Unit 1 Test Flashcards
Why is biodiversity important?
Has intrinsic and utilitarian value
We get food, oxygen, clean water, medicine, aesthetics, ideas, resistance to environmental stresses and diseases
Keeps environment stable and balanced
How do we distinguish one species from another?
Morphology (the physical characteristics of organisms and the study of these characteristics)
What are the parts of biodiversity?
- Species diversity (different types of living organisms)
- Genetic diversity (differences between living organisms within a species; genes create a unique offspring with gives the species the ability to adapt to changing environments)
- Ecosystem Diversity (the variety of different habitats in a particular area; the more places to live, the more organisms can live there, the more diverse the area, the more stable the ecosystem)
What are the threats to biodiversity?
Habitat destruction Pollution Species invasion Global climate change Exploitation
Describe how organisms are classified.
They are classified by their biological characteristics and their evolutionary origin and changes
Species were grouped into taxonomic ranks (taxons) which included 7 major levels (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)
Similar species grouped into genera, similar genera into families, similar families into orders, orders into classes, classes into phyla, and phyla into kingdoms
What is a dichotomous key?
A series of branching, two-part contrasting statements used to identify organisms
An easy method to identify them but not perfect
What is binomial nomenclature?
A two-word naming system for species whereby species are assigned a genus name followed by a species name which form the official universally accepted name (ex Rosa canina)
Name the 6 kingdoms and describe the characteristics with an example of each
Eubacteria: prokaryote; cell wall w/ peptidoglycan; unicellular; auto or hetero (E. coli)
Archaeabacteria: prokaryote; no peptidoglycan; unicellular; auto or hetero
Protista: eukaryote; some have cell walls w/ cellulose other w/ chloroplasts; most unicellular; auto or hetero (slime molds)
Fungi: eukaryote; cell wall w/ chitin; most multicellular; hetero (mushroom)
Plantae: eukaryote; cell walls of cellulose + chloroplasts; multicellular; auto (tree)
Animalia: eukaryote; no cell walls or chloroplasts; multicellular; hetero (human)
How do prokaryotes and eukaryotes differ?
Size, wall, cell, organelles, oxygen
P: small; rigid cell wall; single-celled; no membrane bound organelles; may not need O2; cell walls often contain peptidoglycan
E: larger; flexible cell wall; multi-cellular; membrane-bound organelles; usually need O2; cell walls when present are simple
Describe how bacteria reproduce both sexually and asexually.
What other processes are there?
Asexually through binary fusion (cell division produces daughter cells)
Sexually through conjugation (donor cell attaches with conjugation tube to recipient cell and exchanged genetic material)
Spore formation
Describe archaea.
Where are they found?
Unicellular prokaryotes; no peptidoglycan in wall, mostly abiotic (no oxygen)
They live in very harsh conditions (swamps, sewage, salt pools, springs, volcanoes)
(Methane-makers, salt-loving, thermoacidphiles)
Compare archaea to eubacteria.
E: has peptidoglycan in cell walls; breathes oxygen; lives almost everywhere
A: no peptidoglycan in cell walls; can’t breathe oxygen/doesn’t have to; lives in harsh conditions
What is gram staining?
Christian Gram discovered how to differentiate bacteria based on their color reaction to stains
Some retain dye and stain purple and are gram+
Other get counterstained pink and are gram-
Gram negative is a larger and more diverse group than gram positive; has periplasm and outer membrane where as positive doesn’t
Describe the lytic and lysogenic cycles.
The two types of viral infection
Lytic is where the virus enters and lyses (explodes) the cell, so the new viruses are released to attack other cells
Lysogenic is when the virus integrates its DNA into that of the host cell so when it divides its genetic info replicates with the rest of the cells DNA and can continue to breed virus infected cells for a long time
What is a virus?
A core of DNA or RNA within a protein coating; only become active once inside a living host (it’s a parasite)
Not considers living
More than 160 major groups
Latin for poison
What is a viroid?
What is a prion?
Only RNA w/out protein casing; enters cell and disrupts metabolism of plant cell and stunts growth
Only protein capsid w/ no DNA or RNA; discovered in sheep; could be cause of Mad Cow Disease
How are viruses classified?
size; shape; genetic material( RNA vs DNA)
Who was Edward Jenner?
A British doctor who was the first to attempt vaccination; infected people with non-lethal cowpox to immunize from smallpox (dangerous, lethal)
How does HIV affect and infect our bodies?
Contracted through contact w/ blood or bodily fluids; pregnant women can give it to their babies through breastfeeding and vaginal birth
Destroys Helper T cells which are needed for normal immune system function
Name the groups of protists. What are the general characteristics of each?
Protozoa: animal-like; ingest/absorb their food
Algae: plant-like; carry out photosynthesis
Slime and water molds: fungus-like; decomposes or parasites
What group of protists cause malaria?
Sporozoans; parasitic; not self-moving
What are the characteristics of fungi?
Eukaryotic; heterotrophs; chitin in cell walls; multicellular except yeasts; composed of hyphae (thin filaments); develops from a mycelium (like roots)
Describe the life cycle of a fungus
The mycelium underground produce mushroom caps which spread spores carried by wind and other organisms then grow mycelium underground which produce mushroom caps above ground and so on
Name and describe how lichens are formed
Lichens: symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a photosynthetic organism
Three kinds: crustose (flat); foliose (resemble leaves); fruticose (grow upright)
(By name does she mean three kinds?)
(How lichens are formed?)
Name some diseases caused by fungi
Mild athletes foot
Ringworm infections
Aspergillosis (potentially deadly lung disease)
Why are plants important to us?
They photosynthesize and therefor make oxygen for us to breathe as well as are our main source of food (it not eating directly, what we eat eats it)
What evidence suggests that plants evolve from algae?
Plants are determined to have evolved from green algae as they both contain chlorophyll a and b; the cell walls contain a lot of cellulose; store excess food as starch; contain specific pigments
What common characteristics do plants share?
All higher plants are multicellular and eukaryotic; almost all perform photosynthesis; all have cell walls mainly of cellulose; can’t move from place to place
What are bryophytes, Lycophytes, Pterophytes, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms? How do they differ?
B: small seedless plant, lack vascular tissue; Moses L: seedless, vascular; club mosses P: seedless, vascular; ferns G: seeds; vascular; coniferous trees A: produced flowers/ flowering plants
How do the life cycles of plants and animals differ?
Animals reproduce sexually using sperm and egg
Plants reproduce sexually and asexually
What are vertebrates?
What are invertebrates?
An animal with a backbone or a notochord
An animal that does not have a backbone; the great majority of animal species are invertebrates
What makes Chordates different from other animal phyla? What classes of organisms fall under this phylum? Example and key features of each
Chordates have a backbone or notochord
Classes in phylum chordata: Agnatha (jawless fishes ex lamprey); Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes ex sharks); Actinopterygii (bony fishes ex bass); Amphibia (ex frog); Reptilia (ex snakes); Aves (ex birds); Mammalia (ex mammals)
How do protostomes and deuterostomes differ?
Deuterostomes: develop anus first
Protostomes: develop mouth first
What are some of the invertebrate phyla?
Annelida (earthworm)
Mollusca (mollusks aka snails)
Nematoda (roundworms)
