Arms Race Flashcards
1
Q
organism x environement
A
-> evolutionary change
2
Q
components of an organism’s environment
A
- abiotic
- biotic
3
Q
abiotic components of an organism’s environment
A
- temperature, humidity, water salinity, substrate colour, etc
4
Q
biotic components of an organism’s environment (5)
A
- predators
- food/prey
- competitors (same or other species)
- partners (same or other species)
- pathogens and parasites
5
Q
what can biotic interactions lead to?
A
- antagonistic coevolution/”arms races”
6
Q
possible facets of a prey and predator relationship
A
better/faster:
- hiding
- mimicry, camo
- running
- size, strength
- group hunting/defense
7
Q
running adaptations (3)
A
- running on toe tips
- longer foot bones
- tibia and fibula fusion
8
Q
snail defence adaptation as prey
A
- proportion of snail subfamilies with thickened shells and narrowed apertures has increase through time
9
Q
what are the characteristics of pathogens and parasites? (4)
A
- short life spans
- huge population sizes
- high mutation rates
- these traits allow pathogens to evolve as much in a day as we can in 1000 years
10
Q
how can humans combat the evolutionary mismatch with pathogens?
A
- adaptive immunity
11
Q
adaptive immune response (3)
A
- immune cells recognize epitopes on the surface of pathogens to mount a highly specific response against that pathogen
- jawed vertebrates only
- presence of lymphocytes (WBC): B cells (antibodies) and T cells ( helper and killer cells)
12
Q
how does adaptive immunity combat rapid evolution of pathogens? (3)
A
- involves evolution by natural selection within the individual
- clonal selection yields cell lines that recognize and attack specific pathogens
- a memory is retained to guard against future infections by the same pathogen strains
13
Q
how is variability generated in adaptive immune response?
A
- gene rearrangement and somatic hypermutation produces a large primary repertoire of antibody-producing B cells
14
Q
innate immunity (4)
A
- all animals
- skin/exoskeleton
- phagocytosis by blood cells
- antimicrobial peptides
15
Q
T cells
A
- cell-mediated response against intracellular pathogens
16
Q
B cells (2)
A
- antibody-mediated (humoral) response against extracellular pathogens and paracites
- antigen + helper T cell simulation produces memory B cells and plasma cells (anitbodies)
17
Q
adaptive immunity (3)
A
- somatic (within individual) evolution by natural selection
- individual protection against future infections by same strain of pathogen
- specific response not inherited by offspring