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New
New
Year 11
OCR
Higher

Classification and reclassification: genetic evidence

I can describe the classification, and sometimes reclassification, of organisms based on evidence from their gene sequences.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 11
OCR
Higher

Classification and reclassification: genetic evidence

I can describe the classification, and sometimes reclassification, of organisms based on evidence from their gene sequences.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Organisms can now be classified using evidence from sequencing their genes
  2. Comparing gene sequences provides evidence of evolutionary relationships
  3. Sometimes organisms are reclassified into a different group if new evidence is discovered

Common misconception

Organisms evolve over a short period of time.

Draw pupils attention to the tome scales on the evolutionary trees to show that evolution takes place slowly over long periods of time.

Keywords

  • DNA - Deoxyribonucleic acid is a chemical that carries genetic information, and it is the molecule of inheritance.

  • Gene sequence - the sequence of DNA that codes for a particular protein

  • Evolutionary trees - diagrams that show the evolutionary relationships between organisms

Make sure that the class have printed versions of the gene sequence data.
Teacher tip

Equipment

highlighting pens

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which classification group would contain the most organisms?
Correct answer: domain
species
kingdom
family
class
Q2.
Match the names of the three domains to the organisms that are classified into them.
Correct Answer:eukaryota,animals, plants, fungi and protists

animals, plants, fungi and protists

Correct Answer:bacteria,true bacteria

true bacteria

Correct Answer:archaea,extremophiles that live in extreme environments

extremophiles that live in extreme environments

Q3.
What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes eukaryotic cells from prokaryotic cells?
cell membrane
Correct answer: membrane bound nucleus
cytoplasm
cell wall
Q4.
What major advancement did Carl Woese contribute to the field of classification?
introduction of the binomial naming system
discovery of the structure of DNA
Correct answer: development of the three-domain system
formulation of the theory of evolution
Q5.
What are the three domains proposed by Carl Woese in his classification system?
Correct answer: bacteria
Correct answer: archaea
animals
Correct answer: eukaryota
protists
Q6.
How did Linnaeus classify organisms in his classification system?
based on genetic similarity and differences
based on their ecological niche
Correct answer: based on their observable and measurable characteristics

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The model shown in the diagram is an evolutionary ...
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: tree
Q2.
According to this evolutionary tree, which two organisms are most closely related?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: A and B
B and C
C and D
D and E
Q3.
Which branching point, P, Q, R or S, shows the most recent common ancestor of species A, B, and C?
An image in a quiz
P
Correct answer: Q
R
S
Q4.
Which species is most closely related to species G?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: H
I
J
Q5.
How many differences are there between the gene sequence of species G and that of species J?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: 3, three
Q6.
Which evolutionary tree shows the relationship between the species shown in the table?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz