Unit 1 - MSH - Bonds, Proteins, Nutrient Limitation, & Species Interactions Flashcards
definition: how tightly an atom holds onto its electrons
electronegativity
What is the type of bond based on?
relative amount of time electrons spend around involved atoms
What influences the amount of time electrons spend around involved atoms?
electronegativity
definition: tendency of an atom participating in a covalent bond to hold onto the electrons
electronegativity
What type of bond involved a PERMANENT attraction between ions?
ionic bond
What type of bond involves WHOLE charged particles (+1/-1)?
ionic
What type of bond involves atoms that SHARE a pair of electrons?
covalent
What holds two atoms together in a covalent bond?
their codependency with their shared electrons / low energy state
What comes about due to the differences in electronegativity of atoms?
polarity
In what type of covalent bond are electrons shared equally?
non polar covalent
What is the typical electronegativity difference between atoms with a non polar covalent bond?
less than or equal to 0.4
In what type of covalent bond are electrons shared unevenly?
polar covalent
What type of bond has partial positive and partial negative charges on its atoms?
polar covalent
What is the typical electronegativity difference between atoms with a polar covalent bond?
0.4-2.0
What type of bond involves the transfer of an electron?
ionic bond
What is the typical electronegativity difference between ions in an ionic bond?
2.0-4.0
What causes there to be partial negative and partial positive charges within a polar molecule?
unequal distribution of electrons
What type of bonds are amino acids chains held together with in their secondary structure?
Hydrogen bonds
What are non-covalent interactions termed as?
intermolecular forces
Are IMFs formed between or within molecules?
between
Are IMFs permanent or temporary forces?
temporary
What consists of a Hydrogen bond?
between a partially positive H atom on one molecule that attracts to a partially negative O, N, or F in another molecule
What properties are IMFs very important for?
(1) water cohesion
(2) surface tension
What are some of the stronger interactions between polar molecules?
dipole-dipole and hydrogen bonding
What are some of the weaker interactions between non polar molecules?
Van der Waals, dipole-induced dipole, hydrophobic attractions, London dispersion forces
What 2 things ultimately determine protein shape?
(1) type of bond
(2) IMF
What type of bonds does the primary protein structure consist of?
peptide (C-N covalent) bonds
What type of bonds does secondary structure consist of?
Hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of amino acids
What type of bonds does tertiary structure consist of?
IMFs (hydrogen bonds, van Der Waals, etc), covalent bonds (disulfide bridge), and ionic bonds
What type of bonds does quaternary structure consist of?
IMFs (hydrogen bonds, van Der Waals, etc), covalent bonds (disulfide bridge), and ionic bonds
What happens when there is a mutation with regards to protein stages?
new amino acid sequence (1 degree structure)
What law explains limiting resources with regards to MSH?
Liebig’s Law of the Minimum
How does Liebig’s Law of the Minimum apply to individuals?
individuals will grow only up to the point it runs out of a vital resource, even if there are surpluses in other categories
How does Liebig’s Law of the Minimum apply to populations?
populations will only grow up to the point that they run out of a vital resource
What is the main caveat to Liebig’s Law of the Minimum?
only works for organisms with indeterminate growth - no maximum size - or at a size where there are no limits on size
What are some important assumptions for Liebig’s Law of the Minimum?
(1) only one limiting resource at a time (one has to be lowest)
(2) too much of a nutrient isn’t harmful
(3) ignore realistic size limitations for organisms
What’s limiting in the MSH soils? In what forms?
Nitrogen; ammonium and nitrate
Why do we ignore the lack of organic Carbon in the MSH soil?
plants take in Carbon through the air (CO2), not through their roots in the soil
How do prairie lupine survive if they can’t use atmospheric N2 and have no nitrate available in the soil?
N-fixing bacteria
What is the amazing thing that some plants, especially legumes, have managed to combine?
N-fixation and assimilation
What is the only way to get N2 out of the atmosphere?
fixation by bacteria - only way to convert N2 into organic forms of nitrogen for plant use
Why was prairie lupine the only plant that could survive in the pumice plain originally?
nitrogen-fixing bacteria were growing in its roots
Where are N-fixing bacteria located on a lupine plant?
roots, nodules (bacteriod cells inside vesicles)
Do both the plant and bacteria benefit from this interaction?
yes
How do lupines benefit from their interaction with N-fixing bacteria?
they get usable forms of Nitrogen
How do the N-fixing bacteria benefit from their relationship with Lupine?
they get photosynthetic products (glucose/sugar) & by getting this sugar it speeds up their cellular respiration process
How do N-fixing bacteria get into plant nodules initially?
carried by the wind and “infect” lupine roots
How soon do N-fixing bacteria “infect” Lupine roots?
just after germination
How are Lupine able to survive before N-fixing bacteria come into effect?
