Core Themes In The Study Of Life Flashcards
1
Q
Adaptation
A
Inherited characteristic of an organism that enhances its survival and reproduction in a specific environment.
2
Q
Adaptive radiation
A
Period of evolutionary change in which groups of organisms form many new species whose adaptations allow them to fill different ecological roles in their communities.
3
Q
Allele
A
Any of the alternative versions of a gene that may produce distinguishable phenotypic effects.
4
Q
Analogous
A
Having characteristics that are similar because of convergent evolution, not homology
5
Q
Artificial Selection
A
The selective breeding of domesticated plants and animals to encourage the occurrence of desirable traits.
6
Q
Biogeography
A
The study of the past and present geographic distribution of species.
7
Q
Bioinformatics
A
The use of computers, software, and mathematical models to process and integrate biological information from large data sets.
8
Q
Biology
A
The scientific study of life.
9
Q
Biosphere
A
The fauna and flora together; all the living organisms at a location. The part of the Earth system comprising all ecosystems and living organisms, in the atmosphere, on land (terrestrial) or in the oceans (marine), including derived dead organic matter, such as litter, soil organic matter and oceanic detritus; the entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems.
10
Q
Bottleneck effect
A
Genetic drift that occurs when the size of a population is reduced, as by a natural disaster or human actions. Typically, the surviving population is no longer genetically representative of the original population.
11
Q
Catastrophism
A
The principle that events in the past occurred suddenly and were caused by different mechanisms than those operating today.
12
Q
Chromosome
A
A cellular structure carrying genetic material, found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells – each of these consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins. (In bacteria these usually consists of a single circular DNA molecule and associated proteins in the nucleoid region, which is not membrane-bounded).
13
Q
Cline
A
A graded change in a character along a geographic axis
14
Q
Community
A
All the organisms that inhabit a particular area; an assemblage of populations of different species living close enough together for potential interaction.
15
Q
Convergent evolution
A
The evolution of similar features in independent evolutionary lineages.
16
Q
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
A
A double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule, consisting of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T); capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of a cell’s proteins.
17
Q
Domain
A
1) A taxonomic category above the kingdom level. (2) A discrete structural and functional region of a protein.
18
Q
Ecosystem
A
All the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact; one or more communities and the physical environment around them.
19
Q
Emergent Properties
A
New properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases.
New properties that arise with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases.
20
Q
Endemic
A
Referring to a species that is confined to a specific geographic area.
21
Q
Eukaryotic cell
A
A type of cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane-enclosed organelles (e.g. protists have these type of cells).
22
Q
Evolution
A
Descent with modification; the idea that living species are descendants of ancestral species that were different from the present-day ones; also defined more narrowly as the change in the genetic composition of a population from generation to generation.
23
Q
Evolutionary tree
A
A branching diagram that reflects a hypothesis about evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms.
24
Q
Family
A
In Linnaean classification, the taxonomic category above genus.
25
Founder effect
Genetic drift that occurs when a few individuals become isolated from a larger population and form a new population whose gene pool composition is not reflective of that of the original population.
26
Gene Expression
The process by which information encoded in DNA directs the synthesis of proteins or, in some cases, RNAs that are not translated into proteins and instead function as RNAs.
27
Gene flow
The transfer of alleles from one population to another, resulting from the movement of fertile individuals or their gametes.
28
Gene pool
The aggregate of all copies of every type of allele at all loci in every individual in a population. The term is also used in a more restricted sense as the aggregate of alleles for just one or a few loci in a population.
29
Genetics
The scientific study of heredity and hereditary variation
30
Genetic drift
A process in which chance events cause unpredictable fluctuations in allele frequencies from one generation to the next; effects are most pronounced in small populations.
31
Genetic Variation
Differences among individuals in the composition of their genes or other DNA segments.
32
Genomics
The study of whole sets of genes and their interactions within a species, as well as genome comparisons between species.
33
Genus
A taxonomic category above the species level, designated by the first word of a species’ two-part scientific name.
34
Global Climate Change
Increase in temperature and change in weather patterns all around the planet, due mostly to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels from the burning of fossil fuels – the increase in temperature, called global warming, is a major aspect.
35
Hardy-Weinberg Principle
The principle that frequencies of alleles and genotypes in a population remain constant from generation to generation, provided that only Mendelian segregation and recombination of alleles are at work.
36
Homology
Similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared ancestry.
37
Homologous Structures
Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.
38
Hypothesis
A testable explanation for a set of observations based on the available data and guided by inductive reasoning – is narrower in scope than a theory.
