{"id":207,"date":"2015-07-13T21:15:45","date_gmt":"2015-07-13T21:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/biolabsxmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=207"},"modified":"2017-11-01T15:39:06","modified_gmt":"2017-11-01T15:39:06","slug":"diversity-of-life","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-biolabs1\/chapter\/diversity-of-life\/","title":{"raw":"Diversity of Life","rendered":"Diversity of Life"},"content":{"raw":"How many types of living things are on the earth? How many different varieties of life-forms can we recognize\u00a0as being fundamentally different from one another? How might we categorize different life forms? The purpose\u00a0of this lab is to provide you some background knowledge and experience in exploring the diversity of life.\u00a0There are two parts to this lab. First you are expected to learn about the different organisms. This may require\u00a0research on your part. Second, you are expected to go into a non-human dominated landscape and look for\u00a0organisms that fall into the different categories.\r\n

Part 1: Defining Terms<\/h2>\r\n

Species<\/h3>\r\nSpecies<\/em> is a Latin word meaning \"kind\" or \"appearance.\" No doubt, we learn to distinguish among\u00a0different types of plants and animals\u2014between cats and dogs, for instance\u2014by their appearance. Today\u00a0biologists use many aspects other than an organism's appearance to characterize species: body functions,\u00a0biochemistry, behavior, and genetic make-up. As such there are many ways to define what a species is. The\u00a0most common species concept is the \"biological species concept.\"\r\n
\r\n

Lab Question<\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Summarize what the biological species concept states about species.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    Taxonomy<\/h3>\r\nTaxonomy is the identification and classification of species. The taxonomic system developed by Linnaeus\u00a0in the eighteenth century is still used today. It has two main features. First, it assigned to each species a\u00a0two-part Latin name. The first word of the name is the genus<\/strong> to which the species belongs. The second\u00a0part of the name, the specific epithet<\/strong>, refers to one species within the genus. For example, humans are Homo sapiens<\/em><\/strong> while the black rat is Rattus rattus<\/em><\/strong> and the Norwegian rat is Rattus norvegicus<\/em><\/strong>. Notice\u00a0each species has its own unique name, but the two rat species have a similar genus name. This means that\u00a0the two rat species are in the same genus and suggests that they are more closely related to each other\u00a0than either of them are to humans which are in a different genus.\r\n\r\nThe second component of the taxonomic\u00a0system developed by Linnaeus was adopting a filing system for grouping species into a hierarchy of\u00a0increasingly general categories. Taxonomists place related genera in the same family<\/strong>, groups of related\u00a0families into orders<\/strong>, groups of related orders into classes<\/strong>, classes into phyla<\/strong> (phylum, singular), phyla into\u00a0kingdoms<\/strong>, and kingdoms into domains<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nToday we are going to focus on three of the four kingdoms in the domain Eukarya<\/strong> (organisms with nuclei): kingdom Plantae<\/strong>, kingdom Animalia<\/strong>, and kingdom Fungi<\/strong>.\r\n

    Part 2: Kingdom Plantae<\/h2>\r\nPlants are multi-cellular organisms composed of cells with cell walls (made of cellulose) and chloroplasts\u00a0(organelles that convert solar energy into chemical energy).\r\n

    Lab Question<\/h3>\r\nDescribe the characteristics of each of the four main categories of plants and give one example\u00a0of each.\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. Bryophytes<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Seedless vascular plants<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. Gymnosperms<\/li>\r\n \t
    4. Angiosperms<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
      \r\n

      Part 3: Kindom Animalia <\/strong><\/h2>\r\nAnimals are multi-cellular, heterotrophic (must get their nutrition from somewhere else) organisms whose\u00a0cells are not surrounded by cell walls. All animals go through a blastula stage during development. A\u00a0blastula is a hollow ball of cells.\r\n\r\nThere are at least 36 different animal phyla. Here we will only concentrate on some of the more common\u00a0(or well known) phyla.\r\n

      Lab Question<\/h3>\r\nDescribe the defining characteristics for each type of animal group below and give one example\u00a0of each.\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. Porifera<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Cnidaria<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. Platyhelminthes<\/li>\r\n \t
      4. Nemadota<\/li>\r\n \t
      5. Annelida<\/li>\r\n \t
      6. Mollusca<\/li>\r\n \t
      7. Arthropoda<\/li>\r\n \t
      8. Echinodermata<\/li>\r\n \t
      9. Chordata<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
        \r\n

        Part 4: Kindom Fungi<\/h2>\r\nFungi are primarily multi-cellular heterotrophic organisms that consist of slender tube like filaments called\u00a0hyphae.\r\n\r\nThere are four main fungal phyla.\r\n

        Lab Question<\/h3>\r\nDescribe the defining characteristics for each type of fungal group below and give one example\u00a0of each.\r\n
          \r\n \t
        1. Basidiomycetes<\/li>\r\n \t
        2. Ascomycetes<\/li>\r\n \t
        3. Zygomycetes<\/li>\r\n \t
        4. Cytrids<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

          Part 5: Biodiversity Hike <\/strong><\/h2>\r\nThe final part of this lab is designed to provide exposure to the wild diversity of living organisms in your\u00a0own area. Your instructor might organize a field trip for this part of the lab. If there isn't an organized field\u00a0trip, you can complete this part on your own, in any non-human dominated landscape. Your assignment\u00a0is to simply spend one or two hours exploring the environment, looking for different examples of living\u00a0organisms we've studied. Use the table below to record what you find. (Printable version here.<\/a>)\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
          \r\n\r\nDate of hike:\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWeather:<\/strong>\r\n\r\nLocation:\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
          Table 1: Field Notes<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
          Organism Description?<\/th>\r\nCommon or rare?<\/th>\r\nGeneral habitat?<\/th>\r\nPhylum\/Group?<\/th>\r\nCommon or scientific name?<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
          <\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
          \r\n

          Lab Questions<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
            \r\n \t
          1. Do you think your list is comprehensive? (In other words, do you think there were other critters\u00a0living in the habitat that you did not see?) Explain.<\/li>\r\n \t
          2. Why do YOU think biodiversity is important?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","rendered":"

            How many types of living things are on the earth? How many different varieties of life-forms can we recognize\u00a0as being fundamentally different from one another? How might we categorize different life forms? The purpose\u00a0of this lab is to provide you some background knowledge and experience in exploring the diversity of life.\u00a0There are two parts to this lab. First you are expected to learn about the different organisms. This may require\u00a0research on your part. Second, you are expected to go into a non-human dominated landscape and look for\u00a0organisms that fall into the different categories.<\/p>\n

            Part 1: Defining Terms<\/h2>\n

            Species<\/h3>\n

            Species<\/em> is a Latin word meaning “kind” or “appearance.” No doubt, we learn to distinguish among\u00a0different types of plants and animals\u2014between cats and dogs, for instance\u2014by their appearance. Today\u00a0biologists use many aspects other than an organism’s appearance to characterize species: body functions,\u00a0biochemistry, behavior, and genetic make-up. As such there are many ways to define what a species is. The\u00a0most common species concept is the “biological species concept.”<\/p>\n

            \n

            Lab Question<\/h3>\n
              \n
            1. Summarize what the biological species concept states about species.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

              Taxonomy<\/h3>\n

              Taxonomy is the identification and classification of species. The taxonomic system developed by Linnaeus\u00a0in the eighteenth century is still used today. It has two main features. First, it assigned to each species a\u00a0two-part Latin name. The first word of the name is the genus<\/strong> to which the species belongs. The second\u00a0part of the name, the specific epithet<\/strong>, refers to one species within the genus. For example, humans are Homo sapiens<\/em><\/strong> while the black rat is Rattus rattus<\/em><\/strong> and the Norwegian rat is Rattus norvegicus<\/em><\/strong>. Notice\u00a0each species has its own unique name, but the two rat species have a similar genus name. This means that\u00a0the two rat species are in the same genus and suggests that they are more closely related to each other\u00a0than either of them are to humans which are in a different genus.<\/p>\n

