Characteristics and classifications of life

• Taxonomy


  The classification of organisms
• Taxa (taxon)


  A group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms
• Binomial Nomenclature

  The formal system of naming species
• Phylogenetics


  The study of the evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms
• Speciation


  The process of formation of new and distinct species
• Outgroup


  A group of organisms that is not closely related to the group being studied
• Common Ancestor

  An organism from which two or more organisms are descended
• Derived Characteristics

  Traits that have evolved in a particular lineage
• Genus


  The first part of the scientific name
• Species


  The second part of the scientific name
• A closely related organism

  Shares the genus name
• the characteristics of life are: Made up of cells, based on genetic code, grow and develop, respond to environment, have homeostasis, have metabolism, reproduce, and adapt and evolve
• kingdom of classification of life: Animalia, plantae, fungi, protists, eubacteria, archaebacteria
• The three domains of life are bacteria and archaea (Prokaryotes, and eukarya (Eukaryote)
• Bacteria is prokaryotic, single-celled, no nucleus or membrane bound organelles, cell wall made from peptidoglycan, flagella used for movement, reproduction by binary fission.
• Archaea is prokaryotic, single-celled, no nucleus or membrane bound organelles, cell walls made from glycoproteins, flagella used for movement, reproduction by binary fission.
• eukaryota is eukaryotic, multicellular, has a nucleus and membrane bound organelles, cell wall made from chitin, flagella used for movement, reproduction by mitosis.
• Homeostasis: the tendency towards a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.
• Metabolism: the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life
• Reproduction: the action or process of copying something
• Unicellular: (of protozoans, certain algae, spores, etc.) consisting of a single cell
• Multicellular: (of an organism or part) having or consisting of many cells.
• Autotroph: an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.

  
• Heterotroph: A heterotroph is an organism that cannot produce its own food, instead taking nutrition from other sources of organic carbon, mainly plant or animal matter

  
• Eukaryote: The eukaryotes constitute the domain of Eukarya or Eukaryote, organisms whose cells have a membrane-bound nucleus
• Prokaryote: A prokaryote is a single-cell organism whose cell lacks a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles
• Eubacteria: Prokaryotic, unicellular, Cell wall of peptidoglycan, autotroph heterotroph and a chemoautotroph, asexual reproduction, nitrogen fixation and aids with digestion (Some pathogenic)
• Archaea: Prokaryotic, unicellular, No cell walls, autotroph heterotroph and a chemolithoautotroph, asexual reproduction, lives in extreme condition
• Fungi: Eukaryotic, mostly Multicellular, cell wall made of chitin, heterotroph, asexual or sexual reproduction, some pathogenic or decomposers (Food production)
• Protista: Prokaryotic, unicellular, cell wall present but not in all, heterotroph and autotroph, mostly asexual but some sexual, highly diverse and some pathogenic
• Plantae: eukaryotic, multicellular, cell wall made of cellulose, all are photoautotroph, asexual or sexual, major source of food and oxygen
• Animalia: Eukaryotic, multicellular, no cell wall, all are heterotroph, mostly sexual but some asexual, highly diverse and some parasitic
• Peptidoglycan: a substance forming the cell walls of many bacteria
• Chitin: a fibrous substance consisting of polysaccharides, which is the major constituent in the exoskeleton of the cell walls of fungi.
• Cellulose: an insoluble substance which is the main constituent of plant cell walls, It is a polysaccharide consisting of chains of glucose monomers.
• Taxonomy: the branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms, based on their structure and evolutionary relationships
• Classification system: A hierarchical arrangement of taxonomic categories that groups organisms according to shared characteristics.
• Taxa (taxon): ranking given to groups to be classified
• Largest to smallest hierarchy system: Domain Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
• Binomial Nomenclature: A system of naming organisms that uses the genus and species name.