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A Level Bio > Chapter 10 - Biodiversity > Flashcards

Chapter 10 - Biodiversity Flashcards

1
Q

Community

A

The populations of living organisms in a habitat

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2
Q

Biodiversity

A

The number and variety of living organisms in a particular area

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3
Q

Three components of biodiversity

A

Species biodiversity
Genetic biodiversity
Ecosystem/habitat biodiversity

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4
Q

What is ecosystem biodiversity

A

The range of different habitats found in an area

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5
Q

What can the ecosystem biodiversity tell us about an area

A

An area with a rich ecosystem diversity, means that there is a wide range of habitats. This also tells that the area will also have a wide range of species as each habitat will support a variety of species of plants fungi animals and microorganisms

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6
Q

What is the species biodiversity

A

The number of different species and the number of individuals within each species within any one community

(Simple: the number of different species living in a certain area)

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7
Q

Two components that make up species biodiversity

A

Species richness
Species evenness

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8
Q

What is the species richness

A

The number of different species in a particular area at a given time

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9
Q

What is the species evenness

A

It compares how many individuals of each species there are in each community

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10
Q

What is the genetic biodiversity

A

The variety of genes that is possessed by an individual that make up a population of a species

(Simple: variety of genes and alleles within a species)

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11
Q

What can genetic biodiversity tell us about a species

A

Species with a high level of genetic biodiversity means that they have a greater number of alleles and genes so are more likely to survive, as they are better at adapting to environmental change and is more likely to survive if a new pathogen or disease is introduced to the population

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12
Q

What are monomorphic genes

A

Where there is only one version of a gene

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13
Q

What are polymorphic genes

A

Genes with different alleles

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14
Q

Factors affecting biodiversity

A
  • large human population
  • human activity
  • fossil fuels
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15
Q

How does a large population of humans affect biodiversity

A
  • feeding a large population of humans requires intensive farming methods that can reduce the biodiversity in an area, as farms contain monocultures
  • monoculture may contain pesticides to kill insects reducing levels of biodiversity
  • farms also dig up hedgerows, which contain rich levels of biodiversity of plants and animals for monoculture, so when hedgerows are destroyed the number of plants and animals reduce
  • in some countries forests are cleared for monocultures to be grown
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16
Q

How does human activity reduce biodiversity

A
  • human activity requires a great deal of space which leads to the destruction of forests
  • deforestation may be used for fuel and for resources to make settlements and furniture
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17
Q

How does fossil fuels lead to a reduction in biodiversity

A
  • burning fossil fuels can increase co2 emissions which can lead to climate change and global warming
  • global warming can cause ice caps to melt resulting in the loss of habitats,leading to the extinction of animals and plants. Can also lead to an increase in global sea levels, resulting into flooding and the destruction of low lying habitats
  • rising sea temperatures can cause the death of marine organisms and alter the distribution of fish
  • an increase in global temperatures will lead to more droughts and many plants cannot survive under drought conditions, affecting the distribution of plants in habitats and the distribution of animals which depend on plants for food
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18
Q

What is the binomial system

A

A universal naming system for organisms

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19
Q

Rules of binomial system

A

First name is the Genus and the second name is the Species
The genus gets a capital letter the species does not
When it is handwritten it is underlined
When it is printed it is printed in italics

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20
Q

Advantages of binomial system

A

It tells us how closely related organisms are

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21
Q

Why do different species look similar

A
  • they live in a similar environment
  • have similar selection pressures
  • similar alleles will have the selective advantage
  • produces similar proteins and therefore have similar characteristics
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22
Q

What is classification

A

The organisation of living organisms into groups

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23
Q

What is a hierarchy

A
  • smaller groups arranged within larger groups
  • no overlap between groups
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24
Q

Levels of Classification of taxonomy

A

1) Domain
2) kingdom
3) phylum
4) class
5) order
6) family
7) genus
8) species
Do Kangaroos prefer curry or fried green sprouts
Each group is called a taxa

