Unit 9 Reflection

This unit was about life, and how it is organized. We learned about classification, which is how groups are grouped based on similarities, as well as taxonomy, which is the study of naming and classifying organisms with the binomial nomenclature, or a 2-part naming system where a scientific name is comprised of the genus and species of an organism, in order to avoid confusion with common names. We also learned about phylogeny, the evolutionary history and relationships of different species. This was especially interesting as phylogeny is closely related to the last unit. We also learned about the 8 taxonomic levels, or taxa: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.



We also learned about the history of Domains and Kingdoms, and the many different systems that existed before the 3 domain system. The 3 domains, Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya contain all living organisms. There are also 4 modern kingdoms under Eukarya: Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.



Later, we learned about bacteria, which can be gram-positive or gram-negative depending on the makeup of their cell walls, and viruses, which are not actually alive. We also learned of the anatomy, diversity, reproduction, and importance of fungi, as well as the evolution and adaptations of plants, and the major plant phyla.

We then moved onto animals, which are grouped by body plan symmetry, tissue layers, and developmental patterns. 97% of animals are invertebrates. There are several invertebrate phyla: Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (which includes Scyphozoans, like the jellyfish; Anthozoans, like coral; Hydrozoans, like the hydra; and Cubozoans, or the box jellies), Platyhelminthes (flatworms, like planarians, flukes, and tapeworms), Molluska (which includes Gastropods, like snails; Bivalves, like clams; and Cephalopods, which includes the octopus), Annelida (which includes earthworms, marine worms, and leeches), Arthropoda (which includes Trilobites; Crustaceans, which can be Decapods like lobsters, Barnacles, or Isopods like the pill bug; Insects; Chelicerates, like the scorpion; and Myriapods, like the millipede), and Echinodermata (which includes feather stars, sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers).

All vertebrate belong to the phylum Chordata. There are 7 classes of Chordata: Agnatha (jawless fish like lampreys and hagfish), Condricthyes (fish with cartilage skeletons, like the shark), Osteicthyes (fish with bony skeletons), Amphibia (which are grouped into salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecilians), Reptilia (which have 4 modern groups: turtles and other bony-shelled reptiles, snakes, lizards, and crocodilians), Aves (birds), and Mammalia (grouped into monotromes, marsupials, and eutharians depending on how they give birth to their young).

I would like to learn more about the classification of different groups in some of the phyla and classes. The vodcasts often said that phyla were "grouped" into groups with common names, so I would like to know more about the taxonomy and scientific names of these groups. I wonder what kind of organisms would have to be discovered in order to change the taxonomic system again.

During this unit, I did the What on Earth Evolved? Presentation on stony corals. You can see it below:



The presentation went pretty well, although I talked a little too fast, in my opinion. I think the first slides were all good, and I went over them pretty well. For the last few slides, I didn't really go into enough detail. I also think I was missing a bit of why corals are so important.

From this presentation, I have learned to relax before presenting in order to talk more slowly. I have also learned that presenting earlier is often easier than later.