chapter 1: properties of life

Question 1

What are 7 properties shared by ALL living organisms?

Answer 1

1- Cells and organization
2- Energy processing and metabolism
3- Regulation and homeostasis
4- Organisms grow and develop
5- Response to the environment
6- Reproduction
7- Evolutionary adaptation

Question 2

Briefly explain what is the property of cells and organization?

Answer 2

• ALL organisms consist of one or more cells
• Cells are highly ordered structures and have specific arrangement and functions

Question 3

Briefly explain what is the property of energy processing and metabolism.

Answer 3

• Metabolism: transformation of energy (solar or chemical from food or chemical compounds) to ATP
• ATP:
  => stores energy to power chemical reactions
  => more or less ONLY currency humans use for energy

** Energy cannot be created/destroyed, can only be converted from one form to another **

Question 4

Briefly explain what is the property of regulation and homeostasis.

Answer 4

• Homeostasis: ability of an organism to keep many variables within a very stable range by adjusting physiological processes (ex. temperature regulation and sweat, metabolism regulation)
• “Out of range” = disease/disorder

Question 5

Briefly explain what is the property of growth and development of organisms.

Answer 5

• Growth is NOT development
• Growth = increase in size and in number of cells
• Development = cells become more specialized (have unique and different functions)

Question 6

Briefly explain what is the property of response to the environment.

Answer 6

• Organisms respond to physical (ex. light, temperature) and/or chemical (ex. odor, stress)

Question 7

Briefly explain what is the property of reproduction.

Answer 7

• Organisms come from previously existing organisms
• Asexual:
  => does not need another individual to reproduce
  => are clones of parent cell
  => can evolve easily (ex, antibiotic resistance)
  => includes bacteria, plants and even animals
• Sexual:
  => two individuals are needed
  => vary genetically from siblings and parents

Question 8

Briefly explain what is the property of evolutionary adaptation.

Answer 8

• The ability to change in response to the environment
• Evolution:
  => descent with modification
  => happens over many generations
  => generates adaptations

Question 9

What are the levels of biological hierarchy?

Answer 9

(Atoms) => molecules => (macromolecules) => organelles => cells => tissues => organs => organ systems => organisms => populations => communities => ecosystems => biosphere

Question 10

What is common to all cells?

Answer 10

• Enclosed by a membrane separating internal and external environment
• Can harness materials and energy from the environment
• Have DNA
• Have cytoplasm (internal mass)
• Have organelles called ribosomes (make proteins)

Question 11

What are the two types of cells? Describe them.

Answer 11

• Prokaryotic:
  => less organization
  => DNA is NOT separated from the cytoplasm in a nucleus
• Eukaryotic:
  => includes everything but bacteria (plants, animals)
  => DNA in a nucleus
  => membrane enclosed organelles

Question 12

What does DNA do?

Answer 12

• Stores and transmits the information that determines cell structure and metabolic activity (makes proteins)

Question 13

What is a zygote?

Answer 13

Fertilized egg with DNA from both parents

Question 14

What is a genome?

Answer 14

An organism’s complete set of DNA

Question 15

What is a gene?

Answer 15

Units of inheritance that transmit information from parents to offspring (sequence of DNA that codes for a certain protein)

Question 16

What is the order of Biological Classification?

Answer 16

Dumb Kings Play Chess On Fine Grain Sand (Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)

Question 17

What are the three domains of life?

Answer 17

• Bacteria & Archaea contain prokaryotes
• Eukarya contain eukaryotes (plants, animals, fungi, protists)

Question 18

What is evolution?

Answer 18

Descent with modification (according to Darwin)

Question 19

What is the process of natural selection?

Answer 19

Process of elimination and differential reproduction through which evolution occurs