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BIOL 115 > Chapter 2: Biological organization and diversity. > Flashcards

Chapter 2: Biological organization and diversity. Flashcards

(58 cards)

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1
Q

What is the definition of life?

A

Life is capable of
1) Reproduction
2) Growth
3) Functional activity
4) Adaptation

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2
Q

What are examples of functional activity?

A

movement
response to stimuli
metabolism
catabolism
excretion

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3
Q

What is adaptation?

A

change over time (evolution) in response to the environment.

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4
Q

What is a prion?

A

Prions are infectious agents

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5
Q

How does prion turn into an infection agent?

A

-It’s a protein that can fold in multiple different ways
-Normal way of folding: PrPc
-Aberrant way of folding: PrPSc
-PsPSc is transmissible to other protein, which then results in diseases. (ex. Mad cow)

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6
Q

Is a prion alive ?

A

No: no growth, no reproduction, no activity, no adaptation

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7
Q

Are corals alive?

A

Yes. Inside is a colony of animals. Corals grow, reproduce, have activity, and adapt.

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8
Q

How do viruses replicate?

A

They use host machinery to copy themselves. That is they use machinery within the cells they infect.

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9
Q

Do we consider viruses as alive?

A

No growth, no actual reproduction, no activity, but highly adaptable.
Only one characteristic, so we don’t consider them alive.

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10
Q

What are the broadest taxonomic categories in biological diversity?

A

Domains and kingdoms

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11
Q

What does a Kingdom group together?

A

all forms of life having certain fundamental characteristics in common

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12
Q

What is a species?

A

A group of individuals that regularly breed together.

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13
Q

Who is the father of modern taxonomy?

A

Carl Linnaeus

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14
Q

How were organisms classified until about 50 years ago ?

A

based on observations of behaviour, shape, size etc.

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15
Q

What were the observations that classified plants according to Carl Linnaeus?

A

Organisms that don’t move and appear to make their own food.

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16
Q

What were observations that classified animals according to Carl Linnaeus?

A

organisms that could move about and rely on other organisms for food

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17
Q

When was the system of 5 kingdoms introduced?

A

In 1969

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18
Q

According to what characteristics are the 5 kingdoms organised?

A

-cell type
-method of obtaining energy

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19
Q

What were the 5 kingdoms?

A

-Plants
-animals
-fungi
-protista
-bacteria

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20
Q

How were the 5 kingdoms later adapted?

A

6 kingdoms ad 3 domains

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21
Q

What are the 6 kingdoms?

A

-plants
-animals
-fungi
-protista
-bacteria
-archaea

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22
Q

What are the 3 domains?

A

Eukarya, Bacteria, Archaea

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23
Q

What do Bacteria and Archaea form?

A

Prokarya

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24
Q

What are prokarya characterized by?

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A

single-celled and do not have membrane bound organelles (bacteria and archaea)

25
What are eukarya characterized by?
single or multicellular and have membrane bound organelles. (plants, animals, fungi, protista
26
What are the main characteristics of bacteria and archaea (prokarya)?
-single celled -free living or colonial -very small -don't have membrane bound organelles -numerous -extremely adaptable (can live in harsh environments)
27
What are protists?
Eukaryotic organisms
28
What are three main characteristics of protists?
-mostly single-celled -diversity of lifestyles -plant-like, fungus-like and animal-like types
29
What are three main characteristics of plants?
-multicellular -make their own food -largely stationary
30
What are three main characteristics of fungi?
-multicellular -rely on other organisms for food (absorb things from the ground) -reproduce by spores
31
What are three main characteristics of animals?
-multicellular -rely on other organisms for food -mobile for at least part of the life cycle
32
What are major groupings in the tree of life?
corresponds to divergences that occurred very early in life's history
33
What are minor groupings in the tree of life?
corresponds to more recent divergences
34
What is the origin of divergence?
DNA and RNA sequences that change over time as a result of mutations. The tree of life allows to classify those changes in a chronological order.
35
What did the first insights of Darwin and Wallace come from?
Observations
36
What is the first insight that was made on natural selection?
There is phenotypic variation
37
What is a phenotype?
-observable characteristics of an organism -expression of the genotype
38
What is the phenotype an expression of ?
the genotype
39
What are examples of the phenotype?
morphology, behavior, development, products of behavior.
40
What is phenotypic variation?
Means that there is variation in the observable characteristics.
41
What is the second observation Wallace and Darwin made?
2) Variation is heritable.
42
How did Wallace and Darwin know that variation was heritable?
Dog breeders and pigeon fanciers.
43
What was the idea put forward by Thomas Malthus?
-Resources grow linearly -Populations grow exponentially -So eventually the population will outgrow resources
44
What was Malthus's concern for the future of humankind?
-If individuals didn't limit their own reproduction, war, famine, and disease would put a ceiling on population growth. -This is will to a "struggle for existence" as individuals compete for resources.
45
Putting Darwin, Wallace and Malthus's ideas together, what can we conclude?
-Some phenotypes will be more successful in the struggle for existence -they will survive longer and reproduce more -They will be more "fit" to the environment. -Variation is heritable so more "fit" individuals in the next generation
46
What does selection act on ?
PHENOTYPES not genotypes
47
What is a genotype?
-Underlying genetic makeup -mammals: 2 copies of each gene -each copy= an allele -an allele= variant of a gene
48
What are two key points about natural selection?
1) Selection acts on phenotypes not genotypes 2) Selection is not "intentional"
49
What do we mean by "selection acts on phenotypes not on genotypes" ?
We mean that we need phenotypic variation for selection to happen. If the genotype doesn't express different phenotypes, there is no selection.
50
What do we mean by "selection is not intentional"?
We mean that selection doesn't create from scratch. It takes the existing phenotypes
51
What are adaptations?
Traits that evolved through natural selection.
52
Why do we say that adaptations aren't perfect?
They arise from the phenotypic and genetic variations that are already present rather than starting from zero
53
What do adaptations depend on?
The physical and social environments (ex: colour of fur or skin adapted to the environment)
54
What are generalists?
individuals that are more flexible or have more "phenotypic plasticity"
55
What arse specialists?
Individuals that have traits that are more specialised for a particular niche
56
What is stabilizing selection?
-Selection comes from both directions (the extreme or the other of a particular characteristic can make an individual less "fit" for the environment) -So most individuals are within the mean where they are most "fit"
57
What is an example of stabilising selection?
-newborn babies can be very small or very big -very small babies can have a hard time thermoregulating which is dangerous for their survival -bigger babies can make labor particular difficult which puts the mom at risk
58
What is directional selection?
Phenotypes that enhance reproduction and/or survival will increase in frequency in subsequent generations

BIOL 115 (4 decks)

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