Essential Learnings

Biology Unit 6: Classification; Bacteria &

Topics: Classification, dichotomous keys, viruses and bacteria.

Resources: 1. Reading Guides 2. Handouts, activities, labs, etc.

BIO.4 The student will investigate and understand that bacteria and viruses have an effect on living systems. Key ideas include
a) viruses depend on a host for metabolic processes;
b) the modes of reproduction/replication can be compared;
c) the structures and functions can be compared;
d) bacteria and viruses have a role in other organisms and the environment; and
e) the germ theory of infectious disease is supported by evidence.

BIO.6 The student will investigate and understand that modern classification systems can be used as organizational tools for
scientists in the study of organisms. Key ideas include
a) organisms have structural and biochemical similarities and differences;
b) fossil record interpretation can be used to classify organisms;
c) developmental stages in different organisms can be used to classify organisms;
d) Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya are domains based on characteristics of organisms;
e) the functions and processes of protists, fungi, plants, and animals allow for comparisons and differentiation within the
Eukarya kingdoms; and
f) systems of classification are adaptable to new scientific discoveries.

Objectives:
 Identify and describe the modern two-word naming system used in biology today (binomial nomenclature)
 Using a chart compare and contrast different organisms based on their classification
 Create and analyze a cladogram to understand phylogenetic relationships.
 Create and make use of a dichotomous key to classify organisms
 Know the characteristics of each kingdom and examples of organisms for each
 Know the characteristics of all animal phyla and examples of organisms for each
 Know the characteristics of all plant phyla and examples of organisms for each
 Describe the characteristics of bacteria versus viruses
 Explain the lytic and lysogenic cycles of viruses

VOCABULARY:
TAXONOMY Vocabulary
1. Binomial nomenclature 4. Cladogram 11. Order
The system of 5. Kingdom 12. Family
scientifically naming 6. Domain Archaea 13. Genus
organisms (Genus 7. Domain Eubacteria 14. Species
species) 8. Domain Eukarya 15. Phylogeny
2. Taxonomy 9. Phylum 16. The evolutionary past of
3. Cladistics 10. Class an organism

BACTERIA Vocabulary
1. Microbiology 5. Flagella
2. Pathogen 6. Cilia
3. Prokaryotic 7. Antibiotic
4. Pili
VIRUS Vocabulary
1. Capsid 5. Lysogenic cycle
2. Pathogen 6. Retro virus
3. Virus 7. Vaccines
4. Lytic cycle
Essential Questions:

1. Why is classification important when organizing different species? Because it is important to be able

to identify and organize all species.

2. How are scientific names written? What does the genus tell us? What does the species tell us? The

order for scientific names is Genus species or Genus species. The genus is a category for the species

and the species gives us the specific species.

3. Besides Fossils, what else do scientists use to classify organisms? DNA

4. How do Cladograms allow us to study the phylogeny of organisms? Because it shows evolutionary

relationships based on derived and ancestral characteristics.

5. Who was Carl Linnaeus? The father of Taxonomy. He gained this title by creating binomial

nomenclature and being the first to divide all organisms into plants and animals.

6. How has the Kingdom classification changed over time? As scientific technology has developed, new

Kingdoms have been identified after differences between organisms in the kingdoms have been

found.

7. How are each of the domains different from each other? They have different characteristics and how

they obtain food is different from each other.

8. What are some distinctive characteristics of:

a. Plants Multicellular; Eukaryotic; obtain food using photosynthesis (autotrophic); cell walls

made of cellulose

b. Animals Multicellular; Eukaryotic; obtain food by ingestion (heterotrophic); no cell walls

c. Fungi Can be multicellular or unicellular; Eukaryotic; obtain food by absorbing decomposed

material (heterotrophic); cell walls made of Chitin

d. Eubacteria Unicellular; Prokaryotic; reproduce by binary fission; cell walls made of

peptidoglycans; some can cause disease while many are beneficial

e. Archaebacteria Unicellular; Prokaryotic; reproduce by binary fission, fragmentation, or

budding; cell walls not made of peptidoglycans; none are known to cause disease
 f. Protists Can be unicellular or multicellular; Eukaryotic; can be heterotrophic or

photosynthetic; can reproduce sexually or asexually; can be found with or without cell walls

9. What are dichotomous keys used for? They are used to organize and identify species based on their

visible characteristics.

10. How are viruses different from living organisms such as bacteria? They need a host cell to replicate.

11. What is the biggest difference between the lytic and lysogenic cycle of a virus? The lytic cycle (active)

destroys the host cell and the lysogenic cycle (dormant) does not.

12. How do vaccines help protect against viruses? They strengthen the immune system in a certain way

to fight off the virus.

13. Who was Edward Jenner? A surgeon who developed the first vaccine for smallpox.

14. What are the components of the Germ Theory of Disease? Proposed by Robert Koch and Louis

Pasteur, the Germ Theory of Disease states that diseases are caused by microorganisms

(pathogens).

15. What are some of the properties such as structure, movement, nutrition and reproduction of bacteria?

Their shapes can be Cocci (round), Bacilli (like a rod) or Spirilla (corkscrew); Cell walls made of

peptidoglycan (linked sugars); They move with flagella (a tail that moves like a propeller) or Pili

(thin and short hairs that are mainly used for communication, but also help the bacteria move);

They can be Phototrophic (use photosynthesis to obtain energy) or Chemotrophic (use inorganic

molecules to obtain energy; they reproduce using binary fission (makes a copy of its DNA then

divides into two identical cells) or budding (makes a copy of its DNA, then creates an identical

copy of itself by pinching off a small bud containing that DNA).

16. What are antibiotics and why can they only be used against bacteria? Antibiotics are medicines that

kill bacteria. Bacteria are all antibiotics kill, so that is all that they can be used against. In

addition, antibiotics also kill helpful bacteria and lead to antibacterial resistance.

17. Who was Alexander Fleming? A physician who discovered penicillin from a mold growing in his

petri dish.
Make sure you know your OBJECTIVES, complete this study guide, as well as class worksheets, diagrams,
and readings.