Lupine has a large cotyledon which provides it with enough energy to survive until N-fixing bacteria survive
What process converts N2 into NH4 and eventually NO3?
nitrogen fixation
definition: type of relationship in which organisms live their lives in close physical proximity and evolved together
symbiotic relationship
definition: type of relationship where both species benefit from the interaction
mutualism relationship
Without this mutualistic, symbiotic interaction, would plants ever have been able to survive on MSH? How?
yes; the N-fixing bacteria already in the soil would build N content over time so some plants could reestablish & survive
What type of relationship is based completely on physical proximity?
symbiosis
How would you describe the relationship between Lupine and N-fixing bacteria?
mutualistic & symbiotic
Name some organisms that are symbiotic but NOT mutualistic?
-whales & barnacles
-parasite & mammals
-fish & whales
Name some organisms that are mutualistic but NOT symbiotic?
-plant & birds/bees
definition: any relationship where two or more species live closely together
symbiosis
What are 3 types of symbiosis?
mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
Why don’t all plants just host N-fixing bacteria in their roots?
it takes up a LOT of energy and plants don’t want to spend this extra energy if they don’t have to
How do we get the N we need to make our proteins?
from decomposers
What are some other creative plant solution examples to N limitation?
(1) Venus fly trap: trap and digest proteins in insect
(2) sundew
(3) pitcher plant
How is parasitism a plant solution to the nutrient problem?
parasites are able to extract sugar/nutrients from another plant
What is a mutualistic, symbiotic fungi species that expands the area plants can obtain nutrients?
mycorrhizal fungi
Describe how the relationship between Mycorrhizal Fungi and plants is mutualistic?
fungi: get sugar (from photosynthesis products of plant)
plants: get more water and nutrients
What are the signs of a mutualistic relationship?
+/+
What type of relationship benefits both organisms involved?
mutualistic
What type of relationship benefits one organism involved but produces no effect on the other?
commensalism
What are the signs of a commensalistic relationship?
+/0
What types of relationships involve an organism that harms another to benefit itself?
parasitism, predator-prey, herbivory
What type of relationship harms both organisms involved?
competition
What are the signs of a competitive relationship?
-/-
What types of relationship involve an organisms that hurts itself to benefit another?
altruism, facilitation
In what part of the legume plant is N-fixing bacteria often found in?
root nodules
What are examples of predator-prey relationships on MSH?
barred owl, mountain lion, coyote, vireo
What are some examples of commensalism on MSH?
burdock
What are some examples of herbivory on MSH?
elk, clark’s nutcracker, pocket gopher
definition: when there are limited resources and 2 organisms “fight” over them
competition
What are some common examples of resources organisms compete over?
food, mates, shelter, space
definition: competition between individuals of the SAME species
intraspecific
definition: competition between individuals of DIFFERENT species
interspecific
What type of competition is between elk and deer fighting over grass on MSH?
interspecific
Is Darwin’s survival of the fittest inter or intraspecific competition?
intraspecific; within the same species
When you remove one species in a competitive interaction, what happens to the other?
other population will increase because it will have more available resources/food
definition: one organism acts to increase the fitness of another organism at a cost to itself (decreasing its own fitness)
altruism
definition: an organism increase the fecundity of a relative at a cost to its own reproductive capacity (ants, bees); proven to be mutualistic (not altruism)
kin selection
What type of relationship involves organisms protecting members of their own species?
kin selection
definition: when one organism changes the environment, leading to its own eventual replacement (accidental altruism)
facilitation
How is Lupine an example of facilitation on MSH?
Lupine modifies the site so that other species can colonize & it improves the ecosystem so much that it causes its own demise
How do plants facilitate each others growth?
(1) increased soil moisture
(2) soil building - decay / wind
(3) temperature and humidity regulation
(4) Attracting pollinators
(5) soil chemistry alteration (N-fixers)
Why do pearly everlasting and fireweed have a competitive advantage over lupine?
because lupine are constantly spending energy feeding N-fixing bacteria; leaving more energy for other plants to grow faster and stronger
In what relationship, does the original species benefit, but ultimately the replacement benefits more?
facilitation
definition: the process of development that over time, gradually and predictably changes the biological community
succession
What is the ultimate driver of succession?
facilitation
How do primary and secondary succession differ?
primary: start from bare rock
secondary: starting with soil
