Classification

1. Explain the characteristics that distinguish living from nonliving things. 2. Name and give examples of the categories used to classify an organism. (Morphology, organization, behavior, biochemistry, genetics, etc.) 3. Be able to make and use taxonomic keys. 4. Demonstrate the ability to classify an organism in all 8 taxa. 5. Identify the 8 main taxonomic ranks of classification: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. 6. Be able to explain the relationship between categories of classification (taxa) and evolutionary relationships. 7. Name the eukaryotic kingdoms, state several characteristics of organisms found there, and state example organisms. 8. Identify organisms and their parts externally by symmetry, segmentation, body location, and skeleton. 9. Identify major features of 9 phyla of animals that place them there. 10. Name and identify the characteristics of 7 classes of vertebrates.
 * Objectives**

Abiotic Alive Autotroph Binomial nomenclature Biodiversity Biotic Body location/axis Class Classification Cladogram Dead Dichotomous key Domain Eukaryote Genus Heterotroph Kingdom Living Multicellular Order Phylum Phylogeny Prokaryote Scientific name Segmentation Skeleton Species Symmetry Taxa (plural)/Taxon (singular) Taxonomic key Taxonomic rank Taxonomy Unicellular
 * Vocabulary**
 * Anterior
 * Dorsal
 * Lateral
 * Posterior
 * Ventral
 * Agnatha (jawless fish)
 * Amphibia (amphibians)
 * Aves (birds)
 * Chondrichthyes (cartilagenous fish)
 * Mammalia (mammals)
 * Osteichthyes (bony fish)
 * Reptilia (reptiles)
 * Archaea
 * Bacteria
 * Eukarya
 * Animalia
 * (Bacteria/Monera)
 * Fungi
 * Plantae
 * Protista
 * Annelida
 * Arthropoda
 * Chordata
 * Cnidaria
 * Echinodermata
 * Mollusca
 * Nematoda
 * Platyhelminthes
 * Porifera
 * Endoskeleton
 * Exoskeleton
 * Hydrostatic skeleton
 * Asymmetrical
 * Bilateral symmetry
 * Radial symmetry
 * Domain
 * Kingdom
 * Phylum
 * Class
 * Order
 * Family
 * Genus
 * Species

1 Bluejays and kingbirds are both classified in the order Passeriformes. In the current taxonomic system, this must mean that the two birds belong to the same A. Family B. Genus C. Phylum D. Species
 * Sample MCAS Questions**

2. The table below provides classification information for four different mammals. Which of these mammals are most closely related to each other? A. 1 and 2 B. 1 and 3 C. 2 and 4 D. 3 and 4
 * **Classification Level** || **Mammal 1** || **Mammal 2** || **Mammal 3** || **Mammal 4** ||
 * **Order** || Rodentia || Lagomorpha || Rodentia || Rodentia ||
 * **Family** || Castoridae || Leporidae || Sciuridae || Sciuridae ||
 * **Genus** || //Castor// || //Sylvilagus// || //Sciurus// || //Sciurus// ||
 * **Species** || //canadensis// || //floridanus// || //niger// || //carolinensis// ||

3. The answer to which of the following questions would be most useful in determining whether to classify an organism in kingdom Plantae or kingdom Animalia? A. Is the organism able to respond to stimuli? B. Is the organism able to make its own food? C. Is the organism unicellular or multicellular? D. Is the organism made of cells with or without nuclei?

4. Organism A is eukaryotic, is unicellular, and lacks a cell wall. Organism B is eukaryotic, is multicellular, has a cell wall, and contains chloroplasts. In which kingdoms should these organisms be classified? A. Organism A in Protista and Organism B in Fungi B. Organism A in Protista and Organism B in Plantae C. Organism A in Animalia and Organism B in Fungi D. Organism A in Animalia and Organism B in Plantae

5. Lobsters and spiders are both classified in the phylum Arthropoda. Lobsters and spiders are therefore also classified in the same A. class. B. family. C. genus. D. kingdom.

6. Scientists have discovered a new type of organism. To assign the organism to a domain and kingdom, which of the following is most important for scientists to know? A. the organism's cell structure B. the organism's population size C. the organism's social behavior D. the organism's reproductive rate

7. //Trichodina// is a eukaryotic organism that attaches itself to fish and eats bacteria. Which of the following distinguishes //Trichodina// from all prokaryotes? A. //Trichodina// is unicellular. B. //Trichodina// has a nucleus. C. //Trichodina// has a cytoplasm. D. //Trichodina// is heterotrophic.

8. Organisms in the kingdoms Animalia and Fungi are similar in some ways but are also different in many important ways. a. List one organism classified in kingdom Animalia and one organism classified in kingdom Fungi. b. Describe two similarities between organisms in kingdom Animalia and kingdom Fungi. c. Describe two differences between organisms in kingdom Animalia and kingdom Fungi.

1. C 2. D 3. B 4. B 5. D 6. A 7. B
 * ANSWERS**