Vocabulary
What term refers to any individual living thing (such as a plant, animal, bacterium, or fungus)?
Organism
Binomial nomenclature is a two-part naming system. Which two levels of classification make up an organism's scientific name?
Genus and Species
List the 8 main levels of classification in order from the broadest to the most specific.
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
Name the 3 domains of life.
Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.
Prokaryotes have how many cells?
One
What is the scientific study of how living things are classified and named?
Taxonomy
What are two rules for writing a scientific name correctly?
Capitalize the Genus name and keep the species name lowercase.
Italicize the entire name when typing (or underline it when writing by hand).
Name two physical characteristics and two chemical/cellular characteristics scientists use to determine relationships among living organisms.
Physical: Body structure/anatomy, bone structures, presence of limbs, coat type.
Chemical/Cellular: DNA, cellular organization (prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic), amount of cells
What fundamental criteria are used to place organisms into their respective domains?
prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic, ability to eat, cell make-up
What domain are single-celled prokaryotes often adapted to extreme environments
Archaea
Contrast a prokaryote with a eukaryote based on the presence of a nucleus.
Prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus (their DNA floats freely), whereas Eukaryotes have a distinct nucleus containing their genetic material.
Why is binomial nomenclature helpful to scientists worldwide compared to using common names?
It provides a universal language that avoids confusion caused by regional or language-based common names (e.g., a "cougar," "mountain lion," and "puma" all refer to Puma concolor).
Why is having a standardized classification system important for biological science?
It allows scientists to organize information, identify new species accurately, track evolutionary relationships, and communicate without language barriers.
What key feature separates Domain Archaea from Domain Bacteria?
Where they can survive
Organisms with eukaryotic cells have how many kingdoms AND belong to which domain?
4 - Eukarya