Unit 2 Classification Vocabulary

Eukarya

A domain made up of all eukaryotes which include protists, plants, fungi, and animals.

Bacteria

A domain made up of prokaryotes that usually have a cell wall and reproduce by cell division

Archaea

A domain made up of prokaryotes, most of which are known to live in extreme environments, that are distinguished from other prokaryotes by differences in their genetics and in the makeup of their cell walls

Species

A group of organisms that are very closely related, they can mate and produce offspring. The eighth highest taxonomic rank, just below genus

Protista

A kingdom called protists, are single-celled or multicellular organisms such as algae and slime molds

Animalia

A kingdom made up of complex, multicellular organisms that lack cell walls, can usually move around, and quickly respond to their environment.

Fungi

A kingdom made up of nongreen, eukaryotic organisms that have no means of movement, reproduce by using spores and get food by breaking down substances in their surroundings and absorbing nutrients.

Plante

A kingdom that consists of multicellular organisms that have cell walls, mostly made of cellulose, cannot move around and use the sun's energy to make sugar by photosynthesis.

Invertebrate

An animal that does not have a backbone

Vertebrate

An animal that has a backbone

Eukaryote

Are made up of cells that have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Genus

Includes similar species and is the seventh highest taxonomic rank, just below family

Multicellular

Organism made up of more than one cell

Unicellular

Organism made up of only one cell

Domain

Represents the largest differences among organisms. The three domains are Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya

Asexual Reproduction

Reproduction that produces offspring identical to parent organism (one set of DNA)

Sexual Reproduction

Reproduction that produces offspring resulting from two sets of DNA

Prokaryote

Single-celled organisms that do not contain a nucleus in their cells.

Stimulus

Something that triggers a response in an organism

Order

The fifth highest taxonomic rank, just below class

Class

The fourth highest taxonomic rank, just below phylum

Taxonomy

The science of describing, classifying, and naming living things.

Kingdom

The second highest taxonomic rank, just below domain. The four kingdoms are Protista, Plante, Fungi, and Animalia. Kingdoms are divided into smaller groups called phyla.

Family

The sixth highest taxonomic rank, just below order

Phylum

The third highest taxonomic rank, just below kingdom.

Dichotomous Key

Used to identify organisms that consist of the answers to a series of questions.