Chapter 1 Classification

1-1 Where on Earth do organisms live?  The part of Earth that can support living things is the biosphere.  Each organism in a biosphere must be able to interact with other organisms and the environment.  An adaptation is a characteristic that enables an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.

 When scientists are grouping organisms into a species they look at their ability to mate with one another.  In a desert you will find plants that have a thick stem and spiny leaves.

1-2 How do scientists group organisms?  In a “genus” group, organisms have very similar characteristics but cannot mate with one another.  Bacteria cells have no nucleus.  Scientists classify organisms using the following characteristics. –The structure of the organism –How it reproduces. –How it feeds.

 Plants are many celled and make their own nutrients and their cells are not connected by strands.  A fungus is many celled, connected by strands, and absorbs nutrients from other organisms.

1-3 How are plants and animals classified?  Members of the echinoderm phylum all have five parts.  Vertebrates are classified as chordates.  Most nonvascular plants are smaller than vascular plants.  Animals with a backbone make up the largest percentage of animals on Earth.

 Warm-blooded animals stay at a certain temperature no matter what the outside temperature is. A gorilla is an example of a warm-blooded animal.  Cold-blooded animals depend on their environments to warm their bodies. A reptile is a cold-blooded animal.