2.1: Classification and biodiversity

Taxonomy

Hierarchical, discrete and tentative grouping of organisms based on their characteristics.

Taxon

A singular level of taxonomical grouping of organisms.

DKPCOFGS

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

Linnaeus

Developed the taxonomical grouping of organisms.

Binomial

The naming system using genus and species.

Eukaryota

Domain containing organisms with eukaryotic cells, such as plants, animals and fungi.

Archaea

Domain containing ancient bacteria with unusual metabolisms.

Extremophiles

Live in extreme conditions that humans couldn’t survive, such as high temperatures and lack of oxygen.

Eubacteria

Domain containing familar bacteria, such as E.coli

Protista

Kingdom that contains organisms that can be multi or single celled organisms, and may have animal or plant like cells, or both. They can have chloroplasts, vacuoles, cellulose cell walls and can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.

Plantae

Kingdom that contains organisms that can reproduce via seeds or spores, based on whether they are flowering or not. They are multicellular, have permanent vacuoles, cellulose cell walls and are autotrophic.

Animalia

Kingdom that contains organisms that are multicellular, with temporary small vacuoles, no cell wall and are heterotrophic.

Fungi

Kingdom that contains organisms that can be single celled or hyphal, meaning that they are connected through branches. They have permanent vacuoles, chitin cell walls and can be either saprotrophic or parasitic.

Prokaryotic

Kingdom that contains organisms that microscopic, single-celled, some have mesosomes and photosynthetic lamellae, peptidoglycan cell walls and can be parasitic, saprotrophic or autotrophic.

Chordata

Phylum that means backbone.

Phylogenetic

A form of classification based of evolutionary links between species.

Cladograms

Phylogenetic trees, show the closest common ancestor between species.

LUCA

Last universal common ancestor.

Homologous

Structures with a similar origin but different function.

Analogous

Structures with a different origin but the same function.

Divergent

Evolution where organisms with similar origins evolve to have different traits.

Convergent

Evolution where organisms with different origins evolve similar traits.

DNA hybridisation

DNA is mixed from two different species, once the strands are separated and cut into fragments. They mix where there are complementary base pairings.

Immunology

Mixing the antigens of one species with the antibodies of another species, the more coagulation the closer the relation.

Biodiversity

The more different species and the amounts of these different species.

Succession

Organisms changing their habitat, making it more suitable for other populations.

Natural selection

Process of adaptation that happens due to mutations.

Simpson’s biodiversity index

Counting the different species in an area and their amounts and using a calculation to figure out the amount of biodiversity, the highest being one.

Lincoln’s index

Also known as capture-recapture technique, where an amount of a species is captured and marked, and then an amount is recaptured once the marked have time to integrate. Then the amount recaptured that were marked is captured, and a mathematical equation is used to calculate the amount of that species in an area.

Anatomical

Adaptative traits which animals are born with, such as dolphins having streamlined bodies for swimming.

Physiological

Adaptative traits which involve temporary states the organism goes through, such as hedgehogs hibernating.

Behavioural

Adaptative traits which change an animals behaviour, such as bird migration.

Locus

A gene’s position on a chromosome.

Polymorphism

A locus with two or more alleles, with the rarest occuring more than could be accounted for by mutations.

DNA fingerprinting

Comparing the genetic profiles of organisms by comparing the number and position of the bands in their DNA profile.

SNP

What a one base difference is known as.

HVR or STR

Regions of DNA that vary, between 20-40 base sequences long and often repeated many times.

Species richness

Term describing the element of biodiversity that focuses on the amount of different species.

Species evenness

Term describing the element of biodiversity that focuses on the number of organisms within each species.