Biology Vocab For April 8Th

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Carolus Linnaeus

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Swedish botanist and naturalist who founded the taxonomical biological system of classification, born under the name Karl Linné

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binomial nomenclature

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the formal system of naming species. The system is also called binominal nomenclature (particularly in zoological circles), binary nomenclature (particularly in botanical circles), or the binomial classification system. The essence of is that each species name is in (modern scientific) Latin and has two parts, so that it is also sometimes popularly known as the "Latin name" of the species, although this terminology is frowned upon by biologists and philologists, who prefer the phrase scientific name.

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dichotomous key

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is a method of deducing the correct species assignment of a living thing. As the alternative name implies, it works by offering two (or sometimes more) alternatives at each juncture, and the choice of one of those alternatives determines the next step. For each level of distinction, there is normally a further indent. Some keys use different numbering systems.

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phylogenetic tree

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is a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities that are believed to have a common ancestor. In a phylogenetic tree, each node with descendants represents the most recent common ancestor of the descendants, and the edge lengths in some trees correspond to time estimates. Each node is called a taxonomic unit. Internal nodes are generally called hypothetical taxonomic units (HTUs) as they cannot be directly observed.

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cladogram

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diagram depicting the evolution and ancestry of a particular group of organisms

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autotroph

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microorganism which independently produces the compounds which are necessary for its survival

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unicellular

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an organism that is microscopic (too small to be seen by the human eye). The study of microorganisms is called microbiology. Microorganisms include bacteria, fungi, archaea or protists, but not viruses and prions, which are generally classified as non-living. Most microorganisms are single-celled, or unicellular, but some are microscopic, and some unicellular protists are visible to the average human.

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domain

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a category ranked above kingdom in taxonomy; archaea and bacteria are considered by most to be distinct domains, after once being thought to be in the same kingdom (Archaebacteria); archaea were distinguished from other prokaryotes (Eubacteria) before the distinction between these groups of prokaryotes was shown to be more fundamental.

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kingdom

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The major taxonomic group in the current classification of living organisms with the exception of informal division of prokaryotic and eukaryotic empires. The five Kingdoms are Monera, Protoctista, Fungi, Plants and Animals. In the late 1980s Cavalier-Smith proposed that within the Eukaryota there are six kingdoms: Archezoa, Protozoa, Chromista, Plants, Fungi, and Animals (see also taxonomy).

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phylum

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One of the larger divisions of the animal kingdom; a branch; a grand division.

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class

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A category of classification (taxon); a subdivision of subphylum. The classes in the Subphylum Vertebrata are: Pisces (Fishes), Amphibia, Reptilia, Avis (Birds) and Mammalia.

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order

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a divisoin in the animal kingdom

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family

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a division in the animal kingdom

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genus

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The level of the taxonomic hierarchy above the species but below the family level

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species

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A group of individuals which can successfully breed with each other to produce offspring which can still breed with each other. There are evolutionary, biological, and recognition species concepts.