Biodiversity and classification

Written by Dr. Hira Salman (Biology)

MDCAT · Biology · 9 questions

Name: ____________________ Date: ____________

Binomial nomenclature was introduced by:
- A Charles Darwin
- B Robert Whittaker
- C Carolus Linnaeus
- D Aristotle
Which is the largest of these taxonomic groups?
- A Order
- B Genus
- C Class
- D Family
Viruses are often considered non-living because they:
- A Cannot reproduce outside a host cell
- B Have a cell wall
- C Contain no genetic material
- D Are too small to see
Which kingdom has cell walls made of chitin?
- A Fungi
- B Protista
- C Monera
- D Plantae
Bacteria usually reproduce by:
- A Budding only
- B Binary fission
- C Mitosis
- D Meiosis
A virus that infects bacteria is called a:
- A Prion
- B Viroid
- C Retrovirus
- D Bacteriophage
Which group of animals has jointed legs and an exoskeleton of chitin?
- A Mollusca
- B Cnidaria
- C Arthropoda
- D Annelida
Which of these is a gymnosperm?
- A Maize
- B Mango
- C Rose
- D Pinus
Methanogens and halophiles are members of which group?
- A Archaea
- B Bacteria
- C Protozoa
- D Fungi

Answer key

1. C, 2. C, 3. A, 4. A, 5. B, 6. D, 7. C, 8. D, 9. A

Linnaeus gave every species a two-part Latin name made of the genus and the species.
The ranks go from largest to smallest as class, order, family, genus and species.
A virus has no metabolism of its own and can multiply only by using the machinery of a host cell.
Fungal cell walls contain chitin. Plant cell walls are made of cellulose.
A bacterial cell copies its DNA and then divides into two identical cells by binary fission.
Bacteriophages, or phages, infect bacteria. T4 is a well-known example.
Insects, spiders and crustaceans are arthropods, with jointed appendages and a chitin exoskeleton.
Pinus, the pine, has naked seeds in cones. Mango, maize and rose are flowering plants.
These extremophiles belong to the domain Archaea, which is separate from the true bacteria.