Chapter 1 Flashcards
What study reveals common themes?
the study of life
What core theme accounts for unity and diversity of life
evolution
In studying nature, scientists form and test __________.
hypotheses
The process of Evolution drives the ________ and _________________ of life
unity; diversity
Biological systems utilize _____________ and ____________________ to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
free energy; molecular building blocks
Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and _________ to information essential to life processes.
respond
Biological systems ___________, and these systems and their interactions possess complex processes.
interact
What is an organisms’ adaptations to its environment a result of?
evolution
What is evolution?
the process of change over time that has resulted in the astounding array of organisms found on earth.
What are all organisms on earth today are modified descendants of?
common ancestor
What is the study of life?
Biology
What are the 2 central activities at the study of biology?
posing questions and seeking answers through inquiry
What are the five unifying themes in biology that provide BIG IDEAS to help in our thinking about life?
Organization, information, energy and matter, interactions, and evolution
What are the levels of biological organization in order of largest to smallest?
Biosphere, ecosystem, community, population, organism, organ, tissue, cells, organelles, molecules.
What are the levels of biological organization in order of smallest to largest?
Molecules, organelles, cells, tissue, organ, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere.
What are the two ends of the study of life?
the microscopic scale of the molecules and cells that make up organisms to the global scale of the entire living planet.
Define emergent properties:
properties which arise in more complex structures and that did not exist at simpler levels of organization
What is reductionism?
a method by which complex systems are broken down and the individual components are studied.
What is systems biology?
a method by which scientists construct models which allow biologists to predict how a change in one or more variables will affect other components.
What correlation exists at every level of biological organization?
structure and function
What is the saying about structure and function?
Form Follows Function
What are cells
the basic unit of structure and function in living organisms and is the smallest unit of organization that can perform all activities required for life
Who was the first scientist to describe and name cells in 1665
Robert Hocke
What cells did Hocke look at?
Cork cells
Who constructed the first true microscope and observed single celled organisms in pond water?
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Who helped form the first two parts of the cell theory in 1838.
Theodore Schwann and Matthais Schlieden
What did Theodore Schwann study?
animals
What did Matthias Schleiden study?
plants
Who added the third part of cell theory in 1855?
Rudolf Virchow
What is the first part of cell theory
all living organisms are composed of one or more cells
What is the second part of cell theory?
A cell is a basic structural and functional unit of living organisms
What is the third part of cell theory?
All cells arise from pre-existing cells
What 4 things do all cells have?
Genetic material (DNA), Plasma membrane, ribosomes, and cytosol
What is a prokaryotic cell?
a cell that lacks membrane bound organelles and nucleus.
What are 2 examples of prokaryotic cells?
eubacteria/archaebacteria
What is a eukaryotic cell?
a cell that has a membrane bound nucleus and organelles
What are 2 examples of a eukaryotic cell?
plants & animals
Within cells, structures called ___________ contain genetic material in the form of ______
chromosomes; DNA
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
What are nucleotides
repeating units (building blocks)
What are DNA molecules composed of
nucleotides
The __________ sequence acts as a template that codes for _________ which act as the tools of the cell.
Nucleotide (DNA); a protein
What is the process of protein synthesis (list the steps)
DNA –> Transcription –> mRNA –> Translation –> Chain of amino acids –> Protein folding –> Protein
What is gene expression
the entire process by which the information in a gene directs the production of cellular product
In protein synthesis, DNA is transcribed into the intermediary molecule _____ which is then translated into _____________, and ultimately folded into a functional or structural ___________.
mRNA; a chain of acids (polypeptide chain); protein
What is the universality of the genetic code is a strong piece of evidence for?
all life is related
Comparing the sequences in several ______ for a given gene that codes for a particular ______ can provide valuable information about the protein and the evolutionary relationship of the different species to one another.
species; gene
What is a genome?
the entire library of genetic instructions that an organism inherits
What is genomics?
the study of an entire set of genes
What is bioinformatics
the use of computational tools to store, organize, and analyze the huge volume of data that results from “high throughput” technology.
What is a producer?
an organism that obtains light energy from the sun and is capable of converting it into chemical energy of food (namely sugars) via photosynthesis.
What type of process do producers use?
autotrophic
What is a consumer?
an organism that obtains its useable energy by feeding upon other organisms and their remains
What kind of process do consumers use?
Heterotrophic
Energy ________ one-way through an ecosystem, from __________ (process ______________) to the ____________________.
flows; progress; photosynthesis; consumers
Energy enters the ecosystem as _____________ and is converted to ______________ (in the form of ___________)
sunlight (light energy); chemical energy; sugar (C6H12O6)
Nutrients are ________ within an ecosystem. The essential link in this process is ______________(by fungi, etc.) returning chemicals to the environment.
cycled; decomposers
What are nutrients lost as as they are passed through an ecosystem?
