Bio Diversity

What are the basic characteristics of all animals?

Heterotrophic, multicellular eukaryotes, no cell walls, aerobic respiration, mostly sexual reproduction, specialized muscle and nervous tissue.

What are the 2 main animal categories?

Invertebrates and vertebrates.

What percentage of animals are invertebrates?

About 95%.

What defines vertebrates?

They have a notochord/backbone at some point in life.

What is asymmetrical symmetry?

No symmetry (ex: sponges).

What is radial symmetry?

Body parts arranged around a center (ex: sea stars).

What is bilateral symmetry?

Left and right sides mirror each other (ex: humans).

Which animals are usually diploblasts?

Radially symmetrical animals.

Which animals are usually triploblasts?

Bilaterally symmetrical animals.

What does the ectoderm form?

Skin and nervous system.

What does the mesoderm form?

Muscles and internal organs.

What does the endoderm form?

Lining of the digestive tract.

What is a coelom?

A fluid-filled body cavity between the body wall and gut.

What is an acoelomate?

An animal with no coelom.

What is a coelomate?

An animal with a true coelom.

Why is a coelom important?

It protects organs and allows more complex organ systems.

What is cephalization?

Concentration of sensory organs at the head.

What is segmentation?

Repeating body sections.

Why is segmentation useful?

Better movement and damage to one segment doesn't stop others.

What did animals likely evolve from?

Colonial flagellated protists.

Approximately when did animals evolve?

About 700 million years ago.

What phylum are sponges in?

Porifera.

Are adult sponges sessile or mobile?

Sessile.

How do sponges feed?

Filter feeding.

Give examples of cnidarians.

Jellyfish, hydra, corals, sea anemones.

What special feature do cnidarians have?

Stinging tentacles/nematocysts.

What are flatworms classified as?

Acoelomates.

Give examples of flatworms.

Tapeworms, flukes, planaria.

What are segmented worms classified as?

Coelomates.

Give examples of molluscs.

Clams, mussels, snails, slugs, octopus, squid.

What body feature do many molluscs have?

Shells or tentacles.

Give examples of echinoderms.

Sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars.

What type of symmetry do echinoderms have?

Radial symmetry.

What structure helps echinoderms move?

Tube feet.

What is the largest animal phylum?

Arthropoda.

What are key arthropod features?

Jointed legs and exoskeleton.

Why must arthropods molt?

To grow larger.

What are the two major fish groups?

Cartilaginous fish and bony fish.

Give examples of cartilaginous fish.

Sharks and rays.

Give examples of amphibians.

Frogs and salamanders.

How do amphibians exchange gases?

Lungs and moist skin.

What type of fertilization do amphibians usually use?

External fertilization.

What adaptation prevents reptiles from drying out?

Waterproof scales.

What type of fertilization do reptiles use?

Internal fertilization.

Birds evolved from what group?

Dinosaurs/reptiles.

Are birds ectothermic or endothermic?

Endothermic.

Name two bird flight adaptations.

Hollow bones and compact bodies.

What structure produces milk in mammals?

Mammary glands.

What are the 3 mammal groups?

Monotremes, marsupials, placental mammals.

What are monotremes?

Egg-laying mammals.

What are marsupials?

Pouched mammals.

What are placental mammals?

Mammals with a placenta.

What is a quadrat?

A square area used for sampling organisms.

What organisms are best studied using quadrats?

Sessile or slow-moving organisms and plants.

What is line transect sampling?

Counting organisms along a line of known length.

When are line transects especially useful?

In varied terrain.

What is netting used for?

Capturing passing organisms using fine mesh nets.

What organisms are commonly caught with netting?

Birds, bats, fish, insects, crustaceans.

What is the purpose of mark and recapture?

Estimating population size.

What happens first in mark and recapture?

Organisms are caught and tagged.

Who is the father of taxonomy?

Carolus Linnaeus.

What is binomial nomenclature?

A 2-part scientific naming system.

What does KPCOFGS stand for?

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

What is phylogeny?

Evolutionary history of organisms.

What is genetic diversity?

Variation within a species.

What is species diversity?

Variety of species.

What is ecosystem diversity?

Variety of ecosystems.

What is mutualism?

Both organisms benefit.

What is commensalism?

One benefits, the other is unaffected.

What is parasitism?

One benefits while the other is harmed.

What are the 3 domains?

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya.

What are the 6 kingdoms?

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

Difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?

Prokaryotes lack a nucleus; eukaryotes have a nucleus and organelles.

Are viruses living organisms?

No, they are non-living particles.

What is a capsid?

Protein coat around a virus.

What is the lytic cycle?

Virus reproduces immediately and destroys the host cell.

What is the lysogenic cycle?

Viral DNA inserts into host DNA.

What is a heterotroph?

An organism that gets food from other organisms.

What is an autotroph?

An organism that makes its own food.

What is an exoskeleton?

External skeleton.

What is an endoskeleton?

Internal skeleton.

What is a notochord?

Flexible support rod in chordates.

What is a protostome?

An animal where the mouth forms first.

What is a deuterostome?

An animal where the anus forms first.

What is a clade?

An ancestor and all descendants.

What are homologous structures?

Same origin, different function.

What are analogous structures?

Same function, different origin.

What is endosymbiosis?

Theory that organelles evolved from bacteria.

What is a pseudopod?

“False foot” used for movement.

What is binary fission?

Asexual reproduction in bacteria.

What is a gamete?

Sex cell.

What is a zygote?

Fertilized egg cell.

What is Cell Theory?

All living things are made of cells; cells are the basic unit of life; all cells come from pre-existing cells.

What is Taxonomy?

The science of classifying organisms.

What is Morphology?

Study of an organism’s structure and form.

What is a Taxon?

A classification group in taxonomy.

What is a Species?

Organisms that can produce fertile offspring together.

What is a Dichotomous Key?

Identification tool using paired statements.

What is a Phylogenetic Tree?

Diagram showing evolutionary relationships.

What is the importance of Biodiversity?

Provides ecosystem stability, medicine, food, and balance.