⭐️SB4 - Natural Selection And Genetic Modification Flashcards
What is evolution?
The gradual change in the characteristics of a species over time
How has skull volume changed with human evolution?
It has increased
Name the most recent human like species
Homo erectus
How can you differentiate between an older stone tool and a newer one?
Older ones are more simple but newer ones are more pointy with sharper details and edges
What is genetic variation?
Where the characteristics of individuals vary due to differences in genes
What are the stages in Darwin’s theory of evolution?
- There’s variation in a species
- Environmental change : There becomes competition for food/space/mates
- Natural selection: The better adapted members survive
- inheritance: Survivors pass on the beneficial genes to their offspring
- Evolution: Beneficial characteristic increases in a population over time
What is a common ancestor?
The animal that two different animals have evolved from
What can cause bacteria to form an antibiotic resistantce
Natural selection and evolution as they evolve to become able to survive antibiotics
Describe the stages of bacteria developing an antibiotic resistance
- Bacteria in a population already show variation (some are more resistant than others)
- When antibiotic course begins, more and more bacteria are killed and the resistant ones take the longest to die
- The course of antibiotics is finished to early leaving more resistant bacteria still alive
- These bacteria then reproduce and the new population are all resistant to the antibiotic
What causes resistance to develop in a species of bacterium?
Stopping antibiotics too early
Why did Darwin take time to produce his evidence?
As he knew his theory was controversial as it went against religious ideas of that time
Why was the evolution of characteristics in fossils not gradual?
Because there was a lack of fossil dicivert
Describe Wallace’s role in developing the theory of evolution by natural selection [2]
Wallace provided evidence for natural selection [1] and worked with Darwin to develop the theory [1]
How did Darwin come up with the idea of natural selection?
He studied birds in the Galápagos Islands and took them back to London to study them, he also read an essay by Thomas Malthus giving him the idea that organisms produce more offspring than can survive and only those with best suited characteristics will continue
How does the pentadactyl limb provide evidence for evolution?
Many species have a pentedactyl limb that all have different uses. This provides evidence that species with a pentedactyl limb have evolved from a common ancestor and that the bones have not been designed for a specific purpose among each species
Why aren’t the five kingdoms organised based on characteristics?
Because of evolution, some organisms have evolved similar characteristics but are not closely related
How did scientists alter the five kingdoms so they weren’t classified based on characteristics?
By making sure each organism in each group had evolved from a recent common ancestor
Name each of the five kingdoms
Animals, plants, fungi, protists and prokaryotes
What’re the main characteristics of animals
They are multicellular (cells arranged in tissues and organs) the cells have nucleus and no cell walls
Give the main characteristics of plants
Multicellular, have chloroplasts for photosynthesise cells have nuclei, cellulose cell walls
Give the main characteristics of fungi
Multicellular (except yeasts), live in dead matter, cells have nuclei, cell walls contain chitin instead of cellulose
Give the main characteristics of protists
Mostly unicellular, cells have nuclei, some have cell walls made of various substances (not chitin)
Give the main characteristics of prokaryotes
Unicellular, cells have no nuclei, cell walls are flexible
What did the development of genetic analysis show in terms of unused dna?
All organisms except prokaryotes have unused sections of dna
State the three domains organisms should be divided into
Archaea, bacteria and eukarya