Chapter 19: Classification of Organisms

biodiversity

biological variety of organisms

taxonomy

system of naming and classifying organisms based on shared characteristics and universal rules

bionomial nomenclature

two-part naming system, gives each organism a scientific name

subspecies

variations of a species that live in different geographic regions

phylogeny

study of evolutionary history or lineages of organisms

phylogenetic diagram

“family tree“ of the origin of an organism or a group

root

represents ancestral lineage

branch point or nodes

represents speciation, single ancestral line gives rise to two or more daughter lines

clade

a grouping that includes a common ancestor and all the descendants (living and extinct) of that ancestor

cladistics

system of phylogenetic analysis comparing carefully selected traits to determine the order in which organisms branched off from their common ancestor

shared character

features that all members of a group have in common

derived character

features that evolved in some members of a group

cladogram

phylogenetic diagram based on derived characteristics

bacilli

rod-shaped bacteria

spirilla

spiral-shaped bacteria

cocci

sphere-shaped bacteria

methanogens

organisms that convert H gas and CO2 into methane gas

halophiles

organisms that live in environment with high salt concentration

thermoacidophiles

organisms that live in very acidic, high temp enviroments

mammary glands

milk producing glands to feed offspring

endothermic

regulation of body heat through metabolism (warm-blooded)

oviparity

amniotic eggs in a hard shell

ectothermic

regulation of body heat through external environment (cold-blooded)

dichotomous

tool with series of steps that can be used to identify organisms

virus

non-living particle made of proteins, nucleic acids (DNA or RNA), and some lipids

capsid

protein coat surrounding virus

lytic infection

virus enters a host cell, makes copies of itself and causes the cell to burst (lyse)

lysogenic infection

host cell isn’t immediately taken over, viral genes are copied and inserted into host’s DNA