Chapter 1: Evolution, Themes in Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

Question 1

What are atoms?

Answer 1

The smallest unit of a substance that can maintain the properties of that substance

Question 2

Describe the biological hierarchy.

Answer 2

• atoms
• molecules (combination of atoms)
• cell (basic unit of life, combination of molecules)
• tissue (cluster of similar cells)
• organ (collection of tissues)
• body/organ system (groups of similar organs)
• organism
• population (collection of organisms [species])
• community (species living together)
• ecosysten (biotic and abiotic factors)
• biosphere (the entire planet, all around the world)

Question 3

What does structure denote?

Answer 3

Function

Question 4

Life processes depend on our ability to ____ and ____ information

Answer 4

Express (simply through living) and transmit (through reproduction)

Question 5

What is a genome?

Answer 5

Complete set of DNA of an organism; complete “library” of genetic information that an organism inherits

Question 6

What is DNA?

Answer 6

Deoxyribonucleic acid; genetic material

Question 7

What are nucleotides? Name them.

Answer 7

Chemical building blocks; adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine

Question 8

What is the backbone of DNA?

Answer 8

Phosphate backbone

Question 9

What is a protein?

Answer 9

Cluster of amino acids

Question 10

Describe gene expression.

Answer 10

Nucleotide sequence is transcribed into RNA then translated into a linked series of protein building blocks known as amino acids, and this results in a specific protein with a specific shape and function

Question 11

What is work?

Answer 11

Moving, growing, reproducing, and other various cellular activities

Question 12

Where is energy stored?

Answer 12

ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

Question 13

What is feedback regulation?

Answer 13

The output, or product, of a process regulates that very process

Question 14

What happens in negative feedback?

Answer 14

The output/product slows the process and reduces the initial stimulus; most common form of feedback regulation

Question 15

What happens in positive feedback?

Answer 15

The output/product speeds the process

Question 16

Describe examples of each type of regulation.

Answer 16

*Refer to knowledge already in head or notebook

Question 17

What does an enzyme do?

Answer 17

Speeds up a reaction in the body

Question 18

What is the average body temperature for humans?

Answer 18

37 degrees Celsius

Question 19

What is evolution?

Answer 19

The scientific explanation for unity and diversity; the concept that the organisms living on Earth today are the modified descendants of common ancestors

Question 20

What is taxonomy?

Answer 20

The branch of biology that names and classifies species

Question 21

Name the branches of taxonomy (from species to domains).

Answer 21

Species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, domain

Question 22

What are the three domains?

Answer 22

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya

Question 23

What are bacteria and archaea?

Answer 23

Prokaryotic cells (are unicellular and lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles)

Question 24

What is eukarya?

Answer 24

Eukaryotes (have membrane-bound nucleus)

Question 25

In terms of domains, define bacteria.

Answer 25

Most diverse and widespread prokaryotes; peptidoglycan are in their cell walls

Question 26

In terms of domains, define archaea.

Answer 26

Lack peptidoglycan; live in extreme environments, such as salty lakes and hot springs

Question 27

In terms of domains, define eukarya.

Answer 27

Don’t have peptidoglycan; contains four kingdoms: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protists

Question 28

Describe Kingdom Plantae.

Answer 28

Consist of terrestrial, multicellular eukaryotes (land plants) that carry out photosynthesis, the conversion of light energy to the chemical energy in food; also have cells walls

Question 29

Describe Kingdom Fungi.

Answer 29

Is defined in part by the nutritional mode of its members (such as the mushroom), which absorb nutrients from outside their bodies

Question 30

Describe Kingdom Animalia.

Answer 30

Consist of multicellular eukaryotes that ingest other organisms

Question 31

Describe Kingdom Protists.

Answer 31

Are mostly unicellular eukaryotes and some relatively simple multicellular relatives; scientists are currently debating how to classify protists in a way that accurately reflects their evolutionary relationships

Question 32

What is a cladogram/phylogenetic tree?

Answer 32

Proposed hypothesis of the evolution of different organisms

Question 33

What is a branch point/node?

Answer 33

Where lineage diverges; represents common ancestor

Question 34

What are polyphyletic groups?

Answer 34

No common ancestor of the group included (basically just taxa); includes taxa that don’t share a direct ancestor

Question 35

What are monophyletic groups?

Answer 35

Includes the common ancestor and all descendants of said ancestor; can be cut off from cladogram

Question 36

What are paraphyletic groups?

Answer 36

Includes the common ancestor and some, not all, of ancestor’s descendants

Question 37

What is natural selection?

Answer 37

The mechanism of evolutionary adaptation; the natural environment selects for the propagation of certain traits among naturally occurring variant traits in a population