What is the generally accepted definition of a species?

A species is a group of organisms that are able to breed to produce fertile living offspring.

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Why do scientists classify organisms?

  1. Identify new species
  2. Study evolutionary relationships
  3. Understand shared traits and adaptations
  4. Share research globally to identify links with organisms on other continents

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What is the sequence of taxa in the biological hierarchy (e.g. phylum, class, kingdom) from largest to smallest?

Domain âž” kingdom âž” phylum âž” class âž” order âž” family âž” genus âž” species


A mnemonic that may help you remember this is 'Did King Philip Came Over For Good Soup'.

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What is the binomial system of naming species?

Each species is identified by a two part name consisting of the genus and the species.


For example, Homo sapiens.

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What are the five kingdoms used to classify organisms?

  1. Prokaryotae (prokaryotes)
  2. Protoctista (unicellular eukaryotes)
  3. Fungi (such as yeasts)
  4. Plantae (plants)
  5. Animalia (animals)

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What are the three recognised domains of life?

  1. Archaea
  2. Bacteria
  3. Eukarya

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What are the key physiological and structural differences between Archaea and Bacteria?

  1. Archaea membranes have unique membranes (containing fatty acids that are bound to glycerol by ether linkages)
  2. Archaea have a more complex form of RNA polymerase
  3. Only Bacteria have peptidogylcan (murein) in their cell walls
  4. The genes and protein synthesis in Archaea are more similar to Eukarya than Bacteria

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What are the characteristic features of the kingdom Protoctista?

  1. Mainly unicellular organisms (some simple multicellular organisms)
  2. Have a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles
  3. Some have chloroplasts with chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis and so are autotrophic
  4. Some ingest other organisms and so are heterotrophic
  5. Some are parasitic

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What are the characteristic features of the kingdom Fungi?

  1. Some are unicellular and some are multicellular
  2. Have a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles
  3. No chloroplasts
  4. Body made of hyphae
  5. Cell wall made of chitin
  6. Reproduce by spores
  7. Obtain food by absorbing dissolved organic material and so are saprophytic

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What are the characteristic features of the kingdom Plantae?

  1. Multicellular
  2. Have a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles
  3. Contain chloroplasts with chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis and so are autotrophic
  4. Cell walls made of cellulose
  5. Store sugars in the form of starch

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What are the characteristic features of the kingdom Animalia?

  1. Multicellular
  2. Have a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles
  3. No cell walls
  4. No chloroplasts
  5. Ingest other organisms and so are heterotrophic
  6. Store sugars as glycogen

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What environments are Eubacteria and Archaebacteria typically found in?

Eubacteria are found in all environments, while Archaebacteria are found in extreme environments.

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