Taxonomy Quiz

Front 1

Prokaryotic cells.
May be photosynthetic, chemosynthetic, heterotrophic, free living, or parasitic.
Many species can survive without oxygen, and a few species are killed by oxygen.
Some cause diseases or create deadly toxins, but most play beneficial roles such as nitrogen fixation and the breakdown of organic matter to nutrients.

Back 1

Bacteria

Front 2

Prokaryotic cells
Photosynthetic and nitrogen fixing, create oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis.
Believed to be the evolutionary ancestor to eukaryotic green algae and plants.

Back 2

Cyanobacteria

Front 3

Protozoa that move by means of pseudopods.

Back 3

Amoebas

Front 4

Protozoa that move by means of cilia. Paramecium is the best known example.

Back 4

Ciliates

Front 5

Eukaryotic, aquatic, and photosynthetic organisms that are believed to be the evolutionary ancestors of land plants.
May be unicellular or multicellular.
Photosynthetic pigments may be green, brown, or red.

Back 5

Algae

Front 6

Semiaquatic plants with no vascular tissue.
Reproduce by means of spores.
Gametophyte (haploid) generation is dominant.
Include the mosses and liverworts.

Back 6

Bryophytes

Front 7

Heterotrophic, non-motile organisms with a filamentous body structure called a mycelium.
Chitinous cell walls.
Reproduce by means of spores.
Enlarged spore producing structures in many species are commonly called "mushrooms."
Include the unicellular yeasts, but most are multicellular.
Commercially important in medicine, baking, and in the making of alcoholic beverages and some cheeses.

Back 7

Fungi

Front 8

Presently the most diverse and abundant vascular plants that reproduce by spores.
Sporophyte (diploid) generation is dominant, gametophyte is multicellular but greatly reduced.

Back 8

Ferns

Front 9

Plants that bear seeds on cones.
Most have evergreen foliage.
Include pines, spruces, firs, hemlocks, and junipers.

Back 9

Conifers

Front 10

Currently the most diverse phylum of plants.
Flowers are the reproductive structures, most of which are adapted to attract pollinators.
Seeds are contained within fruits, which are adapted in a variety of ways to aid in seed dispersal.

Back 10

Angiosperms

Front 11

Although classed as animals, they bear more resemblance to colonial protozoans as they lack a digestive cavity and cell specialization.

Back 11

Sponges

Front 12

Animals with radial symmetry, a digestive cavity with one opening, and specialized stinging cells.
Many species alternate between motile (medusa) and non-motile (polyp) generations.
Include the jellies, anemones, and corals.

Back 12

Cnidarians

Front 13

Animals with bilateral symmetry, a digestive cavity with one opening, and (in many species) a highly branched digestive cavity that delivers nutrients and removes waste from all body cells.
Include planarians and tapeworms.

Back 13

Flatworms

Front 14

Simplest animals with a two-opening digestive cavity.
Include both free living and parasitic species.
Commonly called "roundworms."

Back 14

Nematodes

Front 15

Simplest animals with a circulatory system.
Segmented bodies with various internal organs repeated across a number of adjacent segments.
Include earthworms and leeches.

Back 15

Annelids

Front 16

Mainly aquatic arthropods with thick chitinous shells reinforced with calcium carbonate.
Include crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.

Back 16

Crustaceans

Front 17

Arthropods with (usually) eight walking legs and two main body segments.
Most species have silk glands and many species are venomous.
Include spiders and scorpions.

Back 17

Arachnids

Front 18

Arthropods that are the most diverse and abundant land animals on earth.
Have six walking legs and three main body segments.
Most species undergo a metamorphosis from a larval to an adult form.
Most species have wings.

Back 18

Insects

Front 19

Mollusks that usually have a spiral shaped calcium carbonate shell.
Have an toothed, tongue-like appendage called a radula that is used in feeding.
Most species are aquatic although some live on land.
Include the snails and slugs.

Back 19

Gastropods

Front 20

Mollusks whose shells are divided into two symmetrical halves that can shut tightly to protect the animal from predators.
Many species have a large foot used for burrowing.
Include clams, oysters, and mussels.

Back 20

Bivalves

Front 21

Mollusks with highly developed eyes and brains.
Foot is divided into numerous grasping tentacles.
Nearly all extant species lack shells or have only a small internal shell.
Include octopuses and squid.

Back 21

Cephalopods

Front 22

Radially symmetrical animals with a water vascular system and numerous tube feet used for anchorage and locomotion.
All live in oceans.
Include sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.

Back 22

Echinoderms

Front 23

Fish with cartilaginous skeletons, well developed jaws, and paired, rigid fins but lacking buoyant swim bladders and gills with opercula.

Back 23

Sharks and rays

Front 24

Aquatic vertebrates with bony skeletons, jointed fins, gills with opercula, and swim bladders.

Back 24

Bony fish

Front 25

Vertebrates with an aquatic larval form with gills and a (usually) semiterrestrial adult form. Although the adult form has lungs, a significant proportion of gas exchange occurs via the skin surface.
Includes frogs, toads, and salamanders.

Back 25

Amphibians

Front 26

Mainly land dwelling vertebrates with covering of scales to prevent desiccation.
Most species lay shelled eggs on land, some species bear live young. Internal fertilization of eggs.
Include lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodilians.

Back 26

Reptiles

Front 27

Endothermic vertebrates with a body covering of feathers.
All lay eggs and lack teeth and most are adapted for flight.

Back 27

Birds

Front 28

Endothermic vertebrates with a covering of hair.
The females of all species possess milk glands and nearly all bear live young.

Back 28

Mammals