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25
Q

Why do we use classification

A
  • to help us understand relationships between organisms and keep track of changes
  • it is universal so any global scientist can understand it
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26
Q

Why can we not classify species on physical looks

A

As some species that are the same can look completely different and species that are different can look identical

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27
Q

Methods to compare genetic diversity (classification methods)

A
  • DNA sequence
  • mRNA sequence
  • Amino acid sequence
  • Immunological (which is comparing similarity in self antibody shape)
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28
Q

Two types of classification

A
  • artificial classification
  • phylogenetic classification
29
Q

What is phylogenetic classification

A

A classification system based on the evolutionary links between organisms and their ancestors

30
Q

Why can’t you use observable characteristics to identify genetic diversity

A
  • As large number of the characteristics are polygenic (coded by more than one gene) so you can’t distinguish each gene from one another
  • characteristics can be modified by the environment so differences may be environmental and not from alleles
31
Q

What is the process of comparison from DNA bases to identify gene diversity

A
  • it involves reading DNA bases through DNA sequencing
  • it is done through a machine by tagging each nucleotide base with different coloured fluorescent dye, producing a pattern of coloured bands
  • the pattern are analysed and compared to other species to determine how diverse they are
32
Q

How can we use DNA sequencing for phylogenetic classification

A
  • this technique can determine the evolutionary relationship between species
  • if mutations have occurred then the sequence of nucleotide bases will change overtime sowhen the new species will reproduce more they will have more differences in their DNA, so will be more distant to the original species
  • So species that are more closely related to each other should show more similarities in their DNA than species that are more distantly related
33
Q

why can we use mRNA bases to identify gene diversity and what are the problems of this

A

As mRNA strands are complementary to strands of DNA we can measure the DNA diversity and therefore genetic diversity by comparing mRNA strands
However it only gives you a sequence of exons and not introns

34
Q

How is comparison from amino acid sequence used to identify gene diversity

A
  • the genetic diversity is determined by comparing the amino acid sequence of the proteins
  • the more similar the amino acid sequence is between two species the more closely related they are
  • the comparison is done by counting either the number of similarities or differences in each sequence
35
Q

How is comparison from immunological used to identify gene diversity

A
  • pure albumin samples, which is a protein found in many species all with different antigens depending on the species, are injected into a rabbit which then produces antibodies for the specific type of albumin
  • the antibodies are then extracted and then mixed with different albumin samples resulting in precipitates (antibody antigen complexes) to form which are then weighed
  • the heavier the precipitate the more closely related the species are
36
Q

Why do we use amino acid sequence to find genetic diversity and not just DNA sequence or mRNA base

A
  • it’s easier to find and isolate proteins from cell
37
Q

What is courtship behaviour used for

A
  • Successful mating between organisms from the same species
  • Species recognition
38
Q

What are courtship rituals

A

A sequence of actions which is unique to each species, which helps animals identify their own species to reproduce with

39
Q

What is involved in courtship rituals

A
  • a sequence of dance moves, sounds, display of colourful feathers or fighting, release of pheromones performed by the male
  • the female will observe the courtship ritual and decide if they want to mate with the male
40
Q

Why are courtship rituals/behaviors important

A

To ensure successful sexual reproduction
- to enable them to recognise their own species
- to synchronise mating behaviour

To ensure survival of the offspring
- to choose a strong healthy mate
- to form a pair bond

41
Q

How can courtship rituals explain if they are related

A
  • the more similar a courtship sequence is between different species the more closely related the species are
42
Q

What are species

A

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce living fertile offspring

43
Q

What is artificial classification

A

When organisms are divided according to their analogous characteristics (characteristics with the same function but do not have the same evolutionary origin e.g colour, size, number of legs)

44
Q

What is taxonomy

A

The study if phylogenetic groups and their positions in hierarchical order (their taxonomic ranks)

45
Q

What are the three domains

A

Bacteria
Archea
Eukarya

46
Q

Bacteria features

A
  • they have an absence of membrane bound organelles
  • unicellular
  • ribosomes are smaller than eukaryotic cells
  • cell walls are present and made of murein
  • single loop of DNA made out of nucleic acid but no histones
47
Q

