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BIOLOGY -110 > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Name at least four characteristics of Life?

A

Order- Growth and Development- Reproduction- Regulation.

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2
Q

what is meant when we refer to the hierarchal of life?

A

Grouping system, or different levels of organization.

Think: (President, VP, Secretary of State, ETC.) or (Galaxy, Solar System, Planets, ETC)

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3
Q

10 levels of biological organization?

A

Molecules- Organelles- Cells- Tissues- Organs- Organisms- Populations- Communities- Ecosystem- Biosphere.

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4
Q

What is the smallest level of organization at which life is present?

A

Cells: Collections of organelles, structural unit of all living organisms.
“Smallest unit of life”.

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5
Q

what cell type do humans have?

A

Humans have Eukaryotic cells.
Eukaryotic Cells- Have a membrane bound organelle. are more complex than prokaryotic cells.
Prokaryotic Cells- DON’T have a membrane bound organelle. And are much simpler.

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6
Q

What is meant by emergent properties?

A

Properties that “emerge” as we “organize” and combine parts.

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7
Q

Define “Reductionism”

A

Breaking things down into simpler components to get a better understanding of how it works.
Think- Dissection.

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8
Q

Limits of the usefulness of reductionism in understanding life?

A

Braking things down into smaller components help better understand them, but can lead to loss of function or emergent properties.

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9
Q

What molecule store genetic information?

A 
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
DNA is located on chromosomes in the cells nucleus. The double helix appearance is made of nucleotides. Contains genes that code for production of proteins.
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10
Q

(DNA) Be able to describe the basic structure of this molecule and how that structure enables it to store genetic information.

A

DNA is transcribed to produce RNA in the nucleus. RNA leaves nucleus to cytoplasm, is translated to produce a protein.

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11
Q

Meaning of “Diversity of life”

A

Life is very diverse in all levels of ecological organization.

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12
Q

Define “Taxonomy” and “Taxon”

A

Taxonomy- Naming and classifying forms of life.

Taxon- A taxonomic unit named at any level of classification. (I.E- A phylum, A Family, ETC)

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13
Q

List the 8 standard levels in the Linnaean Classification Hierarchy ?

A

Domain- Kingdom- Phylum- Class- Order- Family- Genus- Species

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14
Q

Who is Linnaeus?

A

Linnaeus was a trained medical doctor, who was born in Sweden in 1707.

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15
Q

Define “Binomial”

A

Binomial is a two named system.

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16
Q

Name the three domains that living things are separated into?

A

Domain Bacteria: diverse, unicellular prokaryotes
Domain Archaea: unicellular prokaryotes, with many differences from bacteria.
Domain Eukarya: All organisms with eukaryotic cells. Includes unicellular and multicellular species.

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17
Q

What are the three kingdoms in Domain Eukarya? What is the fourth group in Eukarya?

A

Plantae (Plants): multicellular eukaryotes, most of which are photosynthetic
Fungi: Non-photosynthetic eukaryotes that absorb nutrients from outside their bodies; unicellular to multicellular
Animalia: Non-photosynthetic, multicellular eukaryotes that ingest their food and digest it internally.
Protists: Mostly unicellular eukaryotes; diverse (probably many kingdoms)

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18
Q

Define “Unity of life”

A

All living things share the same fundamental characteristics

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19
Q

What theory accounts for both the seemingly opposite characteristics of unity and diversity in life?

A

Refers to the many similar features shared by all living things, especially at the molecular level
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION.

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20
Q

What is biological evolution?

A

Change in life overtime.

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21
Q

What is natural selection?

A

The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring

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22
Q

who first proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection?

A

Charles Darwin proposed a mechanism by which evolution happens – natural selection

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23
Q

Darwin’s observations?

A

Individuals in a population vary in their heritable traits.
A population can produce far more offspring than can survive in an environment.
Species are generally suited (i.e., adapted) to their environments.

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24
Q

Phrase that describes evolution via NS before?

A

Survival of the fittest.

Natural Selection: differential survival/reproductive success among individuals because of genetic differences among them. NS is a mechanism by which evolution can occur!!

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25
Q

What are qualitative and quantitative observations,

A

Quantitative: data expressed as numerical measurements
Qualitative: written descriptions, like descriptions of an animal’s behavior.

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26
Q

what is the role of observations in inductive reasoning?

