Biodiversity

• What are the three components of biodiversity?

  Diversity of genes, diversity of species, and diversity of ecosystems.
• Diversity of ecosystems is also called structural diversity.
• Diversity of genes allows for species to adapt to and survive environmental changes
• Diversity of species allow for ecosystems to survive environmental changes
• Diversity of ecosystems provides a variety of habitats for different species to thrive
• Structural diversity refers to the different physical shapes and sizes within an ecosystem
• Taxonomy is the naming and grouping of organisms based on physical characteristics and evolutionary history
• Taxonomic levels: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
• What taxon levels compose the binomial nomenclature?

  Genus and species
• The endosymbiotic theory states that the first eukaryotic cells were formed by prokaryotic cells engulfing smaller prokaryotic cells
• Chloroplasts and mitochondria were originally prokaryotic cells which adapted after being engulfed, to living within another cell
• Did all cells contain mitochondria or chloroplasts at first?

  Mitochondria
• What are some threats to biodiversity?

  Habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, invasive species, and pollution,
• Overexploitation is the overuse of natural resources. Faster harvest than they can be replenished
• The exotic pet trade sells wild animals causing imbalances in their ecosystems
• What is the main human cause of habitat loss?


  Deforestation