39
Kingdom
A taxonomic category, the second broadest after domain.
40
Micro evolution
Evolutionary change below the species level; change in the allele frequencies in a population over generations.
41
Mutation
A change in the nucleotide sequence of an organism’s DNA or in the DNA or RNA of a virus.
42
Natural selection
A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
43
Negative feedback
A form of regulation in which accumulation of an end product of a process slows the process; in physiology, a primary mechanism of homeostasis, whereby a change in a variable triggers a response that counteracts the initial change.
44
Organismal ecology
The branch of ecology concerned with the morphological, physiological, and behavioural ways in which individual organisms meet the challenges posed by their biotic and abiotic environments.
45
Palaeontology
The scientific study of fossils.
46
Pangaea
The supercontinent that formed near the end of the Paleozoic era, when plate movements brought all the landmasses of Earth together.
47
Photosynthesis
The conversion of light energy to chemical energy that is stored in sugars or other organic compounds; occurs in plants, algae, and certain prokaryotes.
48
Population
A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, producing fertile offspring.
49
Positive feedback
A form of regulation in which an end product of a process speeds up that process; in physiology, a control mechanism in which a change in a variable triggers a response that reinforces or amplifies the change.
50
Prokaryotic cell
A type of cell lacking a membrane-enclosed nucleus and membrane- enclosed organelles (e.g. archaea have these type of cells).
51
Protist
An informal term applied to any eukaryote that is not a plant, animal, or fungus. Most are unicellular, though some are colonial or multicellular.
52
Relative fitness
The contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation, relative to the contributions of other individuals in the population.
53
Stratum
A rock layer formed when new layers of sediment cover older ones and compress them.
54
Systems biology
An approach to studying biology that aims to model the dynamic behaviour of whole biological systems based on a study of the interactions among the system’s parts.
55
Taxonomy
A scientific discipline concerned with naming and classifying the diverse forms of life.
56
Theory
An explanation that is broader in scope than a hypothesis, generates new hypotheses, and is supported by a large body of evidence.
57
Uniformitarianism
The principle that mechanisms of change are constant over time.
58
Variation
Differences between members of the same species.
59
Concept 1.1: Theme 1: New ___(a)___ emerge at each level in the biological ___(b)___.
(a) properties
(b) hierarchy
60
Concept 1.1: Theme 2: Organisms ___(a)___ with other organisms and the physical ___(b)___.
(a)Interact
(b) Environment
61
Concept 1.1: Theme 3: Life requires energy ___(a)___ and ___(b)___.
(a) Transfer
(b) Transformation
62
Concept 1.1: Theme 4: ___(a)___ and ___(b)___ are correlated at all levels of biological organization.
(a)structure
(b) Function
63
Concept 1.1: Theme 5: The ___(a)___ is an organism’s basic ___(b)___ of structure and function.
(a)Cell
(b)Unit
64
Concept 1.1: Theme 6: The ___(a)___ of life is based on ___(b)___ information in the form of DNA.
(a)Continuity
(b) Heritable
65
Concept 1.1: Theme 7: ___(a)___ mechanisms ___(b)___ biological systems.
(a)Feedback
(b) Regulate
66
Concept 1.2: The core theme: Evolution accounts for the ___(a)___ and ___(b)___ of life.
(a) unity
(b) diversity
67
Concept 2.1 The ___(a)___ revolution challenged traditional views of a young earth inhabited by ___(b)___ species.
(a)Darwinian
(b)Unchanging
68
Concept 2.2 Descent with modification by ___(a)___ explains the ___(b)___ of organisms and the unity and diversity of life.
(a)natural selection
(b) adaptation
69
Concept 2.3 Evolution is supported by an ___(a)___ amount of ___(b)___.
(a)overwhelming
(b)scientific evidence
70
Concept 2.4 Genetic ___(a)___ makes ___(b)___ possible.
(a)variation
(b)evolution
71
Concept 2.5 The ___(a)___ equation can be used to test whether a ___(b)___ is evolving.
(a)Hardy-Weinberg
(b)population
72
Concept 2.6 Natural selection, genetic ___(a)___, and gene flow can alter ___(b)___ frequencies in a population.
(a)drift
(b)allele
73
Concept 2.7 Natural selection appears to be the only mechanism that ___(a)___ causes ___(b)___ evolution.
(a)consistently
(b) adaptive
74
Which of the following is not a theme that unifies biology? A. interaction with the environment.
B. emergent properties.
C. evolution.
D. reductionism.
E. structure and function.
D.
75
Which of the following is a false statement regarding DNA?
