New Terms - The Diversity of Life

taxonomy - 		the classification of organisms, which generally classifies them
according to their reproductive parts.
binomial nomenclature - basis for naming organisms, particularly plants and animals.  Is the
scientific naming used to identify the genus and the species - the two
items that distinguish one organism from another.  Like Homo sapiens
(the first is the genus, the second is the species).
species - 		organisms that interbreed under normal circumstances, like horses with
horses, people with people.
genus - 		groups of similar species the plural form is genera. 
family - 		groups of similar genera
order - 		groups of similar families
class - 			groups of similar orders
divisions - 		in the plant kingdom they are groups of similar classes
phyla - 		phylum is the singular form and in the animal kingdom is the groups of
similar classes.
kingdom - 		groups of similar organisms (like animals, plants, etc.)
animalia - 		kingdom of animals that is divided into two parts, invertebrates (animals
without backbones) and vertebrates (animals with backbones).
plantae - 		kingdom of plants including mosses, ferns, and seed producing plants.
fungi - 		kingdom of fungi like yeasts, molds, and mushrooms
protista - 		includes the protozoa and other one-celled eukaryotic organisms like
one-celled algae.
monera - 		the bacteria and cyanobacteria, single-celled organisms that are
prokaryotic
cocci - 		type of spherical bacteria, there are 3 types (staphylococci - irregular
clusters of cocci, streptococci - chains of cocci bacteria - the cause of
strep throat, and diplococci - pairs of cocci).
bacilli - 		rod-shaped bacteria
spirochetes - 		rigid spiral bacteria
spirilla - 		flexible spiral bacteria
heterotrophic - 	describes an organism that gets its food from organic matter
saprobic - 		describes organisms that feed on dead or decaying organic matter - describes most of the bacteria.
autotrophic - 		organisms that are able to produce their own food - especially by
photosynthesis.
photosynthetic bacteria - autotrophic bacteria with pigments that permit them to produce
food by photosynthesis.
chemosynthetic bacteria - autotrophic bacteria that use chemical reactions as a source of
energy.
psychophilic - 	describes bacteria that live in very cold temperatures.
mesophilic - 		describes bacteria that live at human body temperatures.
thermophilic - 	describes bacteria that live at very high temperatures.
facultative - 		describes bacteria that can live either with or without air.
pathogenic - 		describes bacteria that cause human disease
cyanobacteria - 	blue-green algae, a major part of the plankton in the oceans.
virus - 		acellular particles that lack properties of living things but are able to
replicate inside living cells.
genome - 		the core of the virus that contains the genes
capsid - 		the protein coating of a virus
Protozoa - 		single-celled or colonial organisms, subdivided into 4 different phyla
according to their method of movement.
Mastigophora - 	characterized by a single whip-like flagella, Euglena is a good example.
Sarcodina - 		characterized by movement with psuedopodia which are simply
extensions of the cytoplasm.  Typical examples are the amoebas.
Ciliophora - 		move by means of small ”hairs“ called cilia.  The Paramecium is a
well-known member of this phyla.  
Sporozoa - 		exclusively parasites, they produce spore-like bodies.  Plasmodium is a
good example of this phyla and is the cause of malaria.
Algae - 		refers to a large number of photosynthetic organisms that are not
considered plants, though they have chlorophyll.  Most live in the
oceans.
Rhodophyta - 	the red algae
Pyrophyta - 		represented by the dinoflagellates, which are single-celled organisms
surrounded by a plate of armor and they have two flagella - when
reproducing in large numbers create the condition known as red tide.
Chrysophyta - 	the golden algae and are represented by the diatoms which consist of
cell walls containing silica.
Phaeophyta - 	brown algae
Chlorophyta - 	green algae
Oomycetes - 		called water molds and have special sexual spores called oospores. 
Also in sexual reproduction they form a special cell called a zoospore
which has a flagella and is able to move like an animal cell.
Zygomycetes - 	commonly called the terrestrial fungi.  They are coenocytic - meaning
the hyphae have no cross walls.  Sexually opposite hyphae form
zygospores.  Commonly represented by the grey or white mold on
bread.
Ascomycetes - 	members range from mildews to cottony molds to large cup-like fungi. 
During sexual reproduction they form a sac known as the ascus that is
filled with ascospores.
Basidiomycetes - 	contain basidiospores, sexual spores on basidia (a club-like structure). 
Mushrooms are a well-known member of this class.