Evolution and Diversity of Life Flashcards
Biology
the study of life
Evolutionary history of life- (Origins)
- Dig down in ground and find fossils
- All life has come from common ancestry
- Evolution happens due to natural selection
Species
a group of organisms that can successfully interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Natural Selection
differential reproductive success
Cell theory
- All Life is made up of cell and cell products
- Cell is smallest living units
- All cells come from pre-existing cells
- Second law of thermodynamics says complex systems are chaotic and will become disorganized (cell membrane helps maintain the order/ organization)
- Allows a simple, immediate, observable feature to separate almost all life from everything else
- Does not allow for inclusion of things like viruses
- Does not allow for origin of first cell
Chemical Makeup of Life- (Biochemistry)
Life must have a chemical basis that:
- Provides the necessary structures
- Contains the necessary information
- Controls the necessary processes
- Provides the necessary energy
IT IS
- Precise, measurable, and simple
- Does not tell us more than generalities
- Still include viruses depending where chemical boundaries are drawn
- Not useful and identifying life in an immediate moment
Multicellular
the group of cells must also collectively carry out all the processes of life
A living system…
carries out conversions of energy and matter – metabolism
to maintain its own stability – homeostasis
and ultimately to replicate itself (or its genes) – reproduction
Domain
largest group with separation based on biochemical and genetic differences
Darwinian Natural Selection Model
Changes that occured in evolution of eukaryote
- mitochondria
- motor proteins
- photosynthesis and chloroplasts
- mitosis
- multicellularity
- sex
Carrying capacity
- what environment can sustain
Fitness
-biologic ability to reproduce and get your genes into the next generation
Common Evolution Misconceptions
Myth #1- Individuals evolve (Lamarck)
Myth #2- Evolution occurs through sudden major mutational changes.
Myth #3- Evolution is a random process
Myth #4- Organisms evolve to act for the good of the species
Myth #5- Evolution is progressive and goal directed
Myth #6 Evolution produces perfectly adapted populations
Cladogram
a grouping of common ancestors and all of its descendants
Derived Characteristics
traits shared by a clade
Lineage
group of descendants
Common Ancestor
organism where other organisms descend
Evidence for Evolution
- Fossil evidence- relative age, absolute age
- Anatomical
- Embryology (related organisms have similar development patterns because of common ancestor, all vertebrate embryos inherit the same basic genetic plan for development)
- Anatomical Homology (characteristics or anatomy from ancestor by more than one descendant, homologous structure/traits)
- Vestigial structure (inherited from common ancestor but useless, function lost overtime)
- Convergence/ Analogous Structure (describe the acquisition of the same biological trade and unrelated lineages, looks like because of similar environmental requirements, similar functions at a different anatomy)
- Biochemistry and Molecular Structure
* Genetic sequence, immune response and proteins structure all show increasing differences of common ancestors become more remote - Biogeography- continental drift, adaptive radiation
- Comparative behaviour
Homologous Structure
an organ, system, or body part that shares a common ancestry in multiple organisms
Analogous Structure
structures that have similar functions and superficial appearance but very different anatomy and do not demonstrate recent common ancestry
Adaptive Radiation
when many species (instead of two) are formed from one ancestor: response to different selective pressures