A. Each chromosome has one very long DNA molecule with hundreds of thousands
of genes.
B. Every cell is enclosed by a membrane.
C. Every cell uses DNA as its genetic information.
D. All forms of life are composed of cells that have a membrane-enclosed nucleus. E. DNA is the unit of inheritance that is transmitted from parent to offspring.
D.
76
Which of these is a correct representation of the hierarchy of biological organization from least to most complex?
A. organelle of a stomach cell, digestive system, large intestine, small intestine, intestinal tissue, organism.
B. organelle of an intestinal cell, digestive system, small intestine, large intestine, intestinal tissue, organism.
C. molecule, intestinal cell organelle, intestinal cell, intestinal tissue, digestive system, organism.
D. molecule, small intestine, large intestine, intestinal tissue, digestive system, organism.
E. molecule, digestive system, digestive cell organelle, small intestine, large intestine, intestinal cell, organism.
C.
77
Organisms interact with their environments, exchanging matter and energy. For example, plant chloroplasts convert the energy of sunlight into
A. the energy of motion.
B. carbon dioxide and water.
C. the potential energy of chemical bonds. D. oxygen.
E. kinetic energy.
C.
78
The dynamics of any ecosystem include the following major processes:
A. the flow of energy from sunlight to producers.
B. the flow of energy from sunlight to producers and then to consumers.
C. the recycling of chemical nutrients.
D. the flow of energy to producers and the recycling of nutrients.
E. the flow of energy from sunlight to producers and then to consumers, and the
recycling of chemical nutrients.
E.
79
For most ecosystems __________ is (are) the ultimate source of energy, and energy leaves the ecosystem in the form of __________.
A. sunlight; heat. B. heat; light.
C. plants; animals. D. plants; heat.
E. producers; consumers.
A.
80
The lowest level of biological organization that can perform all the activities required for life is the
A. organelle - for example, a chloroplast.
B. cell - for example, a skin cell.
C. tissue - for example, nervous tissue.
D. organ system - for example, the reproductive system.
E. Organism - for example, an amoeba, dog, human, or maple tree.
B.
81
Which of the following statements concerning prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is not correct?
A. Prokaryotic cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus.
B. Prokaryotic cells contain small membrane-enclosed organelles.
C. Eukaryotic cells contain a membrane-bound nucleus.
D. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is present in both prokaryotic cells and
eukaryotic cells.
E. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is present in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.
B.
82
Which of the following is reflective of the phrase ʺthe whole is greater than the sum of its partsʺ?
A. high-throughput technology. B. emergent properties.
C. natural selection.
D. reductionism.
E. feedback regulations.
B.
83
When blood glucose level rises, the pancreas secretes insulin, and as a result blood glucose level declines. When blood glucose level is low, the pancreas secretes glucagon, and as a result blood glucose level rises. Such regulation of blood glucose level is the result of
A. catalytic feedback.
B. positive feedback.
C. negative feedback.
D. bioinformatic regulation. E. protein-protein interactions.
C.
84
Which branch of biology is concerned with the naming and classifying of organisms? A. Informatics.
B. schematic biology. C. taxonomy.
D. genomics.
E. evolution.
C.
85
Species that are in the same __________ are more closely related than species that are only in the same __________.
A. phylum; class.
B. family; order.
C. class; order.
D. family; genus.
E. kingdom; phylum.
B.
86
Two species that belong to the same genus must also belong to the same A. kingdom.
B. phylum.
C. class.
D. order.
E. all of the above.
E.
87
Which of these is reflective of the hierarchical organization of life from most to least inclusive?
A. kingdom, order, family, phylum, class, genus, species.
B. phylum, class, order, kingdom, family, genus, species.
C. kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.
D. genus, species, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family.
E. class, order, kingdom, phylum, family, genus, species.
C.
88
A water sample from a hot thermal vent contained a single-celled organism that had a cell wall but lacked a nucleus. What is its most likely classification?
A. Eukarya. B. Archaea. C. Animalia. D. Protista. E. Fungi.
B.
89
Which of these provides evidence of the common ancestry of all life? A. the ubiquitous use of catalysts by living systems.
B. the universality of the genetic code.
C. the structure of the nucleus.
D. the structure of cilia.
E. the structure of chloroplasts.
B.
90
Charles Darwin proposed a mechanism for descent with modification which stated that organisms of a particular species are adapted to their environment when they possess
A. non-inheritable traits that enhance their survival in the local environment.
B. non-inheritable traits that enhance their reproductive success in the local
environment.
C. non-inheritable traits that enhance their survival and reproductive success in the
local environment.
