evolution of biological systems

Question 1

briefly explain the Big Bang

Answer 1

The Big Bang occurred 13.7 billion years ago and allowed for the
creation of all matter and elements.
Everything is made of elements in the periodic table. Said elements can combine to form molecules

Question 2

what are cells compose of?

Answer 2

CHNOPS elements:
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur

Question 3

what have chnops formed when they came together?

Answer 3

5 basic molecules:
- water
- sugar
- lipids
- nucleic acids
- amino acids

Question 4

what are DNA/RNA a chain of?

Answer 4

chains of nucleic acid

Question 5

what are proteins a chain of?

Answer 5

chains of amino acids

Question 6

what are cell membrane composed of?

Answer 6

lipids/fats

Question 7

what is RNA?

Answer 7

Storage for genetic information, protein-building
instructions
* Can be ‘read’ or translated by ribosomes to make
amino acids
* Eventually replaced by DNA as the primary storage
molecule

Question 8

what is the DNA?

Answer 8

• Double helix structure is more stable
• In eukaryotic cells, stored in the nucleus

Question 9

what is the cell membrane?

Answer 9

Consists of a phospholipid bilayer
* Strands of fat (lipid) with a phosphate cap
* Lipids prefer to stay close to other lipids while
phosphate caps prefer to interact with water
* This structure makes diffusion across the membrane
difficult – Allows to control what goes in and out of
the cell

Question 10

what is a prokaryotic cell?

Answer 10

Cell membrane filled with cytoplasm
* Free-floating DNA and RNA
* Ribosomes (organelle which creates
proteins by linking amino acids)

Question 11

what is a eukaryotic cell?

Answer 11

DNA is contained in the nucleus
* Mitochondria
* Generates energy stored as ATP

Question 12

what are the multiple functions of proteins?

Answer 12

Proteins are essential for the healthy functioning of organisms
* They can act as enzymes, receptors, scaffolds
* They also have a role in storage, cellular repair, transportation of other
molecules
Proteins are created by a process of transcription (from DNA to RNA)
and translation (from RNA to pro

Question 13

what are genomes?

Answer 13

all DNA of an organism
- The information for all proteins that can be created by an organism is
contained within the genome
* Not only contains information on ‘how’ to create different proteins but also
‘when’ and ‘how much’

Question 14

explain what ribosomes are and what they do

Answer 14

• Consists of strands of RNA and strands of amino
  acids
• Two parts
• The small subunit attaches to the messenger RNA
  containing the instructions
• The large subunit identifies free floating transporter RNA
  molecules that are needed for these instructions
• The large subunit removes the amino acid from the tRNA
  and adds it to the chain of amino acids
• When the last amino acid is attached, the protein is
  complete and it folds into a complex 3D shape

Question 15

what is neoteny?

Answer 15

• what difference humans from animals
• prolonged maturation of the brain over the course of more than 20 years and more
• this period of maturation is much longer than other animals