Chapter 1 Flashcards
Evolution, the themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry
What are the different levels of biological organization?
Biosphere, Ecosystem, Communities, Populations, Organisms, Organs, Tissues, Cells, Organelle, Molecules
How does energy flow?
From the sun, through organisms, to cells and molecules
What’s the difference between the flow of energy and the flow of chemicals?
Energy flows though and is lost via heat; chemicals have a cyclical process and are reused again and again
How does structure and function appear in organisms?
Tapeworm example; tapeworms a long, symmetrical, skinny organisms. Allows them to fit and attach to the gut wall.
How does structure and function appear in appendages?
Hummingbird example; hummingbirds have unique shoulder and wing structures that enables them to hover and fly backwards. This ability makes it easier for them to feed from flowers
How does structure and function appear in cells?
Neurons are wild structures, this allows them to make connections with other neurons in the brain.
How does structure and function appear on the molecular level?
DNA; the double helix shape allows for more genetic information and its ability to carry it
What are emergent properties?
How a component works from the result of collective behavior of many parts, all working/acting together. Studying individual parts alone is insufficient to understand system behavior; example: Memory can’t be understood as a property of a single neuron, but rather a collective property of a lot of neurons acting together.
What are two characteristics of cells?
They are membrane bound (via a phospholipid bi-layer) and DNA inside encodes cellular “instructions”
What makes up prokaryotes?
Bacteria and archaea
What defines a prokaryote?
Contains no nuclear or organelle; only a membrane and DNA
What makes up eukaryotes?
plants, fungi, animals, protest (unicellular)
What defines a eukaryote?
Contains a nucleus and has organelles
How is genetic information organized?
DNA, Nucleotide, Genes, Chromosomes, Genome
How does information get from genes to drive protein manufacture?
Every cell contains all DNA. DNA contains coding and non-coding regions. Coding regions switch genes on to make proteins. Non-coding regions regulate the on/off switch. Protein generated by on switch
How does info get from the nucleus to cytoplasm?
mRNA
What is the mRNA process?
DNA, gene, gene is “read” (transcription), mRNA is made (a copy of the original DNA), leaves nucleus, ribosomes, amino acid, protein
What are proteins?
Long strings of amino acids. Their 3D structure is very important because how it is folded is critical to its function
What is DNA comprised of?
Two sugar phosphate back bones making the double helix and nucleotides formed into base pairs
What are the base pairs?
Adenine & Thymine; Cytosine & Guanine
Explain negative feedback via blood sugar/insulin
Negative feedback is the regulatory mechanism and is the maintenance of standard levels of function (homeostasis). When we eat, our blood sugar increases, the B cells from our pancreas release insulin, which goes into our blood stream, then binds with receptors, liver takes up glucose, lowers our blood sugar and returns us to homeostasis
What’s positive feedback?
A positive feedback loop occurs in nature when the product of a reaction leads to an increase in that reaction; blood clotting example
What are dependent variables?
Dependent on independent variable
What is an independent variable?
The thing that is being manipulated
