenetic hierarchy”?

A classification that reflects the evolutionary (phylogenetic) relationships among organisms.

In taxonomy, what is a “species”?

The basic unit of classification; a group of organisms that can interbreed (in sexual species) or share a high degree of genetic similarity and distinct characteristics.

How do Bacteria and Archaea differ at the cellular level?

They are both prokaryotic, but Archaea have unique membrane lipids and ribosomal RNA sequences distinct from Bacteria and often inhabit extreme environments.