Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
BIO1004S – Biological Diversity
Microbes, Fungi, Algae and Plant Diversity
Lecture 1
What are the key concepts being taught in the lecture?
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Note: This is an overview lecture that briefly describes what will be covered in the next three weeks.
Key terms to define in this lecture:
Microbes:
Fungi:
Algae:
Plants:
Domain:
Eukarya:
Archaea:
Bacteria:
Autotrophs:
Heterotrophs:
Inorganic carbon:
Organic carbon:
Eukaryote:
Prokaryote:
Phylogeny:
Monophyletic:
Polyphyletic:
Lichen:
Fruticose:
Foliose:
Crustose:
Bryophytes:
Gymnosperms:
Angiosperms:
Gametophyte:
Sporophyte:
Additional definitions:
Questions to test your understanding:
What is the difference between a domain and a kingdom?
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Differentiate between a photoautotroph and a chemoautotroph.
Differentiate between a photoheterotroph and a chemoheterotroph.
Why are phylogenetic studies important to understanding life on earth?
What are the direct and indirect evidence for photosynthesis in bacteria?
What are the main differences between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells?
List the main challenges that land plants had to overcome when colonising the terrestrial environment.
List and describe the four main groups of plants?
Briefly outline the major milestones on the evolution of life on Earth.
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Examples (Describe fully, including all relevant details):
 Major Nutritional Modes
Mode of Nutrition
Energy Source
Autotroph
Photoautotroph
Chemoautotroph
Heterotroph
Photoheterotroph
Chemoheterotroph
Carbon Source
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Prokaryotes in fossil records
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Fungi – General Description
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Fungi – Basidiomycota and Zygomycota
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Lichen – General description and 3 main growth forms
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Algae – Stramenopila
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Plants – Describe general classification/phylogeny of plants
Examples
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Lecture 2
What are the key concepts being taught in the lecture?
Key terms to define in this lecture:
Linnaean classification:
Binomial classification:
Virus:
Viral genome:
Membrane:
Capsid:
Viral DNA:
Hydrolytic enzymes:
Lysosomes:
Vaccines:
Viroids:
Prions:
Additional definitions:
Questions to test your understanding:
What is a binomial species name? Describe how to write a binomial species name.
List the eight levels (in order) of the Linnaean classification system.
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Why are viruses not considered to be truly “living”?
Describe the viral reproductive cycle
What are some of the impacts that viruses can have on living cells?
What are the three main classes on animal viruses? What is the main characteristic that differentiates
these three?
Examples (Describe fully, including all relevant details):
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Viruses – tobacco mosaic disease
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
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Viruses – Viral infections in humans
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Prions – Mad cow diseas and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
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Types of double-stranded DNA viruses
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Types of double-stranded RNA viruses
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Types of single-stranded RNA viruses
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COVID-19
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Lecture 3
What are the key concepts being taught in the lecture?
Key terms to define in this lecture:
Prokaryotes:
Endosymbionts:
Cell organisation:
Unicellular:
Colony:
Cocci:
Bacilli:
Peptidoglycan:
Extremophile:
Halophile:
Thermophile:
Endosymbiotic:
Plastid:
Additional definitions:
Questions to test your understanding:
Which Domains contain prokaryotes?
How do we distinguish between the three domains of life?
What is the size range of prokaryotes? Provide an answer in um and mm.
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
List and describe the three most common shapes of prokaryotes.
What are the main differences between a prokaryotic cell and a eukaryotic cell?
Compare the characteristics of the three domains of life.
What are the two main types of bacteria that we find. What technique do we use to differentiate them?
Discuss the endosymbiotic origin of eukaryotes.
List the key evidence for the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria and plastids (chloroplasts).
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Examples (Describe fully, including all relevant details):
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Cyanobacteria
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Bacteria - Chlamydias
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Bacteria - Spirochetes
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Bacteria - Cyanobacteria
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Bacteria - Gram-positive Bacteria
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Disease causing bacteria - Humans
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Lecture 4
What are the key concepts being taught in the lecture?
Key terms to define in this lecture:
Eukarya:
Fungi:
Symbionts:
Co-radiation:
Multicellular:
Heterotrophs:
Exoenzymes:
Decomposer:
Parasite:
Myco-heterotrophic
Symbiosis:
Hyphae:
Mycelia:
Chitin:
Septate:
Coenocytic:
Haustoria:
Plasmogamy:
Haploid:
Diploid:
Heterokaryon:
Karyogamy:
Spore:
Germination:
Zoospores:
Zygosporangium:
Mycorrhizae:
Asci:
Ascocarps:
Basidium:
Basidiocarp:
Basidiospores:
Additional definitions:
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Questions to test your understanding:
What does the phrase “Fungi are a sister kingdom to Animalia” mean?
Discuss the evidence for the origin of Fungi.
Discuss the role of Fungi in the environment.
Describe the structure of a Fungi.
Differentiate between Septate hypha and Coenocytic hypha.
Discuss the life cycle of Fungi.
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
List and describe the five main lineages of Fungi.
What are some of the important uses of Fungi in everyday human life.
Examples (Describe fully, including all relevant details):
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Fungi – Symbiotic Fungi in the Cape Flora
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Fungi – Symbiotic Fungi in orchids
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Fungi – Animal symbiosis
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
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Fungi – Chytridomycota
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Fungi – Zygomycota
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Fungi – Glomeromycota
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Fungi – Ascomycetes
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Fungi – Basidiomycota
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Fungi – Lichen symbiosis
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
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Fungi – Examples of myco-heterotrophic and partially myco-heterotrophic plants
Lecture 5
What are the key concepts being taught in the lecture?
Key terms to define in this lecture:
Protist:
Thymidylate synthase (TS):
Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR):
Morphology:
Alveoli:
Flagella:
Chlorophyll:
Diatoms:
Alternation of generations:
Haploid:
Diploid:
Sporangia:
Spore:
Zygote:
Sporophyte:
Gametophyte:
Chlorophyll a:
Chlorophyll b:
Phycobilins:
Additional definitions:
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
Questions to test your understanding:
Discuss the phylogenetic origin of Eukaryotes.
What is a Protist?
Discuss the origin of Algae.
Fully describe the life cycle of an Algae.
What are the three main groups of Seaweeds? List and describe.
Why would you find mostly red algae in the tropics, but mostly brown algae in the higher latitudes?
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
What are some of the human uses of Algae?
Examples (Describe fully, including all relevant details):
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Algae - Alveolata
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Algae – Alveolata - Apicomplexans
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Algae - Stremenopila
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Algae – Stremenopila - Diatoms
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Algae – Stremenopila - Kelp
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town
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Red Algae
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Green Algae
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Brown Algae