Why is Life Diverse: Understanding Evolution and Taxonomy

One of the key concepts in biology is the classification of different organisms and their evolution. Evolution is the main idea in which species have changed and diversified since the beginning of life on earth. The grouping of these organisms and naming is called taxonomy. It is essential that anyone studying in the field biology understands these basic concepts.

The process of evolution basically explains why life is so diverse on earth. The theory explains why similar organisms have similar traits and adaptations. It is a highly controversial topic as some people disagree with the theory, stating that they are creationists and that to diverse city on earth was created by a higher power. Charles Darwin was one of the first people to promote the theory of evolution and the process of natural selection. Basically, what Darwin said was that members of a population have different variations and adaptations, and the offspring that they produce are given the traits that are necessary in order for them to survive. Competition for resources forces these adaptations on the different organisms, without them, they would not be able to survive.

The process of taxonomy is the practice of naming and classifying organisms depending on certain rules. The main rule that they are grouped by is their presumed evolutionary relationship. Their eight categories of classifications, from the most inclusive to the least inclusive they are: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. All organisms are grouped within these categories based on how they are presumed to have evolved.

The most inclusive category, the domain, is broken down into three parts: domain archaea, domain bacteria, and domain eukarya. Within the domain archaea, there are prokaryotes, which argues cellular organisms that do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. These are believed to be some of the first cells on Earth. The domain bacteria contain prokaryotes that are unicellular and also lack membrane-bound nuclei. Finally, domain eukarya contained organisms that are either unicellular or multicellular, but these organisms have a membrane-bound nucleus. The domain eukarya is then broken down into four kingdoms: protista, fungi, plantae, and animalia.

It is very important that anyone beginning to study biology grasps these concepts. The theory of evolution is one of the main concepts throughout the entire study of biology, so it is very important that a new biologist can classify organisms correctly. Additionally, taxonomy, the tricky to learn first, will help you with your classification in the long run.

Source:
Benitz, Bill. Lecture: Biology. September 7, 2009