Wk1 Lectures 1+2 Ch 1.1, 1.6, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 7.1, 7.2, 2.2, 2.5 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an organism?

A

A life form, something that’s alive and made of one or more cells.

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2
Q

What are the 5 characteristics of life?

A
  1. Cells/Organization
    2.Reproduction/Replication
  2. Information
  3. Energy Use/Metabolism
  4. Biological Evolution
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3
Q

What is a theory?

A

A broad explanation of some aspect of the natural world supported by a LARGE BODY OF EVIDENCE - extremely likely to be true, but can never be proved true

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4
Q

What are the 3 unifying ideas of biology?

A
  1. The Cell Theory
  2. The Chromosome Theory of Inheritance
  3. The Theory of Evolution
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5
Q

What question does the cell theory address?

A

What are organisms made of, and where do they come from?

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6
Q

What question does the chromosome theory of inheritance address?

A

How is hereditary information transmitted from one generation to the next?

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7
Q

What question does the theory of evolution address?

A

How are organisms related to one another?

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8
Q

Who is Robert Hooke and what did he discover?

A

A microscopist that discovered cells using a 30x microscope.

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9
Q

Who is Antony van Leeuwenhoek?

A

A Dutch scientist that developed more powerful microscopes (300x). Discovered animalcules (microorganisms) by using his own teeth samples before/after drinking hot coffee.

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10
Q

What are cells?

A

The basic structural and functional unit of all organisms. A highly organized (plasma) membrane bound compartment It also contains concentrated chemicals in an aqueous solution.

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11
Q

What is the cell theory?

A

All organisms are made of cells, and all cells come from preexisting cells.

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12
Q

What is a hypothesis?

A

A TESTABLE statement that explains something observed. Used when referring to explanations for more tightly focused questions.

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13
Q

What is an experiment?

A

Allows researchers to test the effect of a factor on a particular phenomenon.

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14
Q

What is a prediction?

A

A measurable or observable result that must be correct if a hypothesis is valid.

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15
Q

What was Louis Pasteur’s hypothesis?

A

Cells arise from cells, and that cells do not arise by spontaneous generation

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16
Q

What were Louis Pasteur’s experiments to test his hypothesis? What were the results?

A

Two flasks were used that differed in stem shape: straight and swan necked. Both flasks had broth and were boiled for identical times to kill organisms. After sterilization, only microorganisms were found in the straight necked flask, which corroborated the all-cells-from-cells hypothesis.

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17
Q

Where did the first cells come from?

A

Chemical evolution

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18
Q

What 2 claims did Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace make regarding the natural world?

A
  1. All species (a distinct organism) are related by common ancestry.
  2. Characteristics of species can be modified from generation to generation (variation/diversity)
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19
Q

What is evolution?

A

A change in the characteristics of a population over time => species are related to one another and can change through time

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20
Q

What is a population?

A

A group of individuals of the SAME species, living in the SAME area, at the SAME time.

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21
Q

What does natural selection explain?

A

Natural selection
is a process that explains how evolution occurs.

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22
Q

What two conditions must be met for natural selection to occur?

A
  1. Individuals within a population must vary in characteristics that are heritable–can be passed on
  2. In a particular environment, certain versions of these heritable traits help individuals survive better and reproduce more than other versions.
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23
Q

What happens if certain heritable traits lead to increased success in producing offspring?

A

These traits become more common in the population over time.

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24
Q

What does natural selection act on?

A

Individuals

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25
Q

What does evolutionary occur in?

A

Populations

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26
Q

When does speciation occur?

A

When populations diverge to form new species.

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27
Q

What is the theory of evolution?

A

All species are related and gradually change over time

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28
Q

What do cell theory and theory of evolution by natural selection imply?

A
  1. All species come from preexisting species
  2. All species trace their ancestry back to a single common ancestor (LUCA)
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29
Q

What does L.U.C.A stand for?

A

Life’s Universal Common Ancestor

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30
Q

What is fitness?

A

An individual’s ability to reproduce compared to others in the population. Individuals with high fitness produce many surviving offspring.

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31
Q

What is an adaptation?

A

Any heritable trait that increases the fitness of an individual in a particular environment relative to individuals lacking that trait.

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32
Q

What is the tree of life?

A

A family tree of organisms [that describes the genealogical relationships among species with a single ancestral species at its base.]

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33
Q

What is phylogeny?

A

The actual genealogical relationships among all organisms.

34
Q

How do biologists study RNA and DNA from different organisms to understand the relationships between organisms?

A
  1. Compare sequences of building blocks (A, T, C, G)
  2. Fewer sequence variations between two species may indicate closer relationship.
35
Q

Who is Carl Woese?

A

An American biologist that studied small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) to understand evolutionary relationships.

36
Q

What is a phylogenetic tree and how do you interpret its branches?

A

It is a diagram that shows relationships between species. Branches that share a recent common ancestor represent species that are closely related and vice versa.

37
Q

What are the two mechanisms of evolutionary change?

A
  1. Vertical descent with modification
  2. Horizontal Gene Transfer
38
Q

What is vertical descent with modification and how are genes transferred?

A

Progression of changes in a lineage - parents producing offspring. Genes are transferred from one generation to the next (father and mother to children)

39
Q

How do new species evolve through vertical descent with modification?

A

New species evolve from pre-existing species by the accumulation of mutations

40
Q

What is horizontal gene transfer?

A

Genetic exchange between different species

41
Q

Which organism does horizontal gene transfer usually occur with?

A

Prokaryote

42
Q

What are the three major groups of organisms indicated by the tree of life?

