Chap 1: Evolution, Themes of Biology, & Scientific Theory (3)

Question 1

What accounts for the differences among organisms?

Answer 1

Differences among organisms are due to the accumulation of heritable changes.

Question 1

What are the 3 domains organisms are classified into?

Answer 1

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya

Question 1

Define taxonomy.

Answer 1

Taxonomy - branch of biology that names and classifies species into groups of increasing breadth

Question 2

What are the kingdoms eukarya is divided into?

Answer 2

Kingdom Plantae, kingdom Fungi, kingdom Animalia, and the protist

Question 3

The most numerous and diverse eukaryotes are the ______, which are single celled organisms.

Answer 3

The most numerous and diverse eukaryotes are the protists, which are singled celled organisms.

Question 3

What are the modes of nutrition for the 3 kingdoms?

Answer 3

Plants produce their sugars and other food molecules by photosynthesis, fungi absorb dissolved nutrients from their surroundings, and animals obtain food by eating and digesting other organisms.

Question 4

Although protists were once placed in a single kingdom, they are now classified into several groups. Why?

Answer 4

One major reason for this change is the recent DNA evidence showing that some protists are less closely related to other protists than they are to plants, animals, or fungi.

Question 4

What kind of habitat do archaea live in?

Answer 4

Many of the prokaryotes known as archaea live in Earth’s extreme
environments, such as salty lakes and boiling springs.

Question 5

What are the two points highlighted by Darwin in the Origin of species?

Answer 5

1. Species show evidence of “descent with modification” from common ancestors. All living things can trace their descent to a common ancestor
2. “Natural selection” is the primary cause of this descent with modification.

Question 6

What were the 3 observations Darwin used to develop the theory of natural selection?

Answer 6

1. Individuals in a population vary in their traits, many of which are heritable
2. More offspring are produced than survive, and competition is inevitable
3. Species generally suit their environment

Question 7

Why did Darwin call his theory Natural selection?

Answer 7

Darwin called this mechanism of evolutionary adaptation natural selection because the natural environment consistently “selects” for the propagation of certain traits among naturally occurring variant traits in the population.

Question 8

Define adaptive radiation and give an example.

Answer 8

Adaptive radiation is a rapid increase in the number of species with a common ancestor, characterized by great ecological and morphological diversity.

ex: galapagos finches

Question 9

Explain why “editing” is an appropriate metaphor for how natural selection acts on a population’s heritable variation

Answer 9

The naturally occurring heritable variation in a population is “edited” by natural selection because individuals with heritable traits better suited to the environment survive and reproduce more successfully than others.

Question 10

Explain the origin of the word science.

Answer 10

The word science is derived from a Latin verb meaning “to know.

Question 11

What is the heart of science?

Answer 11

At the heart of science is inquiry, a search for information and explanations of natural phenomena.

Question 12

What is the scientific inquiry process?

Answer 12

Making observations; forming logical, testable explanations
(hypotheses); and testing them

Question 13

Define observation.

Answer 13

Observation is the gathering of information, either through direct use of the senses or with the help of tools

Question 14

Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative data.

Answer 14

Qualitative data – descriptive measurement and Questionnaire-based.

Quantitative data – are recorded measurements often organized into tables or graphs

Question 15

Define inductive reasoning.

Answer 15

Inductive is used to describe reasoning that involves using specific observations, such as observed patterns, to make a general conclusion.

Question 16

Define the hypothesis and what it leads to.

Answer 16

A hypothesis is a tentative answer to a well-framed question.

– A scientific hypothesis leads to predictions that can be tested by observation or experimentation