Unit 1 · 7 lessons
Diversity of Living Things
How biologists name, classify and identify the enormous variety of life, from bacteria and viruses to plants and animals, and why that variety matters to healthy ecosystems.
- 69 practice questions
- 62 flashcards
Lessons
- 1Classification and TaxonomyWhy biologists classify, the eight taxonomic ranks, binomial nomenclature, the three domains and six kingdoms, and reading and building cladograms.9 questions
- 2Dichotomous Keys and Field SamplingIdentifying organisms with dichotomous keys, building your own key, and estimating population size with quadrats, transects and density calculations.9 questions
- 3Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes and VirusesComparing bacteria and archaea with eukaryotic cells, why viruses are not considered living cells, and the endosymbiotic theory for mitochondria and chloroplasts.9 questions
- 4Protists and FungiHow animal-like, plant-like and fungus-like protists move, feed and reproduce, and how fungi are built from hyphae, grouped by their spores, and act as decomposers, partners, pathogens and sources of medicine.11 questions
- 5From Algae to Flowers: Plant Diversity and EvolutionHow plants evolved from green algae and solved the problems of living on land, how alternation of generations works, and how bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms (monocots and dicots) differ.11 questions
- 6The Animal Kingdom: Invertebrates to VertebratesHow symmetry, tissue layers, body cavities and segmentation describe an animal's body plan, a survey of the nine major animal phyla from sponges to chordates, and the features of the vertebrate classes.11 questions
- 7Biodiversity and Human ImpactGenetic, species and ecosystem diversity, why diverse ecosystems are more resilient, how human activities and climate change reduce biodiversity, and how conservation protects it.9 questions