Classifying and Exploring Life

Classification

6 Kingdoms

Domains

Dichotomous Key

Fill-in-the-Blank

100

Organisms are classified based on their similarities, going from most general to most specific. Which of the following is the correct order of the levels of the classification system?

A. domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

B. species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain

C. kingdom, domain, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

D. phylum, kingdom, domain, class, family, order, species, genus

A. domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

100

A classification chart lists several species and their kingdoms. Which kingdom is defined by organisms that are multicellular, have cell walls, and are autotrophic?

A. Animalia

B. Plantae

C. Fungi

D. Protista

A. Animalia

100

Which of the following is NOT a domain?

A. Bacteria

B. Plantae

C. Archaea

D. Eukarya

B. Plantae

100

A simple dichotomous key is used to identify plants:

1a. Plant has needles → Go to 2
1b. Plant has broad leaves → Go to 3

2a. Needles are in bundles → Pine tree
2b. Needles are single → Spruce tree

3a. Leaves are shaped like a hand → Maple tree
3b. Leaves are long and narrow → Willow tree

Which description best fits a maple tree?

A. has needles, needles in bundles
B. has needles, single needles
C. has broad leaves, shaped like a hand
D. has broad leaves, long and narrow

C. has broad leaves, shaped like a hand

100

Two organisms in the same g_______ are very closely r_______.

genus, related

200

Which of the following is the broadest level in the Linnaean system of classification?

A. species

B. genus

C. kingdom

D. domain

200

Which kingdom includes living things that can make their own food using sunlight?

A. Animalia
B. Fungi
C. Plantae
D. Protista

C. Plantae

200

A student observes a cell under a microscope and sees no nucleus. To which domain does the cell most likely belong?

A. Eukarya
B. Bacteria
C. Animalia
D. Plantae

B. Bacteria

200

A dichotomous key helps identify flowers:

1a. Flower color is yellow → Go to 2
1b. Flower color is white → Go to 3

2a. Has long stem → Sunflower
2b. Has short stem → Dandelion

3a. Grows on a bush → Gardenia
3b. Grows on a tree → Dogwood

Which description best fits a dandelion?

A. yellow flower, long stem
B. yellow flower, short stem
C. white flower, grows on bush
D. white flower, grows on tree

B. yellow flower, short stem

200

Traits like body covering, reproduction, and warm‑ or cold‑bloodedness help scientists c________ organisms.

compare

300

Scientists classify living things at eight different levels. The more levels organisms share, the more closely they are related. In which one of the following classification levels are organisms most closely related to each other?

A. phylum

B. order

C. genus

D. species

300

Mushrooms, molds, and yeast belong to which kingdom?

A. Fungi
B. Animalia
C. Plantae
D. Protista

A. fungi

300

Which statement best describes why Eukarya and Bacteria are classified in different domains?

A. They are not classified in the same domain because most scientists can’t come to an agreement.

B. They are not classified in the same domain because of their size differences.

C. They are not classified in the same domain because they live in different environments.

D. They are not classified in the same domain because one does not have a nucleus in their cells.

300

The simple dichotomous key shown below is used to identify different plants.

Which of the following best describes a Platanus occidentalis?

A. does not have bark, does not have violet flowers

B. does not have bark, does not have yellow flowers

C. does have bark, does not have violet flowers

D. does have bark, does have violet flowers

C. does have bark, does not have violet flowers

300

If two organisms share only the same k__________, they are not very related.

kingdom

400

Analyze the table below. Which two species are most closely related?

A. Blackthorn and Bird Cherry

B. Blackthorn and Smooth Leaved Elm

C. Whitebeam and Bird Cherry

D. Whitebeam and Smooth Leaved Elm

A. Blackthorn and Bird Cherry

400

Which kingdom includes both unicellular and multicellular organisms, such as algae and slime molds?

A. Animalia

B. Protista

C. Plantae

D. Fungi

B. Protista

400

Which statement best explains why animals and plants belong in the same domain?

A. They are both the same size.
B. They both have cells with a nucleus.
C. They both live on land.
D. They eat the same types of food.

B. They both have cells with a nucleus.

400

A dichotomous key identifies different leaves:

1a. Leaf edge is smooth → Go to 2
1b. Leaf edge is jagged (serrated) → Go to 3

2a. Leaf is round → Magnolia
2b. Leaf is heart‑shaped → Redbud

3a. Jagged edge, triangle shape → Birch
3b. Jagged edge, oval shape → Elm

Which description best fits a birch leaf?

A. smooth edge, round
B. smooth edge, heart‑shaped
C. jagged edge, triangle shape
D. jagged edge, oval shape

C. jagged edge, triangle shape

400

A table that shows s___________ and d___________ between organisms is called a classification table.

similarities and differences

500

A classification table shows various organisms and their shared characteristics. If two organisms share the same family and genus, what can be inferred about their relationship?

A. They are more distantly related than organisms from the same kingdom.

B. They share a recent common ancestor.

C. They are unrelated.

D. They belong to different phyla.

A. They are more distantly related than organisms from the same kingdom.

500

Which kingdom has organisms that have no nucleus in their cells?

A. Fungi
B. Protista
C. Bacteria
D. Plantae

C. Bacteria

500

Which characteristic is most important when classifying an organism into a domain?

A. The organism’s color.
B. Whether the organism can move.
C. Whether the organism has a nucleus.
D. The organism’s location on Earth.

C. Whether the organism has a nucleus.

500

Key:

1a. Creature has 1–2 eyes → go to 2
1b. Creature has 3 eyes → go to 3

2a. Has 1 eye → Blip
2b. Has 2 eyes → Mip

3a. Has 2 legs → Zog
3b. Has 4 legs → Drak

Questions:

Which creature has 3 eyes and 4 legs?
Which creature has only 1 eye?

1. Drak

2. Blip

500

A recent common ancestor means two o__________ are closely related.

organisms