Study Questions #1: Intro and Evolution

Question 1

What characteristics do all living organisms (on earth) have in common?

Answer 1

Cellular organization, metabolism, reproduction, heredity, evolution

Question 2

In the year 2020 you are assigned to lead an expedition to look for life on Jupiter’s moon Europa what will you look for and how will you decide if it is alive?

Answer 2

Cellular organization, metabolism, heredity, reproduction, evolution, sensitivity, regulation, homeostasis, and common origin

Question 3

What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?

Answer 3

a theory is a hypothesis that has yet to be disproved. A hypothesis is an educated answer that has been proposed in a scientific investigation, is tested by experimentation, and it must be falsifiable.

Question 4

Please explain the five steps to designing an experiment.

Answer 4

1. Hypothesis (must be testable and falsifiable)
2. Make predictions (general and specific)
3. Experiment
4. Results and Interpretation (support or fail to support the hypothesis)
5. Controls (part of experiment where variable is not tested)

Question 5

Who was the first to propose that evolution explains the fossil record?

Answer 5

Lamarck (1809)

- theory of evolution by acquired characteristics

Question 6

How did Lamarck propose that evolution occurs?

Answer 6

Characteristics acquired in the lifetime of an individual are passed on to progeny. (Driven by inner need)

Question 7

What contribution did Lyell make to Darwin’s theory of evolution?

Answer 7

Earth is old and big changes happen slowly.

Question 8

What contribution did Malthus make to Darwin’s theory of evolution?

Answer 8

organisms grow exponentially, food grows arithmatically

Question 9

What evidence led Darwin to purpose his theory?

Answer 9

• Lyell: geology and fossils
• Malthus: principles of populations
• extinct species related to living organisms
• characteristics of species vary

Question 10

What are the two parts of his theory?

Answer 10

1. Variability in a population, some more suited to environment
2. Genes transferred to next generation (heredity)

Question 11

What are the 5 key assumptions of his theory?

Answer 11

1. Organisms have excess offspring
2. Individuals vary
3. Survivors are better adapted
4. Characteristics are heritable
5. There has been lots of time

Question 12

Why is heredity a key element in Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection?

Answer 12

It provides the mechanism to evolution. Ability to copy genetic information and pass to offspring

Question 13

Why is evolution the main unifying theme of biology?

Answer 13

• answers “why”

- explains how life came about

Question 14

Why is Darwin’s theory of evolution such a key turning point in the history of biology?

Answer 14

Biology became investigatory, not “stamp collecting” or pure observation