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GCSE Combined Biology (Edexcel) > Topic 4 - Natural Selection and Genetic Modification > Flashcards

Topic 4 - Natural Selection and Genetic Modification Flashcards

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1
Q

What is this a definition of: ‘A group of organisms that can reproduce with one another, producing offspring that can also reproduce’?

A

species

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2
Q

What is the scientific name for the modern human species?

A

Homo sapiens

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3
Q

From what type of creatures are modern humans thought to have evolved?

A

apes

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4
Q

What are the remains of organisms that have been turned into rock called?

A

fossils

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5
Q

Sedimentary rock exists in layers, one on top of another. Which layers are the youngest?

A

uppermost

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6
Q

Which substances did early human-like animals make tools out of?

A

wood, stone

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7
Q

Why do we only find the stone tools now?

A

The wooden ones have rotted.

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8
Q

Which of these three species is most closely related to modern humans, and how can you tell: habilis, Australopithecus afarensis, Ardipithecus ramidus?

A

Homo habilis, because the first word of its scientific name is the same as that of modern humans.

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9
Q

On which continent are the oldest human-like fossils found?

A

Africa

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10
Q

What is this a definition of: ‘A gradual change in the characteristics of a species over time’?

A

evolution

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11
Q

Where does the evidence come from that humans evolved?

A

fossils, stone tools

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12
Q

Over how many years can scientists trace human evolution?

A

millions, 4–5 million years

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13
Q

Name one trend that has occurred in the bodies of human-like species as they have evolved over millions of years.

A

walking upright, feet with short toes, larger brains, flatter faces, taller skulls etc.

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14
Q

What are the differences in characteristics between two organisms called?

A

variation

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15
Q

One type of variation is ‘environmental variation’, in which the environment causes variation in characteristics. What is the other form of variation called?

A

inherited variation

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16
Q

Suggest one reason why polar bears are better adapted than black bears to living in the Arctic.

A

sensible suggestion, such as they are white and so can avoid being seen against the snow by their prey

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17
Q

What is the name of the scientist who is most well known for developing a theory about evolution?

A

Charles Darwin

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18
Q

Some scientists think that a species called Homo heidelbergensis evolved into both Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. What is a species that evolves into two species like this called?

A

common ancestor

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19
Q

What is the scientific name for modern humans?

A

Homo sapiens

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20
Q

What do we call the system of scientific naming for organisms?

A

binomial system

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21
Q

Suggest the environmental change that resulted in the evolution of African elephants’ large ears.

A

increase in temperature – ensure that students realise that the change did not cause the elephants to want to evolve

22
Q

Suggest the environmental change that resulted in the evolution of woolly mammoths’ hairiness.

A

decrease in temperature

23
Q

A certain population of animals evolved long legs over a long period of time. Is this more likely to be due to an increase or decrease in the number of predators?

A

increase

24
Q

What process does Darwin’s theory use to explain how evolution occurs?

A

natural selection

25
Q

The binomial name for the African bush elephant is Loxodonta africana. What genus does it belong to?

A

Loxodonta

26
Q

Humpback whales and dolphins are thought to have evolved from an animal that lived about 40 million years ago. What is an animal that evolves into different species like this called?

A

common ancestor

27
Q

What is the name of the other person who came up with the idea of evolution by natural selection at the same time as Darwin?

A

Alfred Russel Wallace

28
Q

Suggest one way in which the limbs of gorillas, whales and bats are similar.

A

They all have five fingers; they all have a pentadactyl structure.

29
Q

One branch of biology that has developed thanks to Darwin and Wallace’s theory is the study of genes. What is this branch of biology called?

A

genetics

30
Q

Elephants belong to the animal kingdom. What other kingdoms are there?

A

plants, fungi, protists/protoctists, prokaryotes

31
Q

State one way in which the cells of bacteria are different to those of animals, plants, fungi and protists.

A

They have no nucleus/mitochondria/organelles, they have plasmids, they do not have chromosomes [instead they have a loop of chromosomal DNA].

32
Q

Cattle, wheat and mushrooms are all farmed. What kingdoms do they belong to?

A

cattle – animals, wheat –plants, mushrooms – fungi

33
Q

The scientific name for cattle is Bos taurus. What genus do they belong to?

A

Bos

34
Q

Wild yaks are Bos mutus. Describe some features of wild yaks.

A

e.g. hairy coat, horns, stand on four legs, long tail, long face – any sensible suggestions that show that yaks are similar to cattle

35
Q

Bos mutus and Bos taurus share a common ancestor about 1 million years ago. What process caused them to evolve in different ways?

A

natural selection

36
Q

What domain do Bos mutus and Bos taurus belong to?

A

Eukarya

37
Q

Why are these two species in the Eukarya domain?

A

They have nuclei/mitochondria in their cells.

38
Q

Name the other two domains.

A

Bacteria, Archaea

39
Q

The three-domain system was developed because while Archaea looked like bacteria/prokaryotes they had other characteristics more like plants and animals. What were these other characteristics?

A

They have genes containing unused sections of DNA.

40
Q

There are about 800 different types of farm cattle that all belong to the same species. What is the name for different types of the same species of animal?

A

breeds

41
Q

What is the name for different types of the same species of plant?

A

varieties

42
Q

What term describes humans choosing certain organisms because they have useful characteristics?

A

artificial selection

43
Q

What is the name of the process in which new breeds and varieties of organisms are created using artificial selection?

A

selective breeding

44
Q

Give an example of a species of animal that has been produced by selective breeding.

A

any sensible suggestion, e.g. dogs

45
Q

What word describes all the DNA in an organism?

A

genome

46
Q

What is the name of the process in which genes from one organism are transferred into the genome of another organism?

A

genetic engineering

47
Q

What three-letter abbreviation is given to organisms that have been genetically engineered?

A

GMO

48
Q

What word describes the amount of useful product that can be obtained from a farmed plant or animal?

A

yield

49
Q

Suggest a characteristic that would be useful in a new variety of lettuce.

A

any sensible suggestion, eg. better taste, quicker growing, greater yield, disease resistance

50
Q

Suggest a characteristic that would be useful in a new breed of sheep.

A

any sensible suggestion, e.g. leaner meat, quicker growing, greater yield, disease resistance, ability to withstand certain conditions, more wool

GCSE Combined Biology (Edexcel) (9 decks)

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