Practice Flashcards
Flip to reveal answersWhat is an organism? Give one example.
Track your progress — Sign up free to save your progress and get smart review reminders based on spaced repetition.
All 16 Flashcards — Organisms and species
Sign up free to track progress and get spaced-repetition review schedules.
Question
What is an organism? Give one example.
Answer
An organism is one individual living thing. Example: one dog, one sunflower, or one bacterium.
💡 Hint
One individual
Question
Is a herd of elephants one organism?
Answer
No. A herd is many organisms. One elephant is one organism.
💡 Hint
Group vs one
Question
What is a species (simple exam definition)?
Answer
A species is a group of organisms that can breed together and produce fertile offspring.
💡 Hint
Breed + fertile
Question
What does fertile offspring mean?
Answer
Fertile offspring means the babies can grow up and have babies of their own.
💡 Hint
Can reproduce
Question
Dogs: Are a Labrador and a Poodle the same species? Why?
Answer
Yes. They can breed and produce fertile puppies, so they are the same species.
💡 Hint
Can breed + fertile
Question
Lion and tiger: are they the same species? (simple reason)
Answer
No. They do not normally produce fertile offspring, so they are different species.
💡 Hint
Fertile test
Question
Why do scientists classify organisms? State one reason.
Answer
Classification helps scientists identify organisms and organise the huge variety of life.
💡 Hint
Organise + identify
Question
How does classification help scientists predict characteristics?
Answer
If you know the group an organism belongs to, you can predict features. Example: if it is a mammal, it likely has hair and feeds milk to young.
💡 Hint
Group gives clues
Question
What is a binomial name? Give one example.
Answer
A binomial name is a two-part scientific name: Genus then species. Example: Homo sapiens.
💡 Hint
Two words
Question
How do you write a binomial name correctly in exams?
Answer
Write Genus with a capital letter and species in lower case, and put both in italics (or underline). Example: Homo sapiens.
💡 Hint
Capital + lowercase + italics
Question
What is a genus (simple meaning)? Give an example.
Answer
A genus is a group of closely related species. Example: Canis includes dogs, wolves, and coyotes.
💡 Hint
Close relatives
Question
Put these taxonomy levels in order (broad to specific).
Answer
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
💡 Hint
DKPCOFGS
Question
Why can classification be difficult? Give one example.
Answer
Some organisms have mixed features. Example: a platypus has fur like a mammal but lays eggs.
💡 Hint
Nature is messy
Question
Why can scientific classification change over time?
Answer
New evidence, especially DNA evidence, can show organisms are more or less related than we thought.
💡 Hint
New data changes groups
Question
Quick check: What is the key test for a species in exams?
Answer
Can they breed and produce fertile offspring? If yes, they are the same species.
💡 Hint
Breed + fertile
Question
Quick check: Give the binomial name for humans.
Answer
Homo sapiens.
💡 Hint
Two words
Read the notes
Full study notes for Organisms and species
Topic 2.1 hub
Species, populations
More from Topic 2.1
All flashcards in this topic
ESS exam skills
Paper structures & tips
Track your progress with spaced repetition
Sign up free — Aimnova tells you exactly which cards to review and when, so you remember everything before your IB exam.
Start Free