D. inheritable traits that enhance their survival and reproductive success in the local
environment.
E. inheritable traits that decrease their survival and reproductive success in the local
environment.
D.
91
Which of these individuals is most likely to be successful in an evolutionary sense?
A. a reproductively sterile individual who never falls ill.
B. an organism that dies after 5 days of life but leaves 10 offspring, all of whom
survive to reproduce.
C. a male who mates with 20 females and fathers 1 offspring.
D. an organism that lives 100 years and leaves 2 offspring, both of whom survive to
reproduce.
E. a female who mates with 20 males and produces 1 offspring.
B.
92
In a hypothetical world, every 50-years people over 6 feet tall are eliminated from the population. Based on your knowledge of natural selection, you would predict that the average height of the human population will
A. remain unchanged. B. gradually decline. C. rapidly decline.
D. gradually increase. E. rapidly increase.
B.
93
Through time, the lineage that led to modern whales shows a change from four-limbed land animals to aquatic animals with two limbs that function as flippers. This change is best explained by
A. natural philosophy.
B. creationism.
C. the hierarchy of the biological organization of life. D. natural selection.
E. feedback inhibition.
D.
94
During a study session about evolution, one of your fellow students’ remarks, ʺThe giraffe stretched its neck while reaching for higher leaves; its offspring inherited longer necks as a resultʺ. Which statement is most likely to be helpful in correcting this student’s misconception?
A. Characteristics acquired during an organism’s life are generally not passed on through genes.
B. Spontaneous mutations can result in the appearance of new traits.
C. Only favourable adaptations have survival value.
D. Disuse of an organ may lead to its eventual disappearance.
E. Overproduction of offspring leads to a struggle for survival.
A.
95
As a young biologist, Charles Darwin had expected the living plants of temperate South America would resemble those of temperate Europe, but he was surprised to find that they more closely resembled the plants of tropical South America. The biological explanation for this observation is most properly associated with the field of
A. meteorology.
B. embryology.
C. vertebrate anatomy. D. bioengineering.
E. biogeography.
E.
96
Charles Darwin was the first person to propose
A. that evolution occurs.
B. a mechanism for how evolution occurs.
C. that the Earth is older than a few thousand years.
D. a mechanism for evolution that was supported by evidence.
E. a way to use artificial selection as a means of domesticating plants and animals.
D.
97
Which of these conditions should completely prevent the occurrence of natural selection in a population over time?
A. All variation between individuals is due only to environmental factors.
B. The environment is changing at a relatively slow rate.
C. The population size is large.
D. The population lives in a habitat where there are no competing species present. E. None of these.
A.
98
Natural selection is based on all of the following except
A. genetic variation exists within populations.
B. the best-adapted individuals tend to leave the most offspring.
C. individuals who survive longer tend to leave more offspring than those who die
young.
D. populations tend to produce more individuals than the environment can support. E. individuals adapt to their environments and, thereby, evolve.
E.
99
Which statement about natural selection is most correct?
A. Adaptations beneficial in one habitat should generally be beneficial in all other
habitats as well.
B. Different species that occupy the same habitat will adapt to that habitat by
undergoing the same genetic changes.
C. Adaptations beneficial at one time should generally be beneficial during all other
times as well.
D. Well-adapted individuals leave more offspring, and thus contribute more to the
next generation’s gene pool, than do poorly adapted individuals.
E. Natural selection is the sole means by which populations can evolve.
D.
100
Given a population that contains genetic variation, what is the correct sequence of the following events, under the influence of natural selection? 1. Well-adapted individuals leave more offspring than do poorly adapted individuals; 2. A change occurs in the environment; 3. Genetic frequencies within the population change; 4. Poorly adapted individuals have decreased survivorship.
A. 2 → 4 → 1 → 3.
B. 4 → 2 → 1 → 3.
C. 4 → 1 → 2 → 3.
D. 4 → 2 → 3 → 1.
E. 2 → 4 → 3 → 1.
A.
101
To observe natural selection’s effects on a population, which of these must be true?
A. One must observe more than one generation of the population.
B. The population must contain genetic variation.
C. Members of the population must increase or decrease the use of some portion of
their anatomy.
D. A and C only.
E. A and B only.
E.
102
During drought years on the Galapagos, small, easily eaten seeds become rare, leaving mostly large, hard-cased seeds that only birds with large beaks can eat. If a drought persists for several years, what should one expect to result from natural selection?
A. Small birds gaining larger beaks by exercising their mouth parts.
B. Small birds mutating their beak genes with the result that later-generation
offspring have larger beaks.
C. Small birds anticipating the long drought and eating more to gain weight and,
consequently, growing larger beaks.
D. More small-beaked birds dying than larger-beaked birds. The offspring
produced in subsequent generations have a higher percentage of birds with
large beaks.
E. Larger birds eating less so smaller birds can survive.
D.
103
Which of the following statements is an inference of natural selection?
A. Subsequent generations of a population should have greater proportions of individuals that possess traits better suited for success in unchanging
environments.
B. An individual organism undergoes evolution over the course of its lifetime. C. Habitats do not generally have unlimited resources.
D. Natural populations tend to reproduce to their full biological potential.
E. Some of the variation that exists among individuals in a population is genetic.
A.
104
Which of the following must exist in a population before natural selection can act upon that population?
A. Genetic variation among individuals.
B. Variation among individuals caused by environmental factors. C. Sexual reproduction.
D. B and C only.
E. A, B, and C.
A.
105
Structures as different as human arms, bat wings, and dolphin flippers contain many of the same bones, these bones having developed from very similar embryonic tissues. How do biologists interpret these similarities?
A. By identifying the bones as being homologous.
B. By the principle of convergent evolution.
C. By proposing that humans, bats, and dolphins share a common ancestor.
D. A and C only.
E. A, B, and C.
D.
106
In a hypothetical environment, fishes called pike-cichlids are visual predators of algae- eating fish (i.e., they locate their prey by sight). If a population of algae-eaters experience predation pressure from pike-cichlids, which of the following should least likely be observed in the algae-eater population over the course of many generations?
A. Selection for drab coloration of the algae-eaters.
B. Selection for nocturnal algae-eaters (active only at night).
C. Selection for larger female algae-eaters, bearing broods composed of more, and
larger, young.
D. Selection for algae-eaters that become sexually mature at smaller overall body
sizes.
E. Selection for algae-eaters that are faster swimmers.
C.
107
DDT was once considered a ʺsilver bulletʺ that would permanently eradicate insect pests. Today, DDT is largely useless against many insects. Which of these would have been required for this pest eradication effort to be successful in the long run?
A. Larger doses of DDT should have been applied.
B. All habitats should have received applications of DDT at about the same time. C. The frequency of DDT application should have been higher.
D. None of the individual insects should have possessed genomes that made them
resistant to DDT.
E. DDT application should have been continual.
D.
108
Over evolutionary time, many cave-dwelling organisms have lost their eyes. Tapeworms have lost their digestive systems. Whales have lost their hind limbs. How can natural selection account for these losses?
A. Natural selection cannot account for losses, only for innovations.
B. Natural selection accounts for these losses by the principle of use and disuse.
C. Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, each of these
structures presented greater costs than benefits.
D. The ancestors of these organisms experienced harmful mutations that forced
them to find new habitats that these species had not previously used. E. None of these are correct.
C.
109
The theory of evolution is most accurately described as
A. an educated guess about how species originate.
B. one possible explanation, among several scientific alternatives, about how
species have come into existence.
C. an opinion that some scientists hold about how living things change over time. D. an overarching explanation, supported by much evidence, for how populations
change over time.
E. an idea about how acquired characteristics are passed on to subsequent
generations.
D.
110
Logically, which of these should cast the most doubt on the relationships depicted by an evolutionary tree?
A. None of the organisms depicted by the tree ate the same foods.
B. Some of the organisms depicted by the tree had lived in different habitats.
C. The skeletal remains of the organisms depicted by the tree were incomplete (i.e.
some bones were missing).
D. Transitional fossils had not been found.
E. Relationships between DNA sequences among the species did not match
relationships between skeletal patterns.
E.
111
Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the common origin of all life on Earth?
A. All organisms require energy.
B. All organisms use essentially the same genetic code. C. All organisms reproduce.
D. All organisms show heritable variation.
E. All organisms have undergone evolution.
F. None of these are correct.
B.
112
Ichthyosaurs were aquatic dinosaurs. Fossils show us that they had dorsal fins and tails, as do fish, even though their closest relatives were terrestrial reptiles that had neither dorsal fins nor aquatic tails. Dorsal fins and tails of ichthyosaurs and fish are
A. homologous.
B. examples of convergent evolution.
C. adaptations to a common environment. D. A and C only.
E. B and C only.
E.
113
It has been observed that organisms on islands are different from, but closely related to, similar forms found on the nearest continent. This is taken as evidence that
A. island forms and mainland forms descended from common ancestors. B. common environments are inhabited by the same organisms.
C. the islands were originally part of the continent.
D. the island forms and mainland forms are converging.
E. island forms and mainland forms have identical gene pools.
A.
