Evolution + Speciation Flashcards
What is the binomial naming system?
A way of naming organisms by using their genus name and species name
What do evolutionary trees show?
The relationship between different groups and species by a common ancestor
What are the main three ways fossils can form?
- gradual replacement by minerals
- preservation (amber)
- casts and impressions
What are the reasons for extinction?
- environment changes too quickly
- new disease
- predators / human hunting
- new species (competition)
- catastrophic event
Why is there a gap in the fossil record?
- soft bodied organism decay quickly
- really old fossils destroyed
What are the name of genetically modifying products for medical or pharmisutical reasons?
Pharming
What are the uses for genetic modifcation in agriculture?
- to make crops disease resistant
- resistance to herbicides
- improve nutritional value of crops
- tolerance to temperature (hot / cold climate)
What are the pros of genetic modification?
- can be used to treat genetic or inherited disorders
- could help treat hunger (golden rice)
- farmers can breed crops that are resistance to herbicides and insecticides
- allow plants or animals to grow faster
What are the cons of genetic modification?
- risk of transferring the gene from the GM organism to another
- plants could potentially have lower nutritional value
- if humans eat GM food could have a health impact
- extremely expensive and lengthy process
What is the only way new alleles are made?
Mutations
What is speciation
When two animal populations split and evolve so much they can no longer reproduce (so are now two separate species)
What is evolution?
The gradual change of inherited characteristics of biological populations over time
What are the names of the three domains and what do they include?
Eukaryota: protists, fungi, plants, animals
Bacteria: true bacteria
Archaea: bacteria living in extreme environments
What is the process of genetic engineering/modification?
- enzymes are isolated and ‘cut out’
- the gene is then inserted into a vectore using more enzymes
- vector is then used to insert the gene into the required cells
- genes are transferred to the cells at an early stage of the development (e.g. embryo)
What is the theory of natural selection?
Everything evolved from the same simple life form that developed 3 billion years ago
What are the reasons for extinction?
- new disease
- new predators
- interspecific competition
- single catastrophic event
- changes to environment (over time)
What was Darwin’s theory of evolution?
Survival of the fittest - characteristics are passed onto offspring in genes
