Unit 1 (Chapter 1, Part 2)

Question 1

What do you call a unit of heredity?

Answer 1

A gene. They govern the characteristics, or traits, of organisms.

At the molecular level, a gene is an organized unit of base sequences in a DNA strand that can be transcribed into RNA and ultimately results in the formation of a function product.

Question 2

What does RNA stand for?

Answer 2

Ribonucleic acid. One of two nucleic acids!

Question 3

What specific type of RNA are most genes transcribed into?

Answer 3

Messenger RNA (mRNA)

Question 4

What are mRNA translated into?

Answer 4

A Polypeptide. These have a specific amino acid sequence.

Peptide = a compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain.

Question 5

What does a polypeptide denote?

Answer 5

Structure

Question 6

What is a functional unit composed of one or more polypeptides?

Answer 6

A protein. Each polypeptide is composed of a linear sequence of amino acids.

The structure and functions of proteins play a key role in determining the traits of organisms.

Question 7

What do you call a heritable change in genetic material that can be passed from cell to cell or from parent to offspring?

Answer 7

A mutation. With regard to survival, these can be beneficial, detrimental, or neutral.

Question 8

What are the two common mechanisms that may cause changes in genetic material?

Answer 8

Vertical descent with mutation and horizontal gene transfer.

Question 9

What is a traditional way to study evolution?

Answer 9

Examine a progression of changes in a series of related ancestral species.

Question 10

What is a word that describes a series of species that forms a line of descent?

Answer 10

Lineage

Question 11

Describe Vertical Evolution.

Answer 11

A type of evolution in which genetic changes occur in a series of related species that form a lineage; species evolve from pre-existing species by the accumulation of mutations.

Question 12

What is the process that eliminates those individuals that are less likely to survive and reproduce in a particular environment, while allowing other individuals with traits that confer greater reproductive success to increase in numbers?

Answer 12

Natural Selection.

Question 13

What is the relationship between biological evolution and natural selection?

Answer 13

Natural selection is a process that leads to evolution.

Question 14

What is the most common way for genes to be transferred?

Answer 14

In a vertical manner.

Question 15

What is the process in which an offspring incorporates genetic material from another organism without being the offspring of that organism?

Answer 15

Horizontal gene transfer

Ex. You may have heard in the news media that resistance to antibiotics among bacteria is a growing medical problem. Bacterial species such as E. Coli transferring the antibiotic resistant gene to Strep bacteria.

They may be subject to natural selection and promote changes in an entire species.

Question 16

How does the concept of a tree of life differ from that of a web of life?

Answer 16

A tree of life suggests that all living organisms evolved from a single ancestor by vertical descent with mutation.

A web of life assumes that both vertical descent and horizontal gene transfer have been important mechanisms in the evolution of new species.

Question 17

What is a genome?

Answer 17

The complete genetic material of an organism or species.

Question 18

A genome is critical to life because it performs what functions (3)?

Answer 18

1. Stores information in a stable form. (blueprint for producing an organism’s characteristics)
2. Provides continuity from generation to generation. (it is copied from generation to generation)
3. Acts as an instrument of evolutionary change. (it undergoes mutations that may alter characteristics; also may acquire novel genes from horizontal gene transfer.

The accumulation of genome changes from generation to generation produces evolutionary changes that alter species and produce new species.

Question 19

Biologists sometimes say that the genome is the storage unit of life, whereas the proteome is largely the functional unit of life. Explain this statement.

Answer 19

The genome stores the information used to make proteins. In and of itself, the genome is merely DNA. The traits of cells and organisms are largely determined by the structures and functions of the thousands of different proteins they produce.

Question 20

What are the techniques that are used to analyze the DNA sequence of the entire genome of a species?

Answer 20

Genomics.

Comparing the genomes of different plants and animals allows researchers to discover intriguing similarities and differences which help them understand how new traits evolved.

Question 21

What is the definition of proteome?

Answer 21

The complete complement of proteins that a cell is currently making or an organism can make.

These proteins are largely responsible for the structure and function of cells and organisms.

Question 22

What is the function of most genes within a genome?

Answer 22

To encode polypeptides that become units in proteins.

Question 23

What do you call the techniques used to analyze and compare proteomes of one species to another?

Answer 23

Proteomics

Question 24

What are the three domains that all forms of life can be placed?

Answer 24

1. Bacteria (unicellular)
2. Archaea (unicellular)
3. Eukarya (multicellular; Animals, plants, fungi, and protists, most algae)

Main differences are eukarya have a membrane bound nucleus, archaea and bacteria are unicelled organisms, which archaea have a different cell wall compared to bacteria.

Question 25

What is the field of biology that is concerned with the theory, practice, and rules of classifying living and extinct species and also viruses?

Answer 25

Taxonomy

Question 26

What two domains of life consist of species with prokaryotic cells?

Answer 26

Bacteria (found in most environments) and Archaea (live in hot springs and other extreme environments)

Question 27

What is the primary distinction between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Answer 27

Eukaryotic cells have a membrane-bound nucleus and prokaryotic (bacteria and archaea) cells do not.

Question 28

Why is it useful to place organisms into taxonomic groupings?

Answer 28

Taxonomy helps us appreciate the unity and diversity of life. Organisms that are closely related evolutionarily are placed in smaller groups (9 different groups from domain to species).

Question 29

What is the standard format for scientific naming of species where each species has a genus name and a specific epithet?

Answer 29

Binomial nomenclature

Ex. For the ocellaris clownfish, its scientific name is Amphiprion ocellearis. The first word is the genus, and the second word is the specific epithet. or species descriptor.

Question 30

What is the definition of science in biology?

Answer 30

The observation, identification, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena.