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AP Biology > Ecology and Natural Selection (Unit 7+8) > Flashcards

Ecology and Natural Selection (Unit 7+8) Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a closed system?

A

Only energy can cross boundry

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1
Q

What is an open system?

A

Open to exchange of matter and energy across system borders

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2
Q

What is biota?

A

All living organisms in a particular enviroment

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3
Q

What does anthropogenic mean?

A

Human caused disruption to balance

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4
Q

What level is the first place abiotic factors are considered?

A

Ecosystems

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5
Q

What are detrivitors?

A

Decomposers (get energy from detris (non living matters))

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6
Q

What pyramid can be inverted?

A

Pