Unit 2: Organisms And Evolution Flashcards
1
Q
Absolute fitness
A
The ratio of frequencies of a particular genotype from one generation to the next
2
Q
Active
A
Requires energy
3
Q
Active site
A
The region of an enzyme molecule where the substrate binds
4
Q
Ameba
A
A single-called parasite
5
Q
Angiosperms
A
Flowering plants
6
Q
Anthropomorphism
A
Crediting animal behaviour with human emotions or qualities
7
Q
Antigen
A
A protein that may induce an immune response if it is foreign
8
Q
Antigenic variation
A
Where parasites show great variation amongst different strains
9
Q
Apoptosis
A
Programmed cell death
10
Q
Archaea
A
One of the three domains of life, consisting of single felled micro organisms
11
Q
Arthropoda
A
Jointed-legged invertebrates which are identified by their segmented body, typically with paired appendages
Examples: wasps, butterflies, spiders and crabs
12
Q
ATP synthase
A
A membrane bound enzyme which generates ATP
13
Q
Autosome
A
Any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome
14
Q
Bacteriophage
A
A virus that targets a bacterial host
15
Q
B lymphocytes
A
White blood cells that produce specific antibodies in response to specific antigens
16
Q
Caspase
A
Proteinases which destroy a cell
17
Q
Centrifugation
A
A process which uses centrifugal forces to separate components of a mixture
18
Q
Chiasmata
A
The place where two homologous chromosomes come into contact with one another
19
Q
Chordata
A
Sea squirts and vertebrates
Examples: birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish
20
Q
Chromatography
A
A set of techniques which separate the components of a mixture
21
Q
Civil engineering
A
A profession that is involved in the design and manufacture of infrastructure to improve standards of living
22
Q
Clonal selection
A
Lymphocytes becomes amplified, with some clones used in immediate defence and other clones acting as memory cells
23
Q
Co-evolution
A
Where a change in the traits of one species acts as a selection pressure on another species with which it frequently interacts
24
Q
Colorimeter
A
A device that is used to measure the absorbance of a specific wavelength of light by a solution
25
Competitive exclusion principle
When two species are in intense competition with one another and the weaker of the two species becomes locally extinct
26
Conformation
The spatial, three dimensional arrangement of the atoms that make up a molecule
27
Crossing over
The process where the homologous chromosomes swap genetic material
28
Cysticercosis
A parasitic tissue infection
29
Definitive host
The host where the parasite reaches sexual maturity
30
Depolarisation
An electrical state in an excitable cell whereby the inside of the cell is made less negative relative to the outside than at the resting membrane potential
31
Ectoparasite
A parasite that lives on the surface of the host
32
Electrophoresis
A process which applies an electrical current across a gel to separate components of a mixture
33
Endoparasite
A parasite that lives inside the host
| Examples: tapeworms and flatworms
34
Epidemiology
The study of the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases
35
Ethogram
A chart on which observed animal behaviours is recorded
36
Ethology
The study of animal behaviour
37
Eukaryotic
An organism with a membrane bound nucleus
38
Evolution
The change, over successive generations, in the proportion of individuals in a population differing in one or more inherited traits
39
Extended phenotype
A theory whereby the parasite modifies the host's behaviour to increase its own transmission
40
Extra cellular
Outside the cell
41
Ferns
Flowerless plants that reproduce by producing spores and which have a vascular system
42
Fluorescence
The emission of light of a different wavelength to that which was absorbed
43
Fundamental niche
The niche that the organism occupies where there are no other species present competing for space or resources
44
Genetic drift
The random change in how frequently a particular allele occurs within a small population
45
G-protein
Proteins which act as molecular switches. They allow signals from outside the cell to be transmitted inside (involved in signal transduction). Their activity is regulated by their ability to bind and break down GTP to GDP. When GTP is bound and hey are 'on' and when GDP is bound they are 'off'
46
Gravid proglottid
The segment of a tapeworm containing both male and female reproductive organs
47
Gymnosperm
Flowerless vascular plants that produce seeds for reproduction
Example: conifers
48
Haemocytometer
A device used to count cells
49
Herd immunity
Protection offers to non immune members of a population by sufficient numbers of immune individuals
50
Herd immunity threshold
The density of resistant hosts in a population required to prevent an epidemic
51
Hermaphrodite
An organism with both male and female reproductive organs
52
Heterogametic
Dissimilar sex chromosomes e.g. Mammalian males where the Y chromosome is much smaller than the X chromosome
53
Homologous chromosome
Chromosomes of the same size, same centromere position and which carry the same genes at the same gene loci
54
Hybridoma
A cell formed from the fusion of a myeloma cell with an antibody- producing B cell
55
Hydrophilic
(Means water loving) a molecule of this type is electrically attracted to the polarity of the water molecules
56
Hydrophobic
(Means water hating) a molecule of this type is not electrically attracted to the polarity of water and is repelled away from the water molecule
57
Hyperpolarisation
A change in a cells membrane potential that makes it more negative
58
Immune surveillance
White blood cells patrol the body, recognising and destroying foreign pathogens
59
Immunoassay
Techniques which use antibodies linked to reporter enzymes to cause a colour change in the presence of a specific antigen
60
Imprinting
An irreversible process that occurs within a critical period of young bird development. It can also have an impact on mate choice later in life
61
Independent assortment
Takes place during meiosis 1 when homologous chromosomes pair up and line up at the equator. The final position of one pair is completely random relative to every other pair
62
Inflammatory response
Injured or wounded areas become warm and red due to increased blood flow, bringing white cells for defence
63
Intermediate host
The host that the parasite might require in order to complete its life cycle or as a means of transmission, thus making it a vector
64
Interphase
Takes place at the start of meiosis when DNA replication occurs
65
Intracellular
Inside the cell
66
Kinetochore
The point on a chromosome where the spindle fibre binds
67
K-selected
Larger organisms that usually produce lower numbers of offspring, providing more extensive parental care and have longer life spans
68
Lekking
Males display for females in a communal display area, then females choose a mate
69
Ligand
A substance which can bind to a particular a protein
70
Line transect
Line along which quadrants are placed or samples taken
71
Linked genes
Genes that are on the same chromosome
72
Liverworts
Flowerless, spore producing plants with flattened stems and overlapping leaves
73
Lymphocyte
A type of white blood cell which forms part of the immune system
74
Lysis
The bursting of a host cell, releasing many virus particles
75
Malaria
A serious human disease spread by mosquitoes that are infected by the plasmodium parasite
76
Meiosis
A special type of cell division where four haploid gametes are produced from one diploid gamete mother cell
77
Memory cells
Cloned lymphocytes that remain in the body to respond faster if the individual is exposed to the same antigen a second time
78
Mollusca
Molluscs which are greatly varied, with many characterised by the presence of a shell
Examples: snails and octopi
79
Monogamy
Where animals form breeding pairs, thus one male to one female
80
Monomer
A molecule that may bind chemically to other molecules to form a polymer
81
Mosses
Flowerless plants, lacking seeds and a vascular system
82
Mutation
Random change in DNA sequences within a population
83
Mutualism
Symbiotic relationship where both species benefit
84
Myeloma
A B-cell cancer cell
85
Natural killer cells
Lymphocytes responsible for destroying abnormal cells
86
Natural selection
Non-random process whereby certain alleles occur more frequently within a population because they confer a selective advantage
87
Nematoda
Round worms which show great variety. Many of which are parasitic
Examples: tapeworms
88
Opsin
A photoreceptor molecule found in the animal kingdom
89
Parasite
An organism is that gains food and shelter at the expense of the host
90
Parthenogenesis
Asexual reproduction whereby embryos develop from an unfertilised egg
91
Passive
A process which does not require energy
92
Phagocyte
White blood cell in non-specific defence, engulfing and destroying foreign antigens- may also present antigens to lymphocytes
93
Phagocytosis
Non specific defence where phagocytes engulf foreign antigens and digest them using digestive enzymes present in the lysosomes
94
Phosphorylation
The addition of a phosphate group to a molecule
95
Photon
A particle representing a quantum of light
96
Platyhelminthes
Flatworms which show bilateral symmetry with internal organs present, but lack a body cavity. Many of which are parasitic
97
Point count
Sampling technique used for birds
98
Pollinator
An organism that transfers pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of usually another flower
Examples: bees and hummingbirds
99
Polygamy
Usually where one male has access to mate with several females
100
Polymer
A large molecule, or macromolecule, composed of many repeated subunits, known as monomers
101
Polypeptide
A single chain of amino acids
102
Prosthetic group
A non-protein unit which is tightly bound to a protein that is necessary for its function
103
Proteinase
An enzyme which breaks down proteins by hydrolysis
104
Proteolytic
Substances which can break down proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids
105
Proton
A hydrogen ion
106
Random sampling
Individuals selected from the larger population must be chosen completely by chance
107
Realised niche
The niche that an organism occupies when there is competition form other species
108
Recombinant
The chromosome created when linked genes are separated during crossing over
109
Red queen hypothesis
A theory concerning co-evolution of a parasite and its host. An evolutionary arms race
110
Relative fitness
The ratio of surviving offspring of one genotype compared with other geneotypes
111
Resource partitioning
Where two species occupy different realises niches, allowing them to co-exist by compromising over resources
112
Retinal
A light sensitive molecule
113
Retrotransposon
The piece of DNA that carries out reverse transcription before being inserted into a new site in the genome
114
Retrovirus
A virus that contains RNA as its nucleic acid
115
Reverse transcriptase
An enzyme used by retrovirus to synthesise DNA that can be inserted into the host cell's genome
116
r-selected
Smaller organisms that usually produce larder numbers of offspring, providing no parental care and having smaller life spans
117
Sanitation
Access to facilities for safely disposing of human waste such as urine and faeces
118
Satellite male
Male that sneaks to gain access to females
119
Schistosomiasis
Also known as bilharzias, a human disease caused by parasites living in fresh water in subtropical and tropical regions of the world
120
Sessile
Organisms that are fixed in position and cannot move
121
Sexual dimorphism
Physical difference between males and females of a species
122
Sexual selection
A non- random process, whereby certain alleles occur more frequently within a population because they are selected/ preferred by one sex
123
Sneaker
Male that gains access to mate with a female without the more dominant male knowing
124
Standard curve
A graph which can be used to determine the concentration is an unknown solution
125
Stratified sampling
Individuals are randomly selected from sub groups within a population
126
Symbiosis
An interrelationship between organisms of two different species, whereby at least one species benefits
127
Symport
Describes an integral membrane protein which is involved in simultaneously transporting two substances across the membrane in the same direction
128
Systematic sampling
Where the samples may be taken at regular/ preset intervals
129
Taxonomy
Grouping living organisms based in similarities and relatedness
130
Terrain
The physical geography of the land
131
Thylakoid
A membrane bound compartment found in the chloroplasts, containing photosynthetic pigments
132
T lymphocytes
Lymphocytes that destroy specific infected or damaged cells by bringing about apoptosis
133
Transmission
The spread of a parasite to a host
134
Vector
The means of transmitting a parasite
135
Vegetative propagation/ cloning
A form of asexual reproduction that takes place in some plants resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant
Examples: bulbs and runners
136
Virulence
The deleterious effect that the parasite has on the host
137
Waterborne
Transmitted by water
