Exam 1 Flashcards
Describe the steps of the scientific method:
- Observation - What you notice by using your senses to observe the natural world
- Question - Ask a question based on the observations(s) or other relevant information
- Hypothesis - A possible explanation for your observations that can be tested
- Prediction- If my hypotheses is correct, then what will happen
- Experiment/Test - A control way to test a hypothesis
- Results - Supports or rejects your hypothesis
- Conclusion - interpretation of what you learned
True or False?
All life on Earth shares a common ancestor.
True
True or False?
Humans evolved from chimps.
False
Humans and Chimps evolved from a common ancestor
True or False?
“Survival or the fittest” means that the fittest organisms in a population are those that are the strongest, healthiest and/or largest?
False
In evolutionary terms, fitness has a very different meaning than the everyday meaning of the word. An organism’s evolutionary fitness does not indicate its health, but rather its ability to get its genes into the next generation. The more fertile offspring an organism leaves in the next generation, the fitter it is. This doesn’t always correlate with strength, speed, or size.
True or False?
The process of mutation of DNA that generates genetic differences is random, but natural selection is not random.
True
True or False?
Evolution results in progress; organisms are always getter better through evolution.
False
There is no valid concept of “progress” in evolution. Natural selection results in the evolution of improved abilities to survive and reproduce; This does not mean that evolution is progressive. It allows the survival of individuals with a range of traits, not just those “perfectly suited to the environment; evolutionary change is not always necessary for species to persist. Mutation, migration, and genetic drift may cause populations to evolve in ways that are not useful and may actually be harmful
True or False?
Individual organisms can evolve during a single lifetime.
False.
Evolution happens because of mutation that happen during the pass-on of genes, and so can only happen on a long-term, generation by generation basis. Populations evolve, not individuals.
True or False?
Evolution usually occurs slowly and gradually.
False
Evolution can happen quite quickly, in geological terms.
What is Natural Selection?
The ability of the natural environment to “edit” a population’s heritable characteristics. Organisms that have advantageous characteristic are more likely to survive and pass them on the their descendants.
What are the three domains?
Bacteria
Archaea
Eukarya
Which of three domains of life are Prokaryotes?
Bacteria
Archaea
What is a Prokaryote?
An organism without a nucleus.
What is a Eukaryote?
An organism that’s cells have a nucleus that encloses the genetic material.
What are the Kingdoms of Eukarya?
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
Protists
What are single-celled Eukaryotes calls?
Protists
What the levels of Biological organisation?
- Biosphere - All the environments on earth
- Ecosystems - All the living organism in an area, along with non-organic components that they interact with
- Communities - Entire array of organisms in an ecosystem
- Populations - All the individuals living of a particular species living within a defined area
- Organisms - Individual Organisms
- Organs and Organ Systems - A body part consisting of one or tissues that carries out a particular function in the body. Organ systems are groups of organs that cooperate to form a specific function.
- Tissues - Groups of similar cells
- Cells - The fundamental unit of structure and function of life. Consists of organelles and houses the genetic information of the organism.
- Organelles - Components that perform the functions of a cell
- Molecules - Chemical structures consisting of two or more atoms.
What is binomial nomenclature?
The two worded, unique scientific name given to an organism. First word is genus, second is species.
What are the characteristics that all life shares?
- Order - Living organism show high level of organisation
- Response to the environment - All living organisms sense and respond to their environment.
- Reproduction - Living organisms reproduce themselves using the hereditary material DNA.
- Growth and development - A new organism uses its DNA as a blueprint to grow and develop into an organism similar to its parent(s).
- Energy processing - Plants capture energy from the sun and convert it to sugars (or carbohydrates) by photosynthesis. Other organisms capture energy by consuming (eating) other organisms or parts of other organisms.
- Regulation - Organisms sense their internal environment and try to maintain it.
- Evolutionary Adaptions - Descent with modification or evolution. Over time populations (groups) of organisms change because inherited traits, caused by genetic mutations, are naturally selected for by their environment.
What is the difference between hypothesis and theory?
Hypothesis is a limited specific explanation for an observation. A theory is more comprehensive, and has been tested and confirmed many, many times over.
What is a control?
A group of samples that are treated the same way as the experimental group but do not receive the experimental treatment or factor. It provides a reference point to which to compare the hypothesis.
What is an experimental subject/group?
A round of samples that revive the experimental treatment or factor.
What is a variable?
Any factor that is different between the experimental and control groups or samples.
What is the independent variable?
The variable that is controlled by the experimenter and is not affected by any other factor.
What is the dependant variable?
The factor that is affected by the independent variable.
What is a positive control?
A sample or group that is teated the same as the experimental factor and is known to give a positive result.
What is a negative control?
A sample or group that is treated the same as the expriementals factor and is known to give a negative result.
What is matter?
Matter is anything the takes up space and has mass. It consists of elements in pure form and in combinations called compounds.
What is an element?
A substance that can’t be broken down to other substances by chemical reactions.
What is a compound?
A substance consisting of two or more elements in a fixed ratio. It has characteristics different from those of it’s elements.
What are the four most important elements for life?
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen make up 96% of living matter.
What 4 elements make up the remaining 4% of life?
Calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and sulphur
What are trace elements?
Elements required by organism in minute quantities.
What is an atom?
The smallest unit of matter that still retains the properties of an element.
What are the three subatomic particles (for this class), and their charges?
Neutrons - No charge
Protons - Positive charge
Electrons - Negative charge
What is an atomic number?
The number of protons in the nucleus.
What is a mass number?
The sum of the protons plus the neutrons.
What is the atomic mass?
The approximate mass of that element, allowing for the abundance of different isotopes.