Classification and Taxonomy

Flashcards covering key concepts from the classification and taxonomy lecture notes.

Why do biologists classify organisms?

To organize and identify the vast diversity of life and relatedness among species.

What is taxonomy?

The discipline where scientists classify and assign each organism a universally accepted name.

What are the three domains of the three-domain system?

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

What characterizes prokaryotes?

They do not have a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles and are mostly unicellular.

What are eukaryotes?

Cells that contain a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, and can be unicellular or multicellular.

What distinguishes the Kingdom Fungi?

Eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that most often feed on dead or decaying organic matter.

What makes up the Kingdom Protista?

Includes diverse organisms that can be unicellular or multicellular, such as algae and protozoa.

What is the difference between Linnaean and evolutionary classification?

Linnaean classification is based on visible similarities and differences, while evolutionary classification focuses on evolutionary relationships.

What is cladistic analysis?

A modern method of classification that identifies characteristics of organisms that are evolutionary innovations.

What does the root of a cladogram represent?

The common ancestor shared by all organisms in the cladogram.

What are derived characters in a cladogram?

Characteristics that appear in recent parts of a lineage but not in its older members.

How do DNA sequences affect classification?

Similarities in DNA help determine evolutionary relationships and relatedness among species.

What are the characteristics of the Kingdom Animalia?

Multicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms without cell walls or chloroplasts.

What is the significance of the year 1753 in taxonomy?

Linnaeus introduced his two-kingdom system, classifying organisms into Plantae and Animalia.

What organisms are included in the Kingdom Plantae?

Trees, grasses, ferns, and mosses, which are multicellular and photosynthetic.