Lecture 1: Intro to Biology

Question 1

basic properties of living organisms

Answer 1

Ordered, uses energy, undergoes growth and development, responds to its environment, regulates itself, reproduces, adapts by evolutionary adaptation

Question 2

Levels of biological organization (10)

Answer 2

1. the biosphere
2. ecosystems
3. communities
4. populations
5. organisms
6. organs
7. tissues
8. cells
9. organelles
10. molecules

Question 3

summarize DNA

Answer 3

genetic material of life: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
passed onto next gen in 2 ways: mitosis (cell division) & meiosis (half/half from parents)
genes are heritable units of DNA

Question 4

what is gene expression? and it’s process?

Answer 4

transcription: makes RNA from DNA
translation: makes polypeptide (protein) based on the code in the RNA

gene expression: the entire process of DNA replication, transcription, and translation that is required to manufacture cellular products

Question 5

describe how energy flows through an ecosystem

Answer 5

1. Energy transformed by photosynthesis and cellular respiration
2. Transferred to metabolic processes (within an organism) and food chains (between organisms)
3. Lost as heat in the ecosystem

Question 6

what are the three domains of life?

Answer 6

Three major domains of Life:
1. Bacteria -> prokaryote
2. Archaea -> prokaryote
3. Eukaryotes

Question 7

Eukaryote:

Answer 7

Eukaryotes:
One domain: Eukarya
Use DNA as genetic code
Have a nucleus and other organelles
Single-celled or Multicellular

Question 8

Prokaryote:

Answer 8

Prokaryotes:
Two domains: Bacteria and Archaea
Use DNA as genetic code
No nucleus or other organelles
Always single-celled

Question 9

how to classify species in the Linneaen hierarchy

Answer 9

Life
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Question 10

requirements for natural selection:

Answer 10

organisms have phenotypes (traits) that make the unique
- traits must be variable and heritable
natural selection acts on these traits (evolutionary adaptation)
the population experiences selective pressure from the environment:
favourable traits: selected for/ passed on
unfavourable traits: selected against

Question 11

scientific method:

Answer 11

Observation, question, hypothesis, experiment, collect data/observations, report results

Question 12

cause vs. correlation

Answer 12

Cause: factor A leads to condition B
Correlation: when factor A changes, so does condition B