A
  1. Eukaryotes
  2. Bacteria
  3. Archaea

*Bacteria and Archaea are prokaryotes

43
Q

What is the chromosome theory of inheritance?

A

Inside cells, hereditary/genetic info is encoded in units called genes that are located on chromosomes. Genes are coded for by DNA

44
Q

Who proposed the chromosome theory of inheritance?

A

Walter Sutton and Theodor Boveri

45
Q

What does DNA do?

A

DNA carries, or encodes, information needed for an organism’s growth and reproduction

46
Q

Gene vs DNA?

A

DNA is the hereditary material, and genes are specific segments of DNA that code for products in the cell

47
Q

What allows DNA to be copied?

A

The double helix and nucleotide pairing (A,T,C,G)

48
Q

What does it mean for DNA to be copied?

A

Information encoded in the DNA is preserved

49
Q

What is the Central Dogma?

A

DNA -> RNA -> Proteins

50
Q

What are the four major building blocks of cells, and what is each one’s role?

A
  1. NUCLEIC ACIDS: store and transmit info
  2. PROTEINS: perform most of cell’s functions
  3. CARBOHYDRATES: chemical energy, carbon, support/structure, and identity
  4. PLASMA MEMBRANE: selectively permeable membrane barrier made of LIPIDS
51
Q

What is a prokaryote?

A

Oldest, structurally simplest, and most ABUNDANT forms of life. Mostly single-celled

52
Q

How much earlier did prokaryotes exist compared to eukaryotes?

A

Over a billion years before

53
Q

What are the 2 domains of prokaryotes?

A

Bacteria and Archaea

54
Q

Describe a prokaryotic cell

A
  1. No nucleus
  2. Size varies a lot (most are <1 mm in diameter)
55
Q

What are archaea also known as and why?

A

Extremophiles; they live in extreme environments

56
Q

What is a methanogen?

A

Archaeans that produce methane gas as a waste product of their metabolism

57
Q

What is a halophile?

A

Archaeans that live in high salt environments

58
Q

What is a thermophile?

A

Archaeans that live at extremely hot temperatures

59
Q

What are bacteria?

A

Mostly unicellular prokaryotes that inhabit many diverse environments on earth

60
Q

What is inside the plasma membrane of a typical prokaryotic cell, and describe their roles?

A
  1. Cytoplasm
  2. Nucleoid Region: where (circular) DNA and plasmids are located
  3. Ribosomes: synthesize proteins
61
Q

What is outside the plasma membrane of a typical prokaryotic cell?, and describe their roles

A
  1. Cell Wall: support and protection
  2. Glycocalyx: traps water, gives protection, helps evade immune system
  3. Appendages: pili (attachment) and flagella (movement)
62
Q

What are plasmids in prokaryotic cells?

A

Plasmids contain genes but are physically independent of cellular chromosome. The genes help cells adapt to unusual circumstances (ex: poison)

63
Q

Describe a eukaryotic cell

A
  1. DNA housed inside membrane bound nucleus
  2. Compartmentalized functions
  3. Organelles
  4. Variety (shape, size, organization - species differences, specialized cell types)
64
Q

What is an organelle?

A

Membrane bound compartments that have unique structures and functions. Hallmark of eukaryotic cells.

65
Q

What are the 4 key differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells have been identified?

A
  1. Eukaryotic chromosomes are found inside the nucleus; Prokaryotic chromosomes are found inside the nucleoid, along with plasmids
  2. Eukaryotic cells are often much larger (10x larger than prokaryotic)
  3. Eukaryotic cells contain extensive amounts of internal membrane
  4. Eukaryotic cells feature a diverse and dynamic cytoskeleton
66
Q

What are the 3 parts of an atom?

A

Protons, Neutrons, Electron Cloud

67
Q

How is atomic mass calculated?

A

Atomic number (protons) + number of neutrons = atomic mass

68
Q

What are the 4 main elements of life?

A
  1. Carbon
  2. Oxygen
  3. Hydrogen
  4. Nitrogen
69
Q

What are 7 properties of water?

A
  1. Universal solvent
  2. Cohesion, Adhesion, Surface Tension
  3. Denser as liquid than solid
  4. High specific heat
  5. High heat of vaporization
  6. Chemical Reactivity (hydrolysis and condensation)
  7. Lubrication
70
Q

Why is water such an effective solvent?

A

-The O-H bonds are polar => O is partial negative and H is partial positive charge
-Molecule is bent, giving the molecule an overall polarity
-Hydrogen bonds

71
Q

Why are hydrogen bonds so important?

A

They allow for water to dissolve almost any ionic compound and polar molecule because of the partial charges.

72
Q

What is specific heat?

A

Amount of energy required to raise the temp of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree celsius

73
Q

What is heat of vaporization?

A

Amount of energy required to change 1 gram of a liquid from a liquid to gas

74
Q

What is cohesion?

A

Attraction between like molecules

Water is cohesive b/c of the hydrogen bonds that form between individual molecules

75
Q

What is adhesion?

A

Attraction between unlike molecules - usually analyzed in regard to liquid and solid surface interactions

Water adheres to surfaces that have any polar or charged components

76
Q

What is surface tension?

A

The cohesive force caused by attraction between the molecules at the surface of a liquid

77
Q

What is an organic compound?

A

Many molecules that contain carbon bonded to other elements

78
Q

Why is carbon the most versatile atom on earth?

A

It has 4 valence electrons => forms 4 covalent bonds

79
Q

What was an important event in chemical evolution and why?

A

The formation of carbon-carbon bonds: it represented a crucial step toward production of organic molecules found in living organisms

80
Q

What do carbon atoms in an organic molecule do?

A

They furnish the skeleton that gives the molecule its overall shape