DIVERSITY OF LIVING ORGANISMS
This assignment is the major evaluation for the diversity unit. You must work in pairs. Each individual in the pair must
complete all the work. You must show the teacher both individual’s final product; however, only one final product
will be randomly chosen by the teacher to be evaluated. The final copy should be well organised with the work from
each station clearly marked. Answers should be in complete sentences with diagrams and charts titled and labelled if
appropriate.
STATION #1: KINGDOM ARCHAEA
1.
Examine the pictures on the page provided.
a. Create a chart depicting the 3 groups of Archaea and the environmental characteristics that exist. The three
environments are believed to be representative of what point in time?
STATION #2: KINGDOM BACTERIA
1.
a.
Classifying Bacteria: Bacteria can be classified by several items, including shape. There are three main shapes.
Using the poster and page 49 of the textbook, list & describe the three main shapes as well as the groupings in which they
can occur.
b.
Draw a sketch of Staphylococcus, Streptobacillus, and Diplococcus. Also sketch 1 harmful and 1 helpful bacterium from the
microviewer.
c.
Using the page provided, explain the difference between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.
STATION #3: KINGDOM PROTISTA
1.
Protists are classified into three groups based on their nutrition. Use the pages provided and set up a chart that shows
these three types, what each type resembles how they feed and whether they are autotrophs or heterotrophs.
STATION #4: KINGDOM FUNGI
1.
Look at the microviewer slide of yeast.
a. Are there any yeast cells budding? What is budding? Draw a sketch of a budding yeast cell.
2.
Examine the mushroom, particularly its gills. Also examine the mushroom slide, the textbook and the page provided.
a. From what phylum of fungi is this mushroom?
b.
What is the function of the gills on the mushroom? Use the page provided for help.
STATION #5A-D: KINGDOM PLANTAE – Taxonomy and Trends
STATION #5A: Phylum Bryophyta – Mosses
1.
Examine the sample of moss from above and from the side at eye level and use the page provided, the poster and the
microviewer booklet to answer the following questions.
a. Besides the “green fuzzy stuff”, what do you notice? What are they? Why are they important?
b.
What is the “green fuzzy stuff” and why is IT important?
2.
Which generation is dominant in mosses?
3.
Water is required for reproduction in mosses. Why?
4.
Do mosses produce spores or seeds? Do mosses possess vascular tissue?
STATION #5B: Phylum Pteridophyta – Ferns
Study the microviewer slide, poster and the pages provided.
1. Unlike mosses and liverworts, ferns have vascular tissue.
a. What advantages are there to having vascular tissue?
2.
Look at the fern with sori and the fern slides.
a. What do the sori do?
3.
Examine the fern microviewer slide, fern life history slide and the fern wall chart.
a. How are they different from mosses? How are they similar?
STATION #5C: Phylum Coniferophyta – conifers; gymnosperms
1. Examine the male and female cones and study the life cycle on the conifer wall chart.
a. What function do the female cones have?
b.
What function do the male cones have?
2.
Conifers made many adaptations to be able to survive in their usual climates. Using the pages provided in the textbook list
some of these adaptations.
3.
What modifications have been made by conifers such that water is not needed for reproduction?
4.
Conifers produce seeds, not spores. What are the advantages of seeds over spores?
STATION #5D: Phylum Anthophyta – Flowering Plants, Angiosperms
1. Study the poster, microviewer, text book and flower provided.
a. Draw and label a cross section of a flower. Use the new textbook and wall charts for help
2.
What are the functions of a flower?
3.
Look at the flowering plants microviewer slide and the wall chart.
a. Compare the seeds of conifers to those of flowers. What significant difference exists?
4.
What advantage is it for a plant to have a fruit around its seeds? What disadvantage exists for plants that make fruits?
5.
Technically speaking, if something contains seeds, it is a fruit. List three items that contain seeds, but that you would not
normally consider to be fruits
STATIONS #6A-I: KINGDOM ANIMALIA
KINGDOM ANIMALIA: Taxonomy and Trends
All of these organisms are members of the Kingdom Animalia. The classification notes below give the phylum, starting with the most “primitive”
phyla and continuing through to the most “advanced” phyla. Generally speaking, the more primitive they are, the older, in terms of evolution, they
are. Note that all of the phyla, except Chordata, are invertebrates, that is, they do not have a backbone. Only members of the phylum Chordata
contain a backbone.
LOWER INVERTEBRATES
STATION #6A: Phylum Porifera – Sponges
Study the natural sponge and look at the wall chart for sponges. Page 490 of the textbook will help to answer the questions.
1. Do sponges possess any organs, systems or tissues? Do they exhibit any kind of symmetry?
2.
What lower kingdom do scientists believe sponges evolved from? Why?
3.
How do they reproduce?
