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Classification of Living Things Vocabulary
You may have students use index cards or you can instruct them to fold a sheet of notebook
paper in half the long way (vertically) and then fold the paper in half twice. This will create 8
cards per sheet of notebook paper. This is an excellent way for students to learn vocabulary
terms because they can determine if they know the definition or the word or the term by
looking at either side of the card. As well, it will make students start dissecting words to better
understand science vocabulary. Learning the vocabulary words will enable the students to play
science taboo later in the lesson. Students may need to finish vocabulary cards for homework,
Front of Card
Term: Binomial Nomenclature
Back of Card
Definition:
taxonomic naming system with 2 parts; is
the scientific name for any organism, genus
and species; Genus is capitalized and
species is lower case where name is either
underlined or italicized
Prefix: Bi =2
Root: nomen = name
Suffix: ure =action or condition
Use term in a sentence:
Examples:
Binomial nomenclature is a way to name
Homo sapiens
organisms so that all scientists can
Equus caballus
recognize them as the same organism.
Possible Classification Vocabulary
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acoelomate: animal that lacks a coelom; sponges, cnidarians, flatworms.
amniotic egg: egg with protective shell and internal membranes that keeps the developing fetus
moist and nourished.
Analogous Structure: Structures in different organisms that serve a similar function but differ in
structure; results from convergent evolution.
Animalia: Kingdom with sponges, roundworms, flatworms, mollusks, arthropods, annelids,
echinoderms, chordates; multicellular, heterotrophs
Archae: prokaryotic extremophiles domain
Arthropods: Phylum of animals with bilateral symmetry, segmentation and exoskeleton.
asexual reproduction: form of reproduction where offspring are genetically identical to the
parent.
Bilateral symmetry: Body plan where animal can be divided into matching halves with central
plane.
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binomial nomenclature: taxonomic naming system; is the scientific name for any organism,
genus and species.
blastopore: embryonic structure that develops into the anus in deuterostomes or develops into
the mouth in protostomes.
Cell specialization: In multicellular organisms each cell is devoted to carrying out certain tasks.
cephalization: concentration of sense organs towards the front of the body.
cladistic analysis: analysis of the order in which derived characters appeared in organisms.
Cladogram: Branching diagram that illustrates the evolutionary relatedness of organisms and
derived characteristics.
Class: Taxonomic group more general than order and more specific than phylum; composed of
many orders.
closed circulatory system: system where blood travels only through continuous, looping blood
vessels; most chordates.
Coelom: Body cavity lined with mesoderm.
Coelomate: Animal with a coelom (body cavity); arthropods,
mollusks, chordates, etc.
Convergent Evolution: Pattern of evolution when species without a recent common ancestor
evolve similar adaptations and traits because of similar environments.
derived characteristic: a trait that evolved that sets members of a group apart from other
individuals or groups.
deuterostome: animals with the embryonic development where the blastopore becomes the
anus.
dichotomous key: identification tool that gives 2 choices in a series of steps using physical
characteristics.
digestive tract: tube that starts with the mouth and ends with the anus used for the
consumption, digestion and egestion of food.
Domain: A new layer added to the taxonomic system which is more inclusive than a kingdom. (3
Domains: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya)
Double loop circulation: System where blood travels through a 3 or 4 chamber heart in two
loops- one loop to lungs
ectothermy: form of body temperature regulation where heat is gained from the environment;
fish, reptiles.
endoskeleton: form of skeleton where internal bones support and protect; unique to
echinoderms and chordates.
endothermy: form of body temperature regulation where the heat is generated within the body
of the animal: birds, mammals.
Eubacteria: Kingdom of prokaryotes where cell walls are composed of peptidoglycan; ubiquitous
bacteria.
Eukarya: Domain composed of Protista, Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae; all members have a
nucleus and cellular organelles.
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exoskeleton: form of skeleton where external plates made of chitin support and protect the
animal; unique to arthropods.
external fertilization: when sperm and egg join outside of body.
Family: Taxonomic group more general than order but more specific than class; composed of
many gena.
Fungi: kingdom with mold, mushrooms, and yeasts: multi/unicellular heterotrophs.
gastrovascular cavity: cavity with one opening used for ingestion, digestion and egestion of
food; found in cnidarians and flatworms.
Genus: Taxonomic group more general than species but more specific than family; composed of
many species.
Homologous Structure: Structures in different organisms that develop from the same
embryonic tissues but serve a different function in the mature form; result from adaptive
radiation of common ancestor.
hydrostatic skeleton: form of skeleton where water is the form of support; cnidarians, worms,
mollusks.
internal fertilization: when sperm and egg join inside female body.
invertebrate: animals that lack a vertebrae (back bone)
Kingdom: Taxonomic group more general than class but more specific than domain; Eubacteria,
Archaebacteria, Protista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia
Notochord: Embryonic structure characteristic of all chordates;
leads to vertebrae in most chordates.
open circulatory system: system where blood travels through sinuses and bloods is not always
contained in vessels: arthropods, some annelids.
Order: Taxonomic group more general than family but more specific than class.
oviparous: form of reproduction where the animal lays an egg: most fish, amphibians, reptiles,
and birds.
ovoviviparous: live birth from the adult which is holding the egg: some fish, some sharks.
Peptidoglycan: A substance found in the cell walls of the thick, rigid cell walls that surround the
cell membrane of Bacteria
Phylum: Taxonomic group more general than class but more specific than kingdom.
Plantae: Kingdom with ferns, mosses, flowering plants, trees, and grasses; multicellular,
autotrophs.
Prokaryote: Organisms with cells that lack a nucleus.
Protista: Kingdom with algae and protozoa; Uni;/multicellular Hetero/Autotrophs.
Pseudocoelomate: Animal without a true coelom; unique to roundworms.
Radial symmetry: body plan where arrangement of parts of animal appears around a single
main axis.
sexual reproduction: form of reproduction where offspring are genetically different from the 2
parents.
Single loop circulation: System where blood travels in one loop through a double chamber heart
once; most fish.
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Species: a group of individuals that can successfully breed with each other and produce fertile
offspring.
Taxonomy: The science of describing, naming and classifying the vast diversity of living
organisms into like groups.
vertebrate: animals that have a vertebrae (back bone)
viviparous: live birth; mammals