(DIV) Diversity Module Overview

Diversity Module Overview

"It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's Superman!'" are the famous words in a comic book based on the heroic actions of the man of steel. The giant letter S, the red and blue suit, and the red cape on a man zooming through the sky are all major features, or characteristics, that help onlookers easily identify Superman.

When we discover a unique organism in the rainforest or a remote area of the world, we try to use characteristics to determine what it is related to.  Physical or superficial characteristics will not always be useful to identify organisms. Stating that penguins and zebras are closely related because they are both black and white would not be accurate because they share few characteristics otherwise.  Penguins are birds that live in the Arctic, where it is very cold; zebras are mammals found in warm habitats such as the savannas in Africa. Both, however, are vertebrates (animals with backbones), so they do share some basic characteristics, such as backbones and four limbs.  

Scientists use a classification system to group and organize different species of organisms.  Classification can be based on physical, physiological, habitat, and genetic characteristics.

 

Essential Questions

  1. How can a dichotomous key be used to identify an organism?
  2. Considering the tremendous diversity of living organisms, how can they be compared scientifically?
  3. What are the characteristics of prokaryotes?
  4. What are the characteristics of plants that make them unique?
  5. What do the levels of classification indicate about the relationship between organisms?
  6. What characteristics are used to classify organisms into domains and kingdoms?

 

Key Terms

  1. Binomial nomenclature - the scientific naming of species whereby each species receives a Latin name of two parts, the first indicating the genus and the second being the species.
  2. Taxonomy - the branch of science that is associated with the description, identification, naming, and classification of organisms.
  3. Dichotomous Key - a key where the sequence and structure of identification steps is fixed by the author of the key.
  4. Prokaryote - an organism of the kingdom Monera (or Prokaryotae), comprising the bacteria and cyanobacteria, characterized by the absence of a distinct, membrane-bound nucleus or membrane-bound organelles, and by DNA that is not organized into chromosomes.
  5. Animal Kingdom - a main classification of living organisms that includes all animals.
  6. Plant Kingdom - a main classification of living organisms that includes all plants.
  7. Eukaryote - an organism that contains a nucleus and membrane bound organelles.
  8. Unicellular - an organism composed of one cell that carries out all life's functions.
  9. Multicellular - an organism composed of two or more cells that carries out all life's functions.
  10. Asexual reproduction - reproduction involving one parent where offspring are identical to parent.
  11. Sexual reproduction - reproduction involving two parents, each producing sex cells that combine to create a unique individual.
  12. Heterotrophs (or Consumers) - organisms that cannot make their own food.
  13. Autotrophs (or Producers) - use photosynthesis, to convert the energy in sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into chemical energy or food (glucose).

 

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