Trick question: they are never lost
What is ecology?
the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment
What has resulted in increased global warming/ climate change?
the burning of fossil fuels and the increase in CO2
What does evolution account for?
the unity and diversity of life
What are the three domains?
Bacteria, Archae, Eukarya
What kingdom includes the Kingdom Eubacteria
Bacteria
What kingdom includes the Kingdom Archaebacteria
Archae
What are the 4 Eukaryotic kingdoms?
plantae, fungi, Animalia, protists
All of life on Earth is ________.
connected
What was Charles Darwin’s phrase for evolution?
“descent with modification”
What was the book, published by Darwin, that is one of the most and influential books ever written
“On the origin of species by means of natural selection”
Name several sources of evidence for evolution.
fossil record, biogeography, DNA similarities, embryology, structural comparison.
What did Darwin state that evolution was driven by?
natural selection
What are the three observations that natural selection was based off on?
variation, competition is inevitable, circumstances/nature correlates
What is variation?
individuals in a population vary in their traits, many of which seem to be heritable
What is the competition is inevitable theory?
a population can produce far more offspring than can survive to produce offspring on their own
What is the circumstances/nature correlates theory
species are generally suited to their environments.
Darwin inferred/reasoned that individuals with _______ traits that are better suited (best fit) to the local environment are more likely to __________ and ____________ than the less well-suited individuals within that given population.
inherited; survive; reproduce
The environment consistently “________” for the propagation of certain traits among the naturally occurring variant traits in the population.
selects
What is fitness?
contribution to the next generation
As a result of descent with modification, two species will ____________ certain traits simply because they diverged from a common ancestor (this show the ________ of life)
share; unity
Furthermore, we can account for the differences between two species (the _______ of life) with the idea that certain heritable changes occurred after the two species _____________ from their common ancestor.
diversity; diverged
What does a family tree illustrate?
an example of adaptive radiation of new species from a common ancestor
What, outside of finches, are finches related to?
all other birds
What is the Universal Genetic Code?
use of the same nucleotides to create the template for each organism’s structure. More related species would thereby exhibit more similar DNA, genes, etc. than less related species (recent divergence)
What does a branch point represent?
the divergence point of more than two novel evolutionary lineages moving forward (the last common ancestor they shared)
What is a cladogram
the tree
What does inquiry include?
making observations, forming logical explanations (hypotheses) and testing them
What is at the heart of science?
inquiry
What do scientists rely heavily on
scientific literature, the lit. review of past related studies.
What is scientific literature?
the peer-reviewed, published contributions of other scientists.
What are the two types of data used in scientific research?
qualitative and quantitative
What is qualitative data?
a subjective description
What is quantitative data?
an objective measure
What is inductive reasoning
a method by which scientists are able to arrive at general ideas based on a large number of specific observations
What is deductive reasoning?
a method by which scientists use logic to move from the general to the specific.
What kind of statement is used with deductive reasoning?
If … then
What is a hypotheses?
an explanation, based on observations and assumptions that leads to a testable prediction.
What is another phrase for a hypotheses?
an explanation on trial
What is an experiment?
a scientific test, often carried out under controlled conditions
What must a scientific hypothesis be?
testable
Science only deals with _____________________, it can neither support nor contradict the ghost, elf, or orc hypothesis
natural, testable explanations for natural phenomena
Do scientists control ALL the features of a controlled experiment?
No, that’s impossible
In what three ways is a scientific theory different than a hypothesis?
1.) Broader in scope
2.) General enough to allow for multiple testable hypotheses
3.) Supported by a much greater body of evidence
What is order?
the sum of their component parts which give them their emergent properties
What is reproduction?
the idea that all life comes from other life with species of their own kind
What is biogenesis?
life only arising from other living things
What is a spontaneous generation?
life coming from non-living things
What is growth and development?
inherited information in the form of genes directs the pattern of growth and development producing an organism of organisms
What is energy processing?
the idea that organisms need the input to offset entropy
What is entropy?
disorder
Who make their own energy?
producers
Who obtain energy by eating others?
consumers
What entails a response to the environment?
response to environmental stimulus
What is regulation?
the ability to maintain a stable internal environment
What is regulation called?
maintaining homeostasis
What is evolutionary adaptation?
a genetic change or hereditary combination that appears over generations due to a greater level of reproductive success in its environment.
What is the order of the domain and kingdom system (from smallest to largest)
species -> genus -> family -> order -> class -> phylum -> kingdom -> domain
What is the order of the domain kingdom system (from largest to smallest)?
domain –> kingdom –> phylum –> class –> order –> family –> genus –> species
