Biological Diversity Flashcards
Genetic Diversity
variations between members of a population at a cellular level
Community Diversity
number of different species living in the same area and sharing the resources
Species
group of organisms having the same structure and reproducing with one another
Population
members of a same species living in a specific area and sharing resources
Variation
differences among individuals within a species. (i.e. climatic change, new predator, new disease, elimination of food source). this means that if a change occurs, not all will die; there will be some that can still survive and adapt to the new environment (e.g. different colors of banded snails mean that only a few will be seen by predators even when its environment changes with the seasons/peppered moths in England/bacteria resistant to antibiotics)
Discrete Variation
differences in characteristics that have a defined form. such as being an albino or having blue eyes
Continuous Variation
differences in characteristics that have a range of forms, such as height in humans or the mass of squirrels)
Niche
role an organism plays within the ecosystem (includes its food, its habitat, its range, its effect on other species and the environment, and its predators);
Inter species Competition
when 2 or more species need the same resource (both are harmed)
Symbiosis
members of different species in which one species survival depends directly on the health and survival of another species
Commensalism
one species benefits while the other does not (e.g. bird nesting in a tree, barnacles on whales)
Mutualism
both species benefit (e.g. fungus and alga form lichens,
Asexual Reproduction
the transmission of the same genetic information from a parent to its offspring. Basically the offspring is an exact copy of the parent.
Asexual Reproduction: Binary Fission
cell splits exactly in two after duplicating itself (e.g. bacteria, amoeba)
Asexual Reproduction Budding
parent produces small bud, which eventually detaches and becomes a new individual (e.g. hydra, yeast, coral)
Asexual Reproduction: Spore Reproduction
parent produces spores and each spore develops into a new individual.
- does not require specialized cells
-rapid increase in numbers
- does not require mating
-no variation
-unfavorable conditions
Sexual Reproduction
involves the union of male and female sex cells (i.e. gametes) to form a zygote and requires two parents. It creates variation in offspring.
-variation
-does require specialized cells
-slow production
-lots of energy
-
Steps Sexual Reproduction
- Male gametes (sperm) and female gametes (egg or ova) are produced
- Sperm unites with the egg to form a zygote during mating (fertilization) – they must arrive at the same time and in a moist environment so the gametes do not dry out
- Zygote divides repeatedly (cleavage) until it becomes a multicellular embryo
- Embryo develops inside or outside the female parent; it is different from both parents, but similar to them in other
respects
Steps Plant Reproduction
- Pollen (contains male gametes) is found on the stamen; ovules (contain female gametes) are found in the pistil 2. Pollen is transferred from the anther of the stamen to the stigma of the pistil
- Male and female gametes unite to form a zygote
(fertilization) - Zygote divides repeatedly (cleavage) until it becomes a multicellular embryo (this is found inside a seed); it is different from both parents, but similar to them in other respects
Mitosis
Occurs in the body cells
Meiosis
occurs in the sex cells ( gametes), has 2 divisions,and produces 4 daughter cells.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
it also stores genetic information for heritable traits in all living organisms and directs the structures and functions of the cell.
Genes
are located on chromosomes and contain coded instructions for a feature (genes also come in pairs)
Alleles
two alleles together form a genotype and the genotype determines the physical result, which we call the phenotype
