BIODIVERSITY – Topics

• What is Biodiversity?
• Classification of organisms- Linnaean Hierachy
• Characteristics of the three domains of life
• Differences between prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
• Characteristics of the 4 kingdoms within the
Eukaryotes
 Biodiversity
Chap 14, 15, 16 (17)
Chap 14 (history of life)
• Pp250- 252; 256-260
• Figs 14.2;14.8;14.9

Chap 15 (Bacteria and Archaea)

• Pp270-276
• Figs 15.7;15.8

Chap 16 (Plants, fungi and protists)

• Pp286-289; 294-295
 BIODIVERSITY
• The universal ancestor:
– All living organisms descended from common
hypothetical ancestral cell.
 BIODIVERSITY
the variety of life in the world
or in a particular habitat or
ecosystem.

A B
Biodiversity and classification

Not in text book

 The Linnaean hierarchy
Classify from broad to specific
Each category/grouping is a “taxon”
• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species Swedish naturalist Carolus
Linnaeus
(18th C)
Classification of humans Fig 14.10
pp 260
 Classification of Bulldogs
Domain – Eukarya
Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Chordata
Class – Mammalia
Order – Carnivora
Family – Canidae
Genus – Canis
Species – Canis familiaris
 Scientific name
• Scientific name:
– unique, two-word Latin name.

Homo neanderthalis
Homo sapiens
138,000 to 28 000 years ago
Appeared 200,00 to 100,000 years ago
Co- existed with modern humans
 Biodiversity and classification
The domains form the highest, most inclusive
hierarchical level in the organization of life.

• three domains
– Bacteria Prokaryotes -no nucleus
– Archaea
– Eukarya Eukaryotes – true nucleus
Fig 14.2 pp 251
Three domains of life

Microscopic
Single cells

Microscopic
Single cells

Larger cell size

Unicellular
Multicellular
Nucleus
Domain – Bacteria
• Prokaryotes (no nucleus)
• Unicellular
• microscopic
• Binary fission - split in two

Bacteria on the head of a pin

See fig 15.6 in text book page 273
Dental plaque
3 main shapes of bacteria –
cocci (spherical)
bacillus (rod shaped)
spirilla (spiral)

Fig 15.7 pp 274

• Cocci

Strepthroat - streptococcus
• Bacilli

Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy
people and animals. Most varieties of E. coli are harmless or cause
relatively brief diarrhea. But a few particularly nasty strains, such as E.
coli O157:H7, can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and
vomiting.
 • Spiral- spirochetes
Single spirochete
• Lyme disease

Blood smear with spirochetes

Dog tick
Lone star tick
Deer tick

Lyme disease!
Erythra migrans
Fig 14.2 pp 251
Three domains of life

Microscopic
Single cells

Microscopic
Single cells
Extreme environments

Larger cell size

Unicellular
Multicellular
Nucleus
Domain – Archaea
Prokaryotes (no nucleus)
Unicellular
microscopic
Binnary fission
Live in extreme conditions

• Live in

halophiles

Morning glory pool – Yellowstone Temperature

69.8 °C
(157.6 °F)
Thermophiles
Fig 14.2 pp 251
Three domains of life

Microscopic
Single cells

Microscopic
Single cells

Larger cell size

Unicellular
Multicellular
Nucleus

DOMAIN EUKARYA
Domain – Eukarya
Kingdom Protista
Kingdom Fungi
Kingdom Plantae
Kingdom Animalia

composed of eukaryote cells

Characteristics?
Nucleus
Large size
Subcompartments
Peculiar protists – defined by exclusion rather
than inclusion

• Mostly unicellular (except for algae)

• Microscopic
• May be producers or consumers
 Euglena
Fresh water

Moves using flagellum

 Euglena

flagellum

Light microscope Scanning electron microscope

 RBC

Trypanosoma brucei – parasitic

causes African sleeping sickness

TseTse fly – vector

 A ciliate
Paramecium
Cilia
Cilia

light

Fresh water
Moves by beating cilia
Scanning
 A protistan with pseudopodia
• Amoeba

Pseudopodia

Food particle

Pseudopodia
pond water protists
 Algae
Unicellular algae

PHOTOSYNTHETIC protists

Seaweeds are protists

Multicellular algae
 Kingdom – Fungi

• Mostly multicellular
• Decomposers - secrete enzymes onto
food and then absorb digested products

molds, mushrooms, yeast

Yeast is unicellular
Bracket fungi Mold on a lemon

• Bracket fungi

Bread mold
White nose syndrome in bats

Effects hibernation patterns

In 2006 fungus was introduced from Europe to a
tourist cave near the town of Albany, New York.
Ring worm
Athlete’s Foot
 Beneficial Uses of Fungi

Penicillium - antibiotic

Blue cheese
 Fungal “Relationships”
• Lichens – fungal and algal partners

Lichen

Fungus gets ?
Algae gets?
Mycorrhizal fungi

• Fungi provide water and

mineral nutrients to
plants

• Plants provide fungi

with sugars
Kingdom – Plantae

• Multicellular
• Photosynthetic producers
• Autotrophs
• Cell wall - cellulose
 Non-vascular plants

• Cannot move
water through
liverwort
out bodies
• need very moist
environments
• Do not grow high
hornwort
Vascular plants
• Can move water
• Can live in drier environments
• Support of plant body can grow really high
Vascular tissue

California Redwoods

Celery
Kingdom – Animalia

• Multicellular
• No cell wall
• Consumers – ingest food)
 Secondary consumer

Primary consumers
Invertebrates

Tube sponge Sea Anemones

Invertebrates
Vertebrates