Evo

Question 1

What is Evolution?

Answer 1

Evolution is where a species can change over many generations, resulting in new species. The environment the species is in selects the most favorable characteristic for is to survive.

Question 2

What is Natural selection?

Question 3

What types of selection are there?

Answer 3

Natural selection
Artificial selection
Sexual selection

Question 4

What is Artificial selection?

Question 5

What is Sexual selection?

Question 6

What are similarities and differences between Natural selection and artificial selection?

Answer 6

Natural selection is the mechanism of evolution where the environmental pressures that species endure cause their long term deaths.

Artificial selection is when breeders alter the characteristics of an animal and with their human intervention cause evolution of the animals.

Question 7

What is speciation, what are the 3 steps of it, and how does it occur?

Answer 7

A population has a variation in some feature/characteristic.
The population becomes split into two or more groups by a barrier that prevents interbreeding.
The different groups are in slightly different environments, so they have different selective pressures acting on them.
While isolated the populations accumulate different mutations, which are acted on by the different selection
pressures resulting in the two groups being unable to interbreed even if they meet in the future. Essentially, their
DNA has changed too much for interbreeding to occur in the future, which means that they have become two
different species.
You might also mention the lack of gene flow between the populations, which is what leads to their DNA becoming
so divergent from each other as the mutations occurring within their individual populations cannot be passed along
to the other population(s).

Question 8

What are the main types of mutagens?

Answer 8

Physical, Chemical, Biological

Question 9

Choose one physical, chemical and biological mutagen.

Answer 9

Physical: UV light has enough energy to penetrate into the deeper levels of skin that contain live skin cells

Chemical: Aromatic amines (AA) are cancer-causing chemicals present in tobacco smoke and are commonly associated with its mutagenic activity.

Biological: Certain bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori can increase the risk of developing stomach cancer. this can be when a change in DNA occurs.

Question 10

What is Fitness?

Answer 10

Fitness refers to an organism’s ability to survive, reproduce, and pass on its genes to the next generation.

Question 11

Explain how mutation impacts variation in a population of a species.

Answer 11

Mutations impact variation in population as the less fit variations begin to become less common and are no longer passed on to offspring.

Question 12

List the 5 pieces of evidence for Evolution.

Answer 12

Fossil evidence
Comparative anatomy
DNA and Genetics
Embryology
Geographic Distribution

Question 13

Discuss how the following abiotic factors in a species environment can contribute to the evolution and survival of a species- salinity, temperature, global warming and fire.

Answer 13

Salinity
- Species develop ways to manage salt, like special gills or kidneys.
- Some species avoid high-salinity areas.
- Populations may evolve to better tolerate different salinity levels.

Temperature
- Species evolve traits like fur or blubber to manage body heat.
- Some species time their reproduction to coincide with favorable temperatures.
- Species may develop the ability to survive extreme temperatures.

Global Warming
- Species may move to cooler areas, changing ecosystems.
- Species may change behavior or physiology to cope with climate change.
- Some species may go extinct, while others evolve new traits.

Fire
- Plants and animals develop traits to survive and thrive after fires.
- Fire enriches soil, benefiting fire-adapted species.
- Fire clears vegetation, creating new habitats for different species.

Question 14

Explain what is meant by a selective agent or selective pressure.

Answer 14

Selective pressures are external factors that affect a species ability to survive and reproduce.

Question 15

Identify the abiotic factors that can lead to the isolation of species.

Answer 15

Factors such as the

• The sun affecting the temperature.
• Geographic barriers like mountains, rivers, and oceans.
• Different climates create distinct habitats.
• Variations in water salinity separate freshwater and saltwater species.

Question 16

What is the difference between homologous and analogous structures?

Answer 16

Homologous structures are similar in structure because they come from a common ancestor, even if their functions differ.
Analogous structures serve the same function but evolved independently in different species, so they don’t share a common ancestral origin.

Question 17

What are Hox-genes?

Answer 17

Hox genes are crucial genes that control the placement and development of body parts in an embryo, ensuring that structures like limbs and organs form in the correct locations.

Question 18

What is Cytochrome C?

Answer 18

Cytochrome C is a protein in mitochondria that helps produce energy, its structure is similar across many species.
In evolution, Cytochrome C is used to compare species’ relationships, as its protein structure changes very little over time, revealing how closely related different organisms are.

Question 19

What are Germline vs. Somatic mutations?

Answer 19

Germline vs. Somatic Mutations refer to where the mutation occurs in the body. Germline mutations happen in reproductive cells (sperm or egg) and can be passed on to offspring, affecting future generations. On the other hand, somatic mutations occur in non-reproductive cells and only impact the individual in which they occur.

Question 20

What term describes the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of different species?

Answer 20

Comparative Anatomy.

Question 21

What are the three principles of natural selection?

Answer 21

Variation, heritability, and differential reproductive success.

Question 22

What term describes the study of the form and structure of organisms?

Answer 22

Morphology.

Question 23

What is a Fossil Record?

Answer 23

The fossil record shows how species have evolved over millions of years, capturing transitional forms and revealing the gradual changes that lead to new species, with older fossils showing simpler organisms and newer ones more complex.

Question 24

What is Embryology?

Answer 24

Embryology studies the development of embryos, where early-stage similarities across species suggest a common ancestry, showing how complex organisms evolved from simpler ones with shared developmental genes.

Question 25

Explain antibiotic resistance.

Answer 25

Antibiotic resistance is an example of evolution, where bacteria evolve through natural selection to survive antibiotics. Resistant bacteria with beneficial mutations survive and reproduce, leading to the spread of resistance genes and making the antibiotic less effective over time.