Classification Study Questions

1.         What is taxonomy and why is it important?

2.         What criterion did Linnaeus use to classify organisms?

3.         What do the two parts of a binomial name represent?

4.         What are the seven levels of classification, from the highest to the lowest?

5.         What criterion do modern taxonomists use to classify organisms?

6.         Define the term phylogenetic tree?

7.         What is systemic taxonomy?

8.         What kinds of data are used by a systemic taxonomist?

9.         How can embryology be used to show phylogenetic relationships that are not evident from morphology?

10.       What are two flaws with the molecular clock model in determining the relatedness between species?

11.       What is a shared derived character?

12.       What is phylogeny?

13.       What do branches that are close together on a phylogenetic tree indicate?

14.       Name the six kingdoms.

15.       How do the two types of bacteria differ from other organisms?

16.       The fungi and animalia are both heterotrophic. How do the differ in their means of obtaining nutrients?

17.       What is the primary difference between the fungi and the plantae?

18.       What two things make the archaebacteria hard to study?

19.       What is the most heterogeneous kingdom in terms of morphology?

20.       What kind of evidence indicates that organisms may fall into three natural domains?

21.       Why do the protists, fungi, plantae, and animalia share a domain in the three doman system?

22.       Why are species names important in scientific work?

23.       What do we call the system of classification this is based on an analysis of shared derived characters?

24.       How might a taxonomists use embryological evidence in classifying an organism?

25.       How do archaebacteria produce food?

26.       What do plants and fungi have in common with animals?

27.       How are plant species subdivided?

28.       How are animal species subdivided?

29.       How are microorganism species subdivided?

30.       What embryological evidence links the echinoderms and the chordates?

31.       Why do twins only form in the chordates and the echinoderms?

32.       Why are the eubacteria able to adapt quickly to changes in their environment?