Lab 6

• The diversity of organisms has steadily increased over evolutionary time. Some 1.8 million species have been named and described, but biologists estimate 10-200 million species exist on Earth (Campbell and Reece, 2008)
• Systematics


  The study of biological diversity, the causes and origins of diversity, and evolutionary relationships
• Taxonomy


  The theory and practice of identification and classification of species
• The five kingdoms of living organisms

  • Monera
  • Protista
  • Fungi
  • Plantae
  • Animalia
• The major taxonomic categories of classification as Carolus Linnaeus proposed

  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
• Binomial System of Nomenclature

  A scientific name composed of two parts: the genus (generic name) and the species (specific epithet)
• Taxonomic key


  A tool that shows a series of choices about the characteristics of different organisms where one can pick from these to identify the specimen
• Dichotomous key


  A series of two contrasting statements about characteristic features that divide the unidentified organisms into two groups at a time
• Sample dichotomous key classifying organisms


  • fox
  • bird
  • chameleon
  • jellyfish
  • earthworm
• Preserved specimens, pencil, prepared microorganism slides, and a device for research are the materials needed for the activity
• Carolus Linnaeus - proposed the major taxonomic categories
• Binomial System of Nomenclature - scientific name of Linnaean Classification system
• Diversity of Life - title of the first procedure
• Construction of Dichotomous Field Key- title of the second procedure
• Systematics and Taxonomy - title of the lab report