A3.1 SL / HL Flashcards
speices
a group of organisms that can interbreed with each other in nature and produce fertile offspring; also the eigth taxa of groups in the classifcation of life; the second part of a scientific name
interbreed
the act of mixing different species or varieties of plants or animals to produce hybrids
fertile offspring
offspring that can grow up to reproduce and have their own offspring
organism
a living thing that has certain characteristics and functions; a member of a species population
population
a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same time and can potentially interbreed
habitat
the natural environment of an organism, such as a plant, animal, or community of organisms, that provides everything they need to survive
community
a group of different species that live together in a shared location, or habitat, and interact with each other in a complex web of relationships
variation
the difference between cells, organisms, or groups of organisms of the same species
continuous variation
a type of phenotypic trait variation that occurs when a characteristic can change gradually over a range of values
quantitative data
numerical data that is countable, measurable, or based on numbers
discrete variation
a type of variation that has a finite number of phenotypes, or values, that fall into clear-cut categories with no overlap
qualitative data
non-numerical information that describes characteristics or qualities of something
nucleotides
the fundamental building blocks of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA
species diversity
the number of species and their relative abundance in a given area, such as a population, ecosystem, or the Earth
biomes
a distinct geographical area with a specific climate, vegetation, and animal life that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate
intraspeciific variation
the extent of genetic variation that exists within a species
mutations
a change in the DNA sequence of an organism’s cell
gene flow
the transfer of genetic material between populations, also known as gene migration
meiosis
a type of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms to produce sex cells, or gametes, such as eggs and sperm
gametes
reproductive cells, or sex cells, that fuse during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexuall
sexual reproduction
the production of new organisms by the combination of genetic information of two individuals of different sexes
interspecific variation
the difference between individuals of different species
morphological species concept
a way of defining species based on their structural features, such as their body shape
convergent evolution
a biological process that occurs when organisms that are not closely related develop similar traits or behaviors in response to similar environmental pressures
Carolus Linnaeus
a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organisms. He is known as the “father of modern taxonomy”
binomial nomenclature
a biological system for naming organisms using two terms, with the first term indicating the genus and the second indicating the species
taxa
the different classifications of living organisms
domain
the first and largest of all groups in the classification of life
kingdom
the second taxa of groups in the classification of life
phylum
the third taxa of groups in the classification of life
class
the forth taxa of groups in the classification of life
order
the fifth taxa of groups in the classification of life
family
the sixth taxa of groups in the classification of life
genus
the seventh taxa of groups in the classification of life; first part of a scientific name
taxonomy
the scientific study of naming, defining, and classifying organisms based on shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships
classification
the process of organizing living and extinct organisms into groups based on their similar characteristics
scientific name
a unique name used to refer to a specific species made of the genus and species taxa
biological species concept
a species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
reproductive isolation
when a species is unable to successfully breed with a related species due to barriers or differences that are geographical, behavioral, physiological, or genetic
post-zygotic isolation
a type of reproductive isolation that occurs when offspring are born from a male and female of different species after fertilization
isolation mechanism
a reproductive characteristic that prevents species from interbreeding and fusing
geographic isolation
when two populations of organisms are physically separated by geographical barriers, such as rivers, mountains, or bodies of water
behavioral isolation
a biological process that prevents species from interbreeding due to differences in their behaviors
temporal isolation
a reproductive barrier that prevents closely related species from interbreeding due to differences in timing
hybrid
the offspring of two organisms of different varieties, subspecies, species, or genera that combine their qualities through sexual reproduction
divergence
the evolution of different structures or forms in related species as they adapt to different environments
chronospecies
a group of organisms that evolve into a later group of organisms that are considered a separate species
asexual reproduction
a type of reproduction in which a single parent organism produces offspring without the involvement of gametes or fertilization
cloning
the process of creating an exact genetic replica of an organism, cell, or tissue
budding
a type of asexual reproduction where a new organism develops from a bud or outgrowth of a parent organism
binary fission
a type of asexual reproduction in biology where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells
speciation
the process by which new species are created when a group within a species separates and develops its own unique characteristics
sexual reproduction
the production of new organisms by the combination of genetic information of two individuals of different sexes
zygote
a fertilized egg cell that results from the union of a female gamete (egg or ovum) and a male gamete (sperm)
sex cells
cells that are involved in sexual reproduction
diploid
a cell, organism, or generation that has two complete sets of chromosomes in its nucleus
haploid
an organism, cell, or nucleus that has a single set of unpaired chromosomes
Evolution of chromosome #2
thought to have evolved from the fusion of two ancestral chromosomes in non-human primates; the theory that chromosome #2 in humans orginiated from the fusion of the eventual chromosomes #12 and #13 in chimpanzees
centromere
a constricted region of a chromosome that connects sister chromatids during cell division
banding pattern
a pattern of light and dark stripes that appear along the length of a chromosome after it has been stained with a dye and viewed under a microscope
telomeres
repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that protect the ends from degradation and ensure the integrity of chromosomes
karyogram
a diagram or photograph of a cell’s chromosomes, arranged in pairs and by size, shape, and banding pattern
karyotype
the complete set of chromosomes in an organism’s cells, including their size, shape, and number
metaphase
a stage of cell division, either mitosis or meiosis, where chromosomes align in the middle of the cell
photomicrograph
a photograph of an image that is magnified and taken through a microscope or similar device
autosomes
chromosomes that are not sex chromosomes; chromosomes #1-22 in humans
sex chromosomes
chromosomes that contain genes that determine an individual’s biological sex; chromosomes #23 in humans
genetic diversity
the range of genetic characteristics in a species’ genetic makeup
genes
a unit of heredity that is made up of DNA and passed from parent to child
alleles
a variant of a gene’s sequence of nucleotides at a specific location on a DNA molecule
genome
the complete set of DNA, or genetic material, in an organism
single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)
a DNA sequence variation that occurs when a single nucleotide (adenine, thymine, cytosine, or guanine) differs from the reference sequence
human genome project
an international scientific research project with the goal of determining the base pairs that make up human DNA, and of identifying, mapping and sequencing all of the genes of the human genome from both a physical and a functional standpoint. It started in 1990 and was completed in 2003
bioinformatics
a scientific subdiscipline that uses computer technology to collect, store, analyze, and share biological data, such as DNA and amino acid sequences
mitochondrial DNA (mDNA)
a small, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule that’s found in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells
NCBI genome data bank
a database of publicly available DNA sequences and protein interpretations
phylogenetic trees
a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships between different organisms, species, or genes
personalized medicine
a medical practice that uses a patient’s genetic profile to help guide decisions about preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease
