Name: ________________________ Class: ___________________ Date: __________
ID: A
Study Guide - Benchmark Test
Short Answer
1. What is the difference between classification and taxonomy?
2. Why do scientists use scientific names for organisms?
3. List the eight levels of classification.
4. Describe how a dichotomous key helps scientists identify organisms. How is it used?
5. Explain the similarities and differences between Archaea and Bacteria.
6. Explain the similarities and differences between Plantae and Fungi.
WRITE OUT the following statements for #7-11. Complete each of the following sentences by choosing the
correct term from the word bank.
Animalia
Protista
Bacteria
Plantae
Archaea
classification
taxonomy
7. Linnaeus founded the science of ______________________.
8. Prokaryotes that live in extreme environments are in the domain ______________________.
9. Complex multicellular organisms that can usually move around and respond to their environment are in the
kingdom ______________________.
10. A system of ______________________ can help group animals into categories.
11. Prokaryotes that can cause diseases are in the domain ______________________.
12. What kind of evidence is used by modern taxonomists to classify organisms based on how their relationships
changed over time?
13. Is a bacterium a type of eukaryote? Explain your answer.
14. Scientists once classified organisms as either plants or animals. Why doesn’t that classification system work?
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Name: ________________________
ID: A
Essay
15. Biologists think that millions of species are not classified yet. Why do you think so many species have not
been classified yet?
16. Select characteristics of the following animals that you could use to develop a classification key for these
animals: starfish, seahorse, oyster, dolphin. Then create a branching diagram for these organisms.
17. Describe the characteristics of each of the three domains.
18. Describe the four kingdoms of domain Eukarya. Give an example of an organism in each kingdom.
19. How are bacteria similar to fungi? How are fungi similar to animals?
20. Why do you think Linnaeus did not include classification kingdoms for categories of archaea and bacteria?
21. The Venus’ flytrap does not move around. It can make its own food by using photosynthesis. It can also trap
insects and digest the insects to get nutrients. The cells of the flytrap also have cell walls. Into which
kingdom would you place the Venus’ flytrap? Explain why. What makes this organism unusual in the
kingdom you chose?
22. Explain how the levels of classification depend on the similarities and differences between organisms.
23. 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, but not the same species.
24. What characteristic do the members of the four kingdoms of the domain Eukarya have in common? Where
would this information appear on a branching diagram for the four kingdoms and why?
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Name: ________________________
ID: A
Other
25. What is the scientific name for a Burchell’s zebra?
a. Equus caballus
c. Equus burchellii
b. Equus grevyi
d. Caballus zebra
26. What is the scientific name for a horse?
a. Equus caballus
b. Equus grevyi
c. Equus burchellii
d. Equus horse
27. What is the scientific name for a Grevy’s zebra?
a. Equus caballus
b. Equus zebra
c. Equus grevyi
d. Equus burchellii
28. List the 6 metric prefixes.
** Review Metric Conversions WS!
- BASE UNIT (meter, liter, gram)
29. What is the meniscus? And what is it used for?
30. Write a sentence using each of these 5 vocabulary words: Linnaeus, biodiversity, cladogram, phylogenetics,
bionmial nomenclature. Do NOT simply write the definition; however, the definition should be able to be
inferred from your sentence.
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