              The second component of the taxonomic\u00a0system developed by Linnaeus was adopting a filing system for grouping species into a hierarchy of\u00a0increasingly general categories. Taxonomists place related genera in the same family<\/strong>, groups of related\u00a0families into orders<\/strong>, groups of related orders into classes<\/strong>, classes into phyla<\/strong> (phylum, singular), phyla into\u00a0kingdoms<\/strong>, and kingdoms into domains<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

              Today we are going to focus on three of the four kingdoms in the domain Eukarya<\/strong> (organisms with nuclei): kingdom Plantae<\/strong>, kingdom Animalia<\/strong>, and kingdom Fungi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

              Part 2: Kingdom Plantae<\/h2>\n

              Plants are multi-cellular organisms composed of cells with cell walls (made of cellulose) and chloroplasts\u00a0(organelles that convert solar energy into chemical energy).<\/p>\n

              Lab Question<\/h3>\n

              Describe the characteristics of each of the four main categories of plants and give one example\u00a0of each.<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Bryophytes<\/li>\n
              2. Seedless vascular plants<\/li>\n
              3. Gymnosperms<\/li>\n
              4. Angiosperms<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                \n

                Part 3: Kindom Animalia <\/strong><\/h2>\n

                Animals are multi-cellular, heterotrophic (must get their nutrition from somewhere else) organisms whose\u00a0cells are not surrounded by cell walls. All animals go through a blastula stage during development. A\u00a0blastula is a hollow ball of cells.<\/p>\n

                There are at least 36 different animal phyla. Here we will only concentrate on some of the more common\u00a0(or well known) phyla.<\/p>\n

                Lab Question<\/h3>\n

                Describe the defining characteristics for each type of animal group below and give one example\u00a0of each.<\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Porifera<\/li>\n
                2. Cnidaria<\/li>\n
                3. Platyhelminthes<\/li>\n
                4. Nemadota<\/li>\n
                5. Annelida<\/li>\n
                6. Mollusca<\/li>\n
                7. Arthropoda<\/li>\n
                8. Echinodermata<\/li>\n
                9. Chordata<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
                  \n

                  Part 4: Kindom Fungi<\/h2>\n

                  Fungi are primarily multi-cellular heterotrophic organisms that consist of slender tube like filaments called\u00a0hyphae.<\/p>\n

                  There are four main fungal phyla.<\/p>\n

                  Lab Question<\/h3>\n

                  Describe the defining characteristics for each type of fungal group below and give one example\u00a0of each.<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Basidiomycetes<\/li>\n
                  2. Ascomycetes<\/li>\n
                  3. Zygomycetes<\/li>\n
                  4. Cytrids<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Part 5: Biodiversity Hike <\/strong><\/h2>\n

                    The final part of this lab is designed to provide exposure to the wild diversity of living organisms in your\u00a0own area. Your instructor might organize a field trip for this part of the lab. If there isn’t an organized field\u00a0trip, you can complete this part on your own, in any non-human dominated landscape. Your assignment\u00a0is to simply spend one or two hours exploring the environment, looking for different examples of living\u00a0organisms we’ve studied. Use the table below to record what you find. (Printable version here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

                    \n

                    Date of hike:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    Weather:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    Location:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                    Table 1: Field Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
                    Organism Description?<\/th>\nCommon or rare?<\/th>\nGeneral habitat?<\/th>\nPhylum\/Group?<\/th>\nCommon or scientific name?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                    <\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
                    \n

                    Lab Questions<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
                      \n
                    1. Do you think your list is comprehensive? (In other words, do you think there were other critters\u00a0living in the habitat that you did not see?) Explain.<\/li>\n
                    2. Why do YOU think biodiversity is important?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\t\t\t
                      \n\t\t\t

                      Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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