A

Generalizations on a large # of specific observations

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27
Q

Define “Hypothesis”

A

An educated guess; a tentative answer to a well framed question.

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28
Q

How do scientists use deductive reasoning and predictions to test hypotheses?

A

Deductive Reasoning: premise predictions of specific results.

(Example: Exotic species are species that are not native to a region, but arrived with help from humans.)

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29
Q

Scientific definition on “Theory”

A

well-tested, well-accepted explanation for a large collection of facts.

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30
Q

Difference between Theory and Hypothesis?

A

A hypothesis is a tentative answer to a well framed question, its an educated guess.
And a theory is a well accepted explanation for a large collection of facts.

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31
Q

What is the difference between independent and dependent variables?

A

The independent variable is the variable the experimenter manipulates or changes, and is assumed to have a direct effect on the dependent variable.

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32
Q

What is an element? a compound?

A

Element: A substance that cannot be broken down into another substance by a chemical reaction.
Compound: substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio.

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33
Q

What elements make up most of living matter?

A

4 most common elements in living organisms: O, C, H, N.

Oxegen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen.

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34
Q

What is an atom?

A

smallest unit of an element that still retains its properties.

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35
Q

What are the 3 major sub-atomic particles, and what are their characteristics?

A

Neutron, Proton, Electron

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36
Q

What are an atoms’ “atomic numbers” and how are these symbolized?

A

atoms element have the same # of protons = atomic #1H

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37
Q

What are “mass numbers” and how are these symbolized?

A

Mass # = effectively the total number of P and N in the atom.
Thus, with these 2 #s we can determine both the # of P an N!!

38
Q

Define Atom, Isotope, and Ion.

A

Atom- smallest unit of an element that still retains its properties.
Isotope- forms of an element with different #s of neutrons
Ion- atom with an electrical charge
Radioactive isotopes: unstable – nucleus decays spontaneously, releasing particles including protons.
(Negative ion = Anion Positive ion = Cation)

39
Q

What is a chemical bond? A molecule?

A

CB: attraction between atoms caused by sharing electrons
Molecule: 1 or more atoms held together by a covalent bond.

40
Q

What is the difference between a covalent bond and an ionic bond?

A

Ionic bond: attraction of oppositely-charged ions.

Covalent bond:
sharing a pair of electrons by two atoms.

41
Q

Which type of bond is stronger?

A

covalent bond is 8-10 stronger

42
Q

What is a polar covalent bond?

A

Polar CB when atoms differ greatly in electronegativity.

43
Q

difference between polar and non polar.

A

1 atom is more electronegative than the other, it “holds” shared electron much more than it shares it. This creates negative and positive ends = polar.

Atoms of the same element, pull is equal so shared electrons spend ~same time in one atom’s orbital as the other = non-polar.

44
Q

What is a hydrogen bond, and how does its strength compare to those of ionic and covalent bonds?

A

H-bond: interaction between H bonded an electronegative atom (positive charge)

Very weak!!
•Weaker than covalent or ionic bonds.

45
Q

What are Van der Waals interactions, and how do they compare in strength to other bonds?

A

If atoms are equal electronegativity, sometimes # electrons on one side creates a temporary neg and pos side.
During this moment, there can be TEMPORARY attraction if near oppositely charged region.`
Weakest interaction of them all! – but can be biologically significant!

46
Q

What is the significance of water to life on earth?

A

¾ of the world’s surface is water! •Living things are mainly made of water. Only substance on earth common in all 3 chemical states.
water is a good solvent.

47
Q

What are cohesion and adhesion?

A

Cohesion: H-bonding of water molecules to other water (think droplets)
Adhesion: H-bonding of water to other charged substances. (Think water absorbing into a paper towel.)
Both relate to fact that water is a polar molecule.

48
Q

What important process in plants relies on a combination of cohesion and adhesion?

A

Transpiration: the long-distance transport of water from roots to shoots in plants.

49
Q

Define “specific heat.”

A

SH: Quantity of heat that must be absorbed to raise 1 g of something 1 degree C.
SH of water = 1 calorie, or 1 cal/g/degree C.

50
Q

Define “heat of vaporization.”

A

H of V: Quantity of heat needed to convert (i.e., evaporate) 1 g liquid to gas. •Varies by temp – standard is 25 degrees C. •HV at 25 C for water = 580 cals (which is relatively high!)

