Page 1: Understanding Biodiversity and Classification

This page introduces the fundamental concepts of biodiversity and biological classification systems. The content explores how life's variety is measured across different levels and introduces key biological terms essential for understanding organism categorization.

Definition: Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of all life forms on Earth, measured at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.

Vocabulary:

• Vertebrate: Organisms possessing spinal cords
• Invertebrate: Organisms lacking spinal cords
• Alien Species: Organisms present in non-native environments
• Adaptation: Physical changes organisms undergo to survive in their environment

Example: Classification hierarchy demonstrates relationships between different taxonomic levels, from kingdom (e.g., Animalia) down to species level, including examples like mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Highlight: Classification systems group organisms based on shared features, using a standardized naming convention where the first name is capitalized and the second is lowercase.