Test 3

Question 1

The four compenents Darwin’s concept *

Answer 1

-variations in populations
population produced too many offsprings, so some die (the ones that died are less suited for the environment)
-ideal that some organisms better fit/better suited for the environment
-overtime these beneficial traits should be more and more common if it lasts long enough, it can create a new species

Question 2

what causes the dead zone and what could be done about it *

Answer 2

is a more common term for hypoxia, which refers to a reduced level of oxygen in the water.

solution: more effective and efficient use of fertilizers

The reconnection of rivers to their floodplains not only helps to mitigate floods, but filter excess nutrients from the water

Question 3

how a gene is turned into a protein *

Answer 3

A gene is generally referred to as a sequence of bases that encode the instructions for the production of one functional biological product (however this is not always the case) usually protein but not always. The first step in this process is transcription where the DNA is transcribed into RNA by the enzymes RNA polymerase. The mRNA then is used as a template for protein production. This process is called translation. The sequences are translated by translation RNAs (tRNA), which can bind to specific sequences that code for the amino acid they carry. The code is stored within the base sequences of the mRNA in sets of three bases, know as a codon. The tRNAs bind to the codon on the mRNA in succession carrying their amino acid, which corresponds to the coding sequence in codon. By using this process the amino acid that is brought to the mRNA is covalently joined to the last producing an ever extending polypeptide chain (chain of amino acids or PROTEIN). Which amino acid is inserted in the polypeptide is determined by the mRNA sequence and untimely the DNA sequence.

Question 4

Sexual Selection: What is it and Why?

Answer 4

Sexual selection is a “special case” of natural selection. Sexual selection acts on an organism’s ability to obtain (often by any means necessary!) or successfully copulate with a mate.

Selection makes many organisms go to extreme lengths for sex: peacocks (top left) maintain elaborate tails, elephant seals (top right) fight over territories, fruit flies perform dances, and some species deliver persuasive gifts

Question 5

Biodiversity

Answer 5

is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

Question 6

what is science? How does it differ from religion?

Answer 6

Science requires evidence

difference a comparative control(when someone else picks what happens) and control experiment (the researcher decides what subject gets what treatment)

control experiment cost more, but you better results

Question 7

DNA replication *

Answer 7

DNA replication is the process by which DNA makes a copy of itself during cell division.

Question 8

Step 1 of DNA replication

Answer 8

The first step in DNA replication is to ‘unzip’ the double helix structure of the DNA? molecule.

Question 9

Step 2 of DNA replication

Answer 9

This is carried out by an enzyme? called helicase which breaks the hydrogen bonds? holding the complementary? bases? of DNA together (A with T, C with G).

Question 10

Step 3 of DNA replication

Answer 10

The separation of the two single strands of DNA creates a ‘Y’ shape called a replication ‘fork’. The two separated strands will act as templates for making the new strands of DNA.

Question 11

Step 4 of DNA replication

Answer 11

One of the strands is oriented in the 3’ to 5’ direction (towards the replication fork), this is the leading strand?. The other strand is oriented in the 5’ to 3’ direction (away from the replication fork), this is the lagging strand?. As a result of their different orientations, the two strands are replicated differently:

Question 12

Step 5 of DNA replication

Answer 12

A short piece of RNA ?called a primer? (produced by an enzyme called primase) comes along and binds to the end of the leading strand. The primer acts as the starting point for DNA synthesis.

Question 13

Step 6 of DNA replication

Answer 13

DNA polymerase? binds to the leading strand and then ‘walks’ along it, adding new complementary? nucleotide? bases (A, C, G and T) to the strand of DNA in the 5’ to 3’ direction.

Question 14

Step 7 of DNA replication

Answer 14

Once all of the bases are matched up (A with T, C with G), an enzyme called exonuclease strips away the primer(s). The gaps where the primer(s) were are then filled by yet more complementary nucleotides.

Question 15

Step 8 of DNA replication

Answer 15

The new strand is proofread to make sure there are no mistakes in the new DNA sequence.

Question 16

Step 9 of DNA replication

Answer 16

Finally, an enzyme called DNA ligase? seals up the sequence of DNA into two continuous double strands.

Question 17

Step 10 of DNA replication

Answer 17

The result of DNA replication is two DNA molecules consisting of one new and one old chain of nucleotides. This is why DNA replication is described as semi-conservative, half of the chain is part of the original DNA molecule, half is brand new.

Question 18

Step 11 of DNA replication

Answer 18

Following replication the new DNA automatically winds up into a double helix.

Question 19

What gel electricophoresis does?

Answer 19

Electrophoresis is a technique commonly used in the lab to separate charged molecules, like DNA, according to size.

Question 20

Plasmids

Answer 20

What is it? - Little Rings of DNA

Used by bacteria to move DNA from Bacterium to Bacterium

Question 21

Why Gentic Engineering of Plants much easier than that of Animals?

Answer 21

1. there is a natural transformation system for plants

2. Plant tissues can redifferentiate

Question 22

Bt engineering

Answer 22

Bt-corn is a type of genetically modified organism, termed GMO. A GMO is a plant or animal that has been genetically modified through the addition of a small amount of genetic material from other organisms through molecular techniques. Currently, the GMOs on the market today have been given genetic traits to provide protection from pests, tolerance to pesticides, or improve its quality. Examples of GMO field crops include Bt-potatoes, Bt-corn, Bt-sweet corn, Roundup Ready soybeans, Roundup Ready Corn, and Liberty Link corn.

Genetically modified foods are foods derived from GMO crops. For example, corn produced through biotechnology is being used in many familiar foods, including corn meal and tortilla chips. In addition, corn is used to make high fructose corn syrup, which is used as a sweetener in many foods such as soft drinks and baked goods.

Question 23

Herbicide Resistance

Answer 23

he acquired ability of a weed population to survive a herbicide application that previously was known to control the population. Herbicide tolerance is the inherent ability of a species to survive and reproduce after herbicide treatment.

Question 24

What is Pre-Darwinian thought *

Answer 24

Plato: every “species” or “kind” was independently created by God, and every individual is a more or less perfect resumblance of God ideal.

Question 25

What is Science?

Answer 25

A Process of building explanations for observable, repeatable events

Requires evdience

Question 26

What is a hypothesis ?

Answer 26

a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

Question 27

evolutionary fitness, what is it? *

Answer 27

Biologists use the word fitness to describe how good a particular genotype is at leaving offspring in the next generation relative to how good other genotypes are at it. So if brown beetles consistently leave more offspring than green beetles because of their color, you’d say that the brown beetles had a higher fitness.

Of course, fitness is a relative thing. A genotype’s fitness depends on the environment in which the organism lives. The fittest genotype during an ice age, for example, is probably not the fittest genotype once the ice age is over.

Question 28

IL addendum

Answer 28

The IL River contributes 7% of the water in the Mississippi but 15% of the nitrogen flowing into the Gulf

More than half of nitrogen in the IL river is from Chicago area sewage treatment plants

Question 29

Darwin’s readings influenced his thinking *

Answer 29

prompted him to think of evolution as a slow process in which small changes gradually accumulate over immense spans of time.

Question 30

What does religion believe in?

Answer 30

religion comes with ABSOLUTE statements, that neither can be proved or disproved, and science evolves from relative truths and statements, that can be testified and proven false (which means: science has to develop, in order to replace (partly) untrue theories, and replace them with better ones).

Religion claims it has knowledge. (while Science doesn’t)