4.3 Classification & evolution
Define species
A group of organisms with similar characteristic and alleles and can breed to produce fertile
offspring
Describe the basics of a taxonomical hierarchy
Organisms are classified into groups, which are subdivided into more groups
Organisms are classified in terms of similar or shared features, these may be
obvious or determined by biochemical or genetic tests
There is no overlap between groups, it can either be one or the other and cannot fall
halfway between groups
State the taxonomic hierarchy
• Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
What is the rule for naming a member of a species?
Genus part of name has a upper case first letter, species part of the name has a
lower case first letter
Compare the new 3 domain system with the older 5 kingdom system
Kingdom – organisms placed into one of the following groups: Animalia, Plantae,
Fungi, Protoctista & Prokaryotae
Domains - Prokaryotes (cells without a nucleus) are now divided into 2 domains –
Archea & bacteria
Eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus) are place in the domain Eukarya.
Why was the classification system changed & the 3 domain system
introduced?
Define species
A group of organisms with similar characteristic and alleles and can breed to produce fertile
offspring
Describe the basics of a taxonomical hierarchy
Organisms are classified into groups, which are subdivided into more groups
Organisms are classified in terms of similar or shared features, these may be
obvious or determined by biochemical or genetic tests
There is no overlap between groups, it can either be one or the other and cannot fall
halfway between groups
State the taxonomic hierarchy
• Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
What is the rule for naming a member of a species?
Genus part of name has a upper case first letter, species part of the name has a
lower case first letter
Compare the new 3 domain system with the older 5 kingdom system
Kingdom – organisms placed into one of the following groups: Animalia, Plantae,
Fungi, Protoctista & Prokaryotae
Domains - Prokaryotes (cells without a nucleus) are now divided into 2 domains –
Archea & bacteria
Eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus) are place in the domain Eukarya.
Why was the classification system changed & the 3 domain system
introduced?
