5 - Final Prep Flashcards
broad abd vague, not to be used as sole study material
What’s the difference between open and closed systems?
Open systems exchange energy and matter with surroundings (e.g., ecosystems). Closed systems only exchange energy (e.g., Earth’s energy balance)
How does energy flow through a food chain?
Energy flows from producers (plants) to consumers (herbivores, carnivores) and decreases at each level due to energy loss (heat)
What is a food web?
A network of interconnected food chains showing how energy and nutrients flow through an ecosystem
What are the components of a food chain
Producers (plants), primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores), and decomposers (break down dead material).
What are the types of ecological pyramids?
Energy (energy flow), biomass (mass of organisms), and numbers (organisms at each level).
What is the 10% rule?
Only 10% of energy is passed to the next trophic level; 90% is lost as heat or used for life processes.
What are the 3 key properties of water?
Cohesion (sticks to itself), adhesion (sticks to surfaces), and high specific heat (resists temperature changes).
What are the steps of the hydrologic cycle?
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, and infiltration.
What’s the difference between rapid and slow cycling?
Rapid cycling moves nutrients through living organisms quickly, while slow cycling stores nutrients in non-living reservoirs (e.g., rocks).
What are the main steps of the nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification.
Which cycle doesn’t involve the atmosphere?
The phosphorus cycle – it moves through rocks, soil, water, and organisms.
Define “niche” and “habitat.”
A niche is an organism’s role in its ecosystem, while a habitat is where it lives.
Order the biosphere’s levels of complexity.
Organism → population → community → ecosystem → biome → biosphere.
What are limiting factors?
Conditions that limit population growth (e.g., food, water, space, predators).
What is the difference between biomagnification and bioaccumulation?
Biomagnification: The increase in concentration of toxins as they move up the food chain (e.g., predators at the top have the most toxins).
Bioaccumulation: The buildup of toxins within an organism over time (e.g., fish storing mercury in their tissues).
What is eutrophication?
Eutrophication is the process where excessive nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus) enter water bodies, leading to:
Algae Blooms: Rapid algae growth blocks sunlight.
Oxygen Depletion: Dead algae decompose, using up oxygen.
Harm to Aquatic Life: Low oxygen kills fish and other organisms.
What is Darwinian fitness?
An organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.
How does antibiotic resistance occur?
bacteria mutate, survive antibiotics, and reproduce, passing resistance genes.
What’s the main difference between Darwin’s and Lamarck’s theories?
Darwin: Traits are passed through natural selection. Lamarck: Traits are acquired during life and passed on.
How does natural selection work?
Traits that improve survival and reproduction become more common in a population.
What is the basis of evolutionary theory?
Species change over time through natural selection and genetic variation.
How does isolation lead to speciation?
Geographic, behavioral, or reproductive isolation prevents gene flow, leading to new species.
What factors affect the rate of evolution?
Mutations, environmental changes, population size, and reproduction rate.
What do plants do with gasses during the day vs. night?
Day: Take in CO₂ (photosynthesis) and release O₂. Take in O₂ (cellular respiration) and release CO₂
Night: Photosynthesis ceases. Take in O₂ (cellular respiration) and release CO₂.
: What did Engelmann’s experiment prove?
Showed that blue and red light are most effective for photosynthesis by observing oxygen production in algae.
What wavelengths increase photosynthesis?
Red and blue light, as they’re absorbed by chlorophyll, boost photosynthesis.
How does light intensity (lux) affect photosynthesis?
Higher light intensity increases the photosynthetic rate until saturation is reached.
What’s special about yeast in biology?
Yeast undergoes fermentation, producing CO₂ and alcohol, making it useful in baking and brewing.
What’s the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
Aerobic: Uses oxygen, produces 36 ATP per glucose.
Anaerobic: No oxygen, produces 2 ATP and lactic acid or ethanol.
How do Pesticides, Herbicides, and Cyanide affect cellular respiration?
They block enzymes in the electron transport chain, stopping ATP production and killing cells.
How do photosynthesis and cellular respiration connect?
Photosynthesis produces glucose and O₂.
Cellular respiration uses glucose and O₂ to make ATP, releasing CO₂ and H₂O.
What are the parts of the mitochondrion?
Cristae: Folded inner membrane (ETC occurs here).