STATION #6B: Phylum Cnidaria – Jellyfish, Corals and Anemones (You will need information from 6A to complete this station.)
The “C” is silent in the word Cnidaria.
Look at the specimens and the wall chart for Cnidarians, page 490 in the textbook and look at the Obelia microviewer.
1. List two similarities between sponges and cnidarians.
2.
Cnidarians have a simple form of two body systems. Which two?
3.
What type of symmetry do Cnidarians possess?
STATION #6C: Phylum Platyhelminthes – Flatworms
Study the specimens and the slide of the Planaria.
1. Poriferans and Cnidarians possess only two tissue layers, whereas flatworms possess three. What advantage is there to
having more tissue layers? (refer to the page provided if needed)
2.
Flatworms possess three rudimentary organ systems. What are they and which one is shared with Cnidarians?
Look at the wall chart of Flatworms.
3. Do flatworms possess cephalization? What advantage is there to cephalization?
4.
Do planarians have a coelom?
5.
How does the digestive system of a flatworm compare to that of Cnidarians and Poriferans?
6.
What type of symmetry do flatworms have?
STATION #6D: Phylum Nematoda – Roundworms (You will need information from 6C to complete this station.)
Study the specimens & the wall chart of nematodes.
1. Using the page provided compare the phylums platyhelminthes and nematoda.
2.
Nematodes have a complete digestive system, that is, a mouth and an anus. Why is this more efficient than the system with
only one opening?
3.
Nematodes do not have a coelom, but they do have a pseudocoel. How does a pseudocoel compare to a coelom?
HIGHER INVERTEBRATES
STATION #6E: Phylum Annelida – Earthworms
1. Study the earthworm and the wall chart. Notice the segments on these organisms.
If you looked inside an earthworm you would see that many of these segments contain similar sets of organs for excretion,
circulation and nerve control. What advantage do you think this type of body organization would give, and how does this compare to
the human body?
2.
Annelids are the first animal phylum to have a coelom. What are the advantages of having a coelom?
STATION #6F: Phylum Mollusca – Clams, Snails, Octopus
1. What do you observe about the physical appearance of many of the organisms from this phylum?
2.
Which organ systems are present in these animals? (pg 498-499)
3.
How does an octopus escape predation if it does not have a hard shell? What does this say about the mobility of animals in
the Phylum Mollusca?
STATION #6G: Phylum Arthropoda – Insects, Spiders, Lobsters
“Arthro” means joints and “Poda” means feet/legs. Thus these animals have jointed-legs.
1.
What can you observe about the larvae of these animals? What does this tell us about the evolution of the arthropods?
2.
Arthropods have an exoskeleton and well developed muscles organized into groups. How does this system for locomotion
(movement) compare with that for humans?
3.
Annelids have obvious segments along their bodies. This feature is shared with many arthropods in their larval stages (ex
caterpillars). What happens to segmentation as adult arthropods form?
4.
Many arthropods have three body parts. What are they, and which part do the legs come out of? Draw and label a typical
arthropod with three body parts.
STATION #6H: Phylum Echinodermata – Starfish, Urchins, Sea Cucumbers
“Echino” means spiny and “dermata” means skin. These organisms have spiny skin and all are marine.
1. What are the main characteristics of this phylum?
2.
Study the wall chart for Echinoderms.
a. Why would these organisms require spiny skin whereas other marine organisms, like tuna and dolphins, do not?
STATION #6I: Phylum Chordata – Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals
1. Observe the slide of Amphioxus. Amphioxus is an invertebrate chordate in that it does not possess a true backbone.
a. What obvious feature is present on the slide that makes Amphioxus a member of the Phylum Chordata?
2.
Study the charts, samples and the pages provided.
a. List some distinguishing characteristics of the phylum.
3.
What does tetrapod mean?
4.
What was the advantage of the evolution of the jaw? Which animals do not have jaws?
Some quick notes about tetrapod classes….
Class Amphibia:

soft skin used for breathing through

lungs as adults as well as skin for breathing through

aquatic larvae with gills

external fertilization and development

poikilotherms (ectotherms; cold-blooded)
Class Reptilia:

waterproof scaly skin

lungs

internal fertilization

development is internal, or external in eggs

poikilotherms

HUGE advantage over amphibians is the Amniotic Egg:

Amniotic egg means the embryo is surrounded by amniotic
fluid in an amniotic sac; prevent drying out

Yolk sac present in the egg; food source


Blood vessels in the membranes beneath the shell perform
gas exchange through the egg surface
The development of the amniotic egg meant that a
terrestrial environment could be colonized and mastered
Class Aves:

Feathers, flight

Endothermic (warm-blooded)

Internal fertilization

Amniotic eggs

Hollow bones to decrease weight for flight
Class Mammalia:

hair, mammary glands

endothermic

internal fertilization and development; live birth