51
Q

How does the high heat of vaporization of water affect living organisms?

A

Contributes to temp stability in water bodies

Makes water an excellent cooling substance (e.g., sweat).

52
Q

What characteristic of water might be responsible for both the specific heat and heat of vaporization of water to be so high?

A

Cohesion!(h-bonding)

53
Q

How does the density of water behave differently from the density of most other substances? Why is this property of water important to living systems?

A

Water is most dense at 4 degrees C.

Below this it becomes less dense even while still a liquid.

At 0 C, molecules form crystalline lattice = ~10% less dense than liquid water = why ice floats!

54
Q

Implications of this to life?

A

Fact that ice floats prevents most water bodies from freezing solid

55
Q

Define Solution, Solvent, and Solute

A

Solution: A homogenous mixture of two or more substances.
Solvent: the dissolving agent of a solution (usually a liquid)
Solute: the substance that is dissolved.

56
Q

What characteristic makes some substances hydrophilic and some hydrophobic?

A

Hydrophilic (“water-loving”): polar or ionic substances; can dissolve in water if small, or absorb water if big.
Hydrophobic (“water-fearing”): non-polar and non-ionic; don’t dissolve in water.

57
Q

What does “mole” mean and what is a “1M solution?”

A

A mole is a unit of measuring quantity or concentration of molecules.
1 mole = 6.02 x 1023 molecules (Avogadro’s #)

58
Q

How do we know we have a mole’s worth of molecules?

A

Because of how Avogadro’s # and daltons were defined, 1 mole = molecular weight in GRAMS180 g glucose = 1 mole
EXAMPLE: Glucose C6H12O6

Use molecular mass, the sum of masses of all atoms in a molecule.

59
Q

What is a “1M solution” – a 1 molar solution?

A

Molarity = the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. So a 1 molar solution contains 1 mole of solute dissolved in 1 liter of water. Glucose (molecular mass = 180 g):•dissolve 180 g glucose into 1 L of water.

60
Q

Define “acid” and “base.”

A

Acid: a substance that increases the H ion (H+) concentration of a solution.
Base: a substance that reduces the H+ concentration of a solution. Often do this by disassociating to form hydroxide ions (OH-), which bond to H+ ions water.

61
Q

PH scale

A

Runs from 0 to 14; lower #s more acidic, higher #s more basic.
pH 7 is neutral.
A base 10 logarithmic scale: each unit change is a 10 fold increase or decrease.
pH 5 is 10X more acidic than pH 6.
pH 9 is 100X more basic than pH 7.

62
Q

What are buffers and why are they important to living organisms?

A

Buffers: substances that limit pH change with the addition of acid or base to a solution.
Tend to be molecules that accept H+ ions when they are abundant, ordinate H+ when they are depleted.

63
Q

What is the significance of shape in biological molecules?

A

Molecular shape determines how molecules recognize and respond to one another!

64
Q

What is organic chemistry and what is an organic molecule?

A

OC = study of organic molecules (i.e., molecules that contain Carbon (and are bigger than CO2).

65
Q

Why is life “carbon-based?”

A

Valence electrons: electrons in outermost orbital shell available to form bonds. Carbon can covalently bond with other molecules in up to 4 directions = large, complex molecules.
C is also very ABUNDANT!

66
Q

What is an isomer?

A

Isomer: compounds with the same molecular formula but different structures (and different properties)!

67
Q

What is ATP and its important role in living organisms?

A

Adenosine triphosphate: Adenosine molecule attached to string of 3 phosphate groups.
Basically, the metabolic energy currency of life. Energy is released when final phosphate group is released.

68
Q

What is a macromolecule? A polymer? A monomer?

A

Macromolecule: a very large molecule made up of smaller components.
Polymer: large compound (i.e., macromolecule) made up of many repeated units called monomers.
Monomers: smaller molecules that are the building blocks of polymers.

69
Q

Name and describe the type of chemical reaction by which (a) monomers are joined, and (b) polymers are broken apart.

A

Monomers joined together to build polymers via dehydration, or dehydration synthesis = “build by removing water”.
Polymers are broken down to monomers via hydrolysis = “water breakage
Both of these require enzymes!

70
Q

What four general types of biochemicals are the major constituents of living things?