Matrix: Fluid-filled space (Krebs cycle occurs here).
What are the processes for building and breaking molecules?
Anabolism/Dehydration synthase: Builds molecules (e.g., protein synthesis).
Catabolism’hydrolysis: Breaks molecules (e.g., cellular respiration).
Which tests match which macromolecules?
Benedict’s test: carbs.
Biuret test: Proteins.
Sudan IV/paper bag test: Lipids.
Iodine test: Starch.
What are the digestive accessory organs?
Liver: Produces bile to digest fats.
Pancreas: Produces digestive enzymes.
Gallbladder: Stores bile.
How do hormones regulate digestion?
Gastrin: Stimulates stomach acid.
Secretin: Signals pancreas to release bicarbonate.
CCK: Stimulates bile release.
What are the main parts of the digestive system?
Mouth → esophagus → stomach → small intestine → large intestine → rectum → anus.
How does pH change in the digestive system?
Stomach: Acidic (pH ~2).
Small intestine: Slightly basic (pH ~8) for enzyme activity.
What’s the pathway food takes in digestion?
Chewed in the mouth.
Broken down in the stomach.
Absorbed in the small intestine.
Water removed in the large intestine.
Excreted as waste.
What are the 4 macromolecules and their roles?
Carbohydrates: Energy source.
Proteins: Build tissues and enzymes.
Lipids: Store energy, make cell membranes.
Nucleic acids: Store genetic information.
What are the main parts of the respiratory system?
Nose → pharynx → trachea → bronchi → bronchioles → alveoli (gas exchange happens here).
How do we breathe in and out?
Inhalation: Diaphragm contracts (moves down), rib cage expands, air enters lungs.
Exhalation: Diaphragm relaxes (moves up), rib cage contracts, air leaves lungs.
How is oxygen and CO₂ transported in blood?
O₂: Binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells.
CO₂: Carried as bicarbonate ions in plasma or bound to hemoglobin.
What do the parts of a spirograph mean?
Tidal volume: Air inhaled/exhaled normally.
Inspiratory/expiratory reserve volume: Extra air inhaled/exhaled.
Vital capacity: Total usable lung capacity.
What are the main types of blood cells and their functions?
Red blood cells: Carry oxygen.
White blood cells: Fight infections.
Platelets: Help clot blood.
What are the key parts of the heart?
Atria: Upper chambers (receive blood).
Ventricles: Lower chambers (pump blood).
Valves: Prevent backflow.
What happens in capillary beds?
Gas, nutrient, and waste exchange occurs between blood and tissues.
How is blood type identified?
By mixing blood with anti-A, anti-B, and anti-Rh antibodies to check for clumping (agglutination).
Which blood types can donate to and receive from each other?
O-: Universal donor.
AB+: Universal receiver.
Others: Based on A, B, AB, or O, and Rh factor (+ or -).
What are the key immune cells and their roles?
Macrophages: Engulf pathogens.
B cells: Produce antibodies.
T cells: Kill infected cells.
How do electrical impulses move through the heart?
SA node: Starts heartbeat, contracts atria.
AV node: Delays signal.
Bundle of His & Purkinje fibers: Signal ventricles to contract.
What are the steps of the immune response?
Pathogen enters.
Macrophages engulf and signal.
Helper T cells activate B cells.
B cells make antibodies.
Antibodies target and destroy pathogens.
What are the parts of the excretory system?
Kidneys → ureters → bladder → urethra.
How do kidneys regulate blood pH?
-What do they do if blood is too acidic (low)
By excreting hydrogen ions (H⁺) and reabsorbing bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) to maintain balance.
What are the parts of the nephron?
Bowman’s capsule: Filters blood.
Proximal tubule: Reabsorbs nutrients.
Loop of Henle: Concentrates urine.
Distal tubule: Balances ions.
Collecting duct: Collects urine.
What’s the order of processes in the nephron?
Filtration → reabsorption → secretion → excretion.
What are the 3 muscle types and where are they found?
Skeletal: Attached to bones.
Cardiac: Heart.
Smooth: Organs (e.g., intestines)
How does the sliding filament model work?
Myosin pulls actin filaments inward, shortening the sarcomere, which contracts the muscle.
What is muscular dystrophy?
A genetic disorder that weakens muscles over time due to abnormal or missing muscle proteins.
