Download Study Guide

AS Biology
Unit 2 Module 3: Biodiversity and evolution
OCR
Classification
Classification is an attempt to impose a hierarchy on the complex and dynamic variety of life on Earth.
Classification systems have changed and will continue to change as our knowledge of the biology of
organisms develops.
Key Words
Classification. Taxonomy. Phylogeny. Variation.
Species. Extinction. Evolutionary distance.
Evolution. Monophyletic. Taxon. Kingdom. Nucleus.
Prokaryote. Protoctista. Fungi. Plantae. Animalia.
Mycelium. Nutrition. Photosynthesis. Heterotroph.
Eukaryote. DNA. Organelle. Chromosome.
Ribosome. Respiration. Mitochondrion. Parasite.
Autotroph. Extracellular. Enzyme. Disease.
Polysaccharide. Hyphae. Cellulose. Species. Class.
Order. Genus. Domain. Family. Phylum. Binomial
system. Dichotomous key. Environmental impact
assessment. Substrate. Protein. Amino acid. DNA.
RNA. Gene.
You should be able to:
 Define the terms classification, phylogeny and taxonomy.
 Explain the relationship between classification and phylogeny.
 Describe the classification of species into the taxonomic hierarchy of domain, kingdom, phylum,
class, order, family, genus and species.
 Outline the characteristic features of the following five kingdoms: Prokaryotae (Monera),
Protoctista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia.
 Outline the binomial system of nomenclature and the use of scientific (Latin) names for species.
 Use a dichotomous key to identify a group of at least six plants, animals or microorganisms.
 Discuss the fact that classification systems were based originally on observable features but
more recent approaches draw on a wider range of evidence to clarify relationships between
organisms, including molecular evidence.
 Compare and contrast the five-kingdom and three-domain classification systems.
Recommended reading
Core Text Book
Toole & Toole, 4th Ed.
Pgs 200-209
Pgs 74-75
NAS Genetics, Evolution and
Biodiversity
Pgs 28-30