Senior Biology Chapter 3 Answers

Review Questions 1. Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms and the ecosystems in which they take part. 2. Organisms can be grouped by their role in an ecosystem, where they are found, whether they are dangerous or not or by their respective economic importance. 3. One way is to group domestic animals and wild animals separately. That is one way children might group animals. Another way is by their structure. 4. It would be essential to correctly identify poisonous animals in the case of a bite or sting. That way the correct treatment can be applied. It is also essential to be exact in the identification of species used as food or drugs so that accidents dont occur. 5. Ecosystems can be freshwater, marine or terrestrial. An example of this would be a freshwater lake. Ecosystems can be named by the dominant species. For example, the Mitchell grass downs. Ecosystems can also be named by the type of dominant plant. Eg saltbush. 6. Freshwater ecosystem is not a complete description as there are different types of freshwater ecosystems and each have different qualities. (Ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, shallow wetlands) 7a Biomes are worldwide groupings of ecological communities according to climate. 7b Forest biomes in Australia hug the coastline and would have a significant rainfall to maintain the plant life. The desert biomes of Australia are inland and have a low rainfall. 8. The differences between closed forests, open forests and woodlands are based on canopy cover. The closed forest has a cover of 70 100%. Little sunlight penetrates to the floor. The open forest has a cover of 30 70% and is usually dominated by eucalypts. The woodland occurs in drier areas and has a canopy cover of less than 30%. 9a Species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom 9b The organisms are most alike when they are the same species. 10. Organisms that are the same species closely resemble each other and can interbreed. 11. All domestic dogs are the same species because it is theoretically possible for any of them to interbreed and form fertile offspring. (Theoretically as great danes and Chihuahuas are unlikely to be able to breed together) 12a A hybrid is the offspring produced from mating organisms from two different species. 12b A mule is not considered a species as it is not naturally occurring and is not able to reproduce. 13a Binomial means two words are used in the name. The genus name and specific epithet make up the species name. 13b When writing a species name, the genus should be given a capital letter and the specific epithet should not. When hand-written, the species name should be underlined and when typewritten, given italics. For example: Macropus rufus 14. Monera Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia single-celled single-celled heterotrophic, multicellular multicellular and or in colonies, multi or single and and prokaryotic eukaryotic celled, eukaryotic, eukaryotic, cells eukaryotic autotrophic heterotrophic bacteria and amoeba, yeast, trees, cats, dogs, cyanobacteria euglena, mushrooms flowering grasshoppers, seaweed plants, flies, fish grasses 93393418.doc 1

Bacteria 1. Scientists are changing the way they group bacteria based on DNA evidence. 2. Gram-positive cocci bacteria cause disease in humans. Gram-negative bacteria include the nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with legumes and other disease causing bacteria. Cyanobacteria resemble seaweed and can cause toxic blooms in waterways. 3. Archaea are organisms of extreme environments as some can tolerate very high temperatures and others can tolerate very salty conditions. Others in the group can use hydrogen and carbon dioxide to make sugars. Naming Bush Tucker 1a The Aboriginal people named organisms so that they could discuss food and be able to identify what was safe to eat and how to eat it. 1b Different Aboriginal groups used different names as they cam from different tribes with their own languages. Also, as they lived in different areas, they may not have had names for things that were not common where they lived. 1c Scientists today use a worldwide naming system so that people all over the world can understand which organism is being spoken about and understand how it relates to other organisms. 2. There are several ways that society may benefit from the knowledge of the Aboriginal people. One way is the identification of potential drug-producing plants. One example is the quinine plant which is used to make blood pressure medication. Another example is the stomach cramp drug Buscopan which was identified from a plant that Aborigines used to relieve stomach cramps. Understanding how Aborigines used the native plants and animals may also lead to new crop foods that are better for the environment to produce and the use of which may lessen the footprint we leave behind. Already bush tucker foods are becoming popular in fancy restaurants around Australia and people develop a taste for them. Further Questions 1. c 2. All would be possible solutions. By definition, both c and d are good solutions, but not a way to find out while looking at the birds on a day out. 3. a 4. d 5. It is important to correctly identify field mushrooms before eating them as some are very poisonous. 6. Classification enables scientists to communicate about various organisms. It also helps in the identification of potential foods and drugs. 7. Structural features are the most important, but now scientists are also using DNA information and proteins in the identification of organisms. Things that can change through an organisms life or may be responses to conditions are less useful. Eg. size, colour, 8a Cacatua leadbeateri and Cacatua galerita are the most closely related as they belong to the same genus. 8b Yes. 9. Lichens are difficult to classify as they result from a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an algae. Because these two things are in different kingdoms, one being a producer and one a consumer, it makes lichens hard to put into one group. 93393418.doc 2

10a Groupings used by naturalists in the 19th century were based on external or internal structural observations. Today we start with those groupings but use protein analysis and DNA studies to fine tune the classification. This has resulted in the movement of various species from one group to another. 10b Primitive societies would classify on the basis of usefulness to them or danger to them. 11. Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Carnivora Family Canidae Genus Canis Species Canis lupus 12. First level sorting should be based on whether the animal has a backbone or not. This would put a, b, c, f, h and i together on the left and the remainder d, e, g, and j together on the right. The second level of sorting should put them into classes. Mammalia has a and b, amphibia has c, reptilia has f, chondrichthyes has h. 13. The problem with insects such as those named is that the larva looks very different to the adult beetle. A good field guide would be able to assist with identification. Failing that, watch the larva develop and see if it turns into the beetle. 14 (Outdoor activity) 15. (In the branching diagram, the first level could be year 11 or 12. The next level could be male or female, then maybe form classes ......) 16. Kingdom: Protista: Kelp Kindgom: Fungi: Mushroom Kingdom: Plantae: Division Bryophyta: Moss Division Angiospermata: Tomato Kingdom: Animalia: Phylum: Mollusca: Snail Phylum: Arthropoda: Mosquito Phylum Chordata: Platypus 17. Mammals produce milk for the offspring and have a fur/hair covering. Humans are grouped with apes based on the structure of the hands and forward facing eyes (binocular vision) 18. (Make a list) 19. Human races are not classified as different species as they are able to interbreed. Racial classification if based on the dominant skin pigment, skeletal variations, epicanthic eye fold. However, all humans share the same 99.9% of the DNA making these variations very insignificant. 20. The species name for all of the vegetables is Brassica oleracea. The prevailing feature they have in common is a chemical that is purportedly cancer fighting. In each plant, one aspect has been developed to dominate. Cabbages are leafy and the cauliflower is a big flower. Cabbages and brussels sprouts look similar as the cabbage develops as a large terminal bud and the sprouts develop as small axial buds. 21a On the basis of that information, it would be important to identify if it has lungs, gills or both. 21b If it is a lungfish it would be able to breathe air. One way to tell if it is one then is to take it out of water and see if it gasps like fish with gills or is able to breathe. 22. (Consider finding out a bit about what is special about Whites Hill.)

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