introduction to biology - (lecture 2) Flashcards
reasons for using latin in taxonomy
- no common name exists for every organism
- one species can have many common names
- one name can be used for many different species
- latin is a dead language, nobody uses it, it doesn’t change
all languages used today are constantly _________, so we can’t use them.
evolving
observation (of a phenomenon)
the first step of the scientific method begins with an…
hypothesis (a testable guess)
the second step of the scientific method is where one develops…
if, then statement
the third step of the scientific method is to make a prediction in the form of an…
experiment
the fourth step of the scientific method is to devise a test of your predictions, called an…
prove
you can never _____ a hypothesis is correct
disprove
you can ______ a hypothesis
independent variable
the group within an experiment that receives the treatment. it is also called the experimental group
control group
the group within an experiment that is used for comparison, and is identical to the test group(s) other than the variable being tested
sample size
non-representative samples skew results. we can minimizing this by using the appropriate…
population size
as the sample size approaches the __________ _____, the results will get more accurate
selective agents
breeders are ___________ ______ because they take favored traits and allow those individuals to breed only; therefore becoming more common in the population
cultivars
“cultivated varieties,” one species becomes many types or breeds through selective breeding; it remains as the same foundational species however
adaptive trait
a trait that gives the individual an advantage in survival or reproduction
- individuals vary
- variation is heritable
- organisms produce too many offspring
darwin’s three claims to evolution:
current, local
on average, those individuals who are favored by the _______, ______ environment will survive and reproduce
evolution
descent with modification:
- genetically based change in a line of descent over time
- population changes, not individuals
mutation
a change in the structure of DNA or a “biochemical typo.” this is the basis for the variation in heritable traits; most are harmful
dna > rna > protein > trait
central dogma of biology
ecology
the study of how populations interact with each other and their nonliving environment
basic research
research that takes the unknown and makes it known
applied questions
research carried out in order to directly helps humans
saint matthew’s island
an island where 19 officers were dispatched during world war ii with 29 reindeer for provision; they left the island and the reindeer population exploded exponentially and then died out in the 1980’s