Archaea features

A
  • genes and protein synthesis is similar to eukaryotic
  • membranes contain fatty acid attached to glycerol by ether linkages
  • no murein in in their cell walls
  • more complex form of RNA polymerase than bacteria
48
Q

Eukarya features

A
  • posses membrane bound organelles
  • they have membranes containing fatty acid chains attached to glycerol by ESTER linkages
  • the eukaryotes cells that do containcell walls do not have murein
  • ribosome is larger than Bacteria and archea
49
Q

What are the 4 kingdoms in the Eukarya domain

A

Protoctista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalistic

50
Q

Feature of phylogenetic classification

A
  • based on the evolutionary relationships between organisms and their ancestors
  • classifies species into groups using shared features derived from their ancestors
  • arranges the groups into hierarchy
51
Q

What does it mean to have a high species diversity index

A

The higher the species diversity index the more stable an ecosystem is and the less affected it is by change due them having a higher species richness

52
Q

Farming practices that directly removes habitats and reduces species diversity

A
  • removal of hedgerows and plants - destroy habitat for animals
  • monocultures - reduces diversity of plant species and attracts the same species of insects
  • filling in ponds and draining wetlands
  • overgrazing woodland areas, preventing the regeneration of woodlands
  • selective breeding- causes you to narrow down the gene pool and reduce species diversity
53
Q

Farming practices that indirectly removes habitats and reduce species diversity

A
  • use of pesticides - kills beneficial insects
  • use of fertilisers - leads to eutrophication
  • effluent (liquid) from silage (fermented grass) and slurry (poo and water spread onto the farmland) - leading to eutrophication
  • absence of crops or intercropping
54
Q

Conservation techniques used to increase species and habitat diversity

A
  • plant hedges rather than erect fences as field boundaries
  • plant native trees on lands with low species diversity than in species rich areas
  • use organic instead of inorganic fertilisers
  • leave the cutting of field edges until after flowering when seeds have dispersed
  • reduce the use of pesticides by using a biological control or GM organisms that are resistant to pests
55
Q

Farming practices that increased food production

A
  • use of fertilisers and pesticides
  • removal of habitats increasing farm size
56
Q

How can agricultural ecosystem reduce biodiversity

A

As farmers will select species with particular qualities that will make them profit and as a result the number of species and the genetic variety of alleles they provide will be reduced to a few species who obtain the desired characteristics

57
Q

What is interspecific variation

A

Variation between different species

58
Q

What is intraspecific variation

A

Variation within members of the same species

59
Q

Why might samples/ measurements not be representative

A
  • sampling bias - selection process may be bias either deliberately or unintentionally
  • chance - individuals chosen may not be representative
60
Q

Ways to reduce bias

A
  • random sampling by dividing an area into a grid with number and using a random generator to select a square to sample
61
Q

Ways to minimise chance

A
  • using a larger sampling size - the more individual selected the smaller the probability that chance will influence the result and less anomalies will be present
  • analyse the data collecting - by doing statistical tests to see if any variation observed is due to chance or some other cause
62
Q

Features of normal distribution curve

A
  • mean median and mode are the same
  • distribution is single peaked
  • curve never touches the x axis
  • the height on the normal distribution curve is at the mean
63
Q

Biggest to smallest value in negative skewness in a distribution curve

A

Mode > median > mean

64
Q

Biggest to smallest value in positive skewness in a distribution curve

A

mean > median > mode

65
Q

What does the mean measure on a distribution curve

A

The maximum height of the curve

66
Q

Pros and cons of the mean

A

Pros
- useful when comparing one sample with another

Cons
- does not provide any information about the range of values in the sample

67
Q

What does the standard deviation measure on a distribution curve

A

The width of the curve

68
Q

Pros of standard deviation

A

Pros
- Gives an indication of the range of values either side of the mean
- takes into account of all values

A Level Bio (22 decks)

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