A

Carbohydrates
Lipids (oils and fats)
Proteins
Nucleic Acids (DNA and RNA)

71
Q

Carbohydrates:

A 
Monomers = monosaccharides
Small carbs (mono- or disaccharides) often called “sugars.” 
Main function of sugars = “quick energy”!
72
Q

important monosaccharides

A

Glucose (e.g., “blood sugar”).
Fructose (“fruit sugar,” but not just in fruit.
Many others!

73
Q

Important disaccharides:

A

Sucrose (“table sugar,” and form by which plants transport carbs).
Lactose (“milk sugar”)
Maltose (“malt sugar”).

74
Q

Polysaccharides:

A

Strings of thousands/millions of monosaccharides!
Main Functions:
Longer-term energy storage (mainly in plants)•Structure (in plants, and some animals)
Starch:
Long term energy storage, especially in plants.
Cellulose:
Structural support, especially in plants.
Chitin?:
Structural support in arthropods and fungi.

75
Q

LIPIDS

A

Often called fats and oils.
•Not just repeated monomers, and often not that “macro.”
All = mostly or entirely hydrophobic.

76
Q

Three broad types of Lipids

A

Triglycerides
Phospholipids
Steroids

77
Q

Unsaturated vs Saturated Fats

A 
Saturated = FA’s lack double bonds.
Unsaturated = double-bonds connect some carbons in FA’s.
Saturated = most animal fats
Unsaturated = plant or fish fats
78
Q

Functions of Triglycerides:

A

Long-term energy storage, especially in animals (also plant seeds).
Long-term energy storage, especially in animals (also plant seeds).
Insulation (thermal/mechanical) in animals.

79
Q

Phospholipids:

A

Glycerol bonded to 2 FA’s and a phosphate group (+ more).

Main function in living organisms = building cell membranes.

80
Q

Steroids

A

Diverse, but all tend to be relatively small.
Main carbon skeleton = 4 fused rings, with different chemical groups attached.
Example – Cholesterol:
Negative?
In excess, contributes to cardiovascular disease.

81
Q

PROTEINS:

A

Polymers made up of monomers called amino acids.

82
Q

Two major protein groups based on structure:

A

Globular
Lots of folding = specific structure.
Fibrous
Often take form of long fibers

83
Q

Antibodies or immunoglobins

A

used in immune system to identify and inactivate pathogens.

84
Q

What is a gene?

A

a discrete unit of heredity made of nucleic acid (usually DNA).
In most cases, genes code for the synthesis of a protein.

85
Q

What are the steps in gene expression also summarized by the “flow of genetic information”. Explain generally what happens in each step.

A

DNA of a gene is transcribed to make mRNA (messenger RNA) in the nucleus.
mRNA leaves nucleus to cytoplasm
and is translated to a protein at a ribosome.

86
Q

List the four nucleotides found in DNA. What are the three major components of a nucleotide base. List the complementary DNA sequence for the following: GATCGCAA

A

DNA is a polymer made up of monomers = nucleotides
3 basic parts:
Phosphate group
Sugar (deoxyribose)
Nitrogenous base.
Four types: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine.

87
Q

List the complementary DNA sequence for the following: GATCGCAA

A

Double helix held together by N-bases, A to T and C to G

GATCGCAACTAGCGTT

88
Q

Describe, in very general terms, the structures of DNA and RNA. Be able to describe the differences between DNA and RNA?

A

DNA Replication
Complementary strands pull apart by breaking weak H-bonds connecting bases
RNA (ribonucleic acid): nucleic acid made of monomers of nucleotides.

89
Q

difference between DNA and RNA?

A

But RNA differs from DNA in 3 ways:
Single-stranded.
Sugar is ribose.
No thymine; instead A matches with Uracil.

90
Q

In general terms, describe the process of transcription and translation.

A

Transcription: synthesis of mRNA using a DNA template.
Translation: synthesis of a protein using info encoded in mRNA.
change in “language” from nucleotides to amino acids

91
Q

Transcription

A

Transcription
synthesis of mRNA using a DNA template

  • In nucleus.
  • mRNA created from a gene.
  • Small enough to leave through pore in nuclear envelope.
92
Q

Translation

A

Translation:
•In cytoplasm at a ribosome..
•mRNA nucleotide code translated, 3 at a time = codon.
•Codons code for specific amino acids.

synthesis of a protein using info encoded in mRNA.
•change in “language” from nucleotides to amino acids.

BIOLOGY -110 (5 decks)

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