Classification: Unit Review Worksheet
USING VOCABULARY
To complete the following sentences, choose the correct term from each pair of terms listed
below, and write the term in the space provided.
1.Linnaeus founded the science of ____________________. (DNA analysis or taxonomy)
2. All of the organisms classified into a single kingdom are then divided into one of several
____________________. (phyla or classes)
3. The narrowest level of classification is the ____________________. (genus or species)
4. Linnaeus began naming organisms using ______________________________. (two-part scientific
names or evolutionary relationships)
5. Archaebacteria and eubacteria are ____________________. (prokaryotes or eukaryotes)
UNDERSTANDING CONCEPTS
Multiple Choice
6. When scientists classify organisms, they
a. arrange them in orderly groups.
b. give them many common names.
c. decide whether they are useful.
d. ignore evolutionary relationships.
7. When the seven levels of classification are listed from broadest to narrowest, which level is in the
fifth position?
a. class
b. order
c. genus
d. family
8. The scientific name for the European white water lily is Nymphaea alba. What is the genus to
which this plant belongs?
a. Nymphaea
b. alba
c. water lily
d. alba lily
9. “King Phillip Came Over For Good Spaghetti” is a mnemonic device that helps one remember
a. the scientific names of different organisms.
b. the six kingdoms.
c. the seven levels of classification.
d. the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
10. Most bacteria are classified in which kingdom?
a. Archaebacteria
b. Eubacteria
c. Protista
d. Fungi
11. What kind of organism thrives in hot springs and other extreme environments?
a. archaebacteria
b. eubacteria
c. protists
d. fungi
Short Answer
12. Why is the use of scientific names so important in biology?
13. List two kinds of evidence used by modern taxonomists to classify organisms.
14. Is a eubacteria a type of eukaryote? Explain your answer.
CONCEPT MAPPING
15. Use the following terms to create a concept map: kingdom, fern, lizard, Animalia, Fungi, algae,
Protista, Plantae, mushroom.
CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
Write one or two sentences to answer the following questions:
16. How are the levels of classification related to evolutionary relationships among organisms?
17. Explain why two species that belong to the same genus, such as white oak (Quercus alba) and
cork oak (Quercus suber), also belong to the same family.
18. What characteristic do the members of all six kingdoms have in common?
INTERPRETING GRAPHICS
The diagram below illustrates the evolutionary relationships among several primates.
19. Which primate is the closest relative to the common ancestor of all primates?
20. Which primate shares the most traits with humans?
21. Do lemurs share the characteristics listed at point D with humans? Explain your answer.
22. What characteristic do baboons have that lemurs do not have? Explain your answer.
VOCABULARY
In your own words, write a definition for each of the following terms in the space provided.

classification –

kingdom –

species –

taxonomy –

dichotomous key –
UNIT HIGHLIGHTS
Complete the statements using key terms from the unit.

____________________ refers to the arrangement of organisms into orderly groups based on
their similarities and evolutionary relationships.

Biologists classify organisms in order to organize the number and diversity of living things
and to give them ____________________ names.

The classification scheme used today is based on the work of Carolus ____________________.

Linnaeus founded the science of ____________________, in which organisms are described,
named, and classified.

Modern classification schemes include ____________________ relationships.

Today organisms are classified using a ____________________-level system or organization.
The seven levels are kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

The genus and ____________________ of an organism compose it two-part scientific name.

A scientific name is always the same for a specific organism, no matter how many
____________________ names it has.

____________________ keys help to identify organisms.

At first, living things were classified as either plants or ____________________. As scientists
discovered more about living things and discovered more organisms, new kingdoms were
added that were more descriptive than the old two-kingdom system.

Most biologists recognize ____________________ kingdoms – Archaebacteria, Eubacteria,
Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia.

Bacteria are ____________________, single-celled organisms that do not contain nuclei. The
organisms of all other kingdoms are eukaryotes, organisms that have cells with nuclei.

____________________ have been on Earth for about 3 billion years and can live where most
other organisms cannot survive.

Most bacteria are eubacteria and live almost everywhere. Some are harmful, and some are
____________________.

Plants, most fungi, and animals are complex ____________________ organisms. Plants perform
photosynthesis. Fungi break down material outside their body and then absorb the
nutrients. Animals eat food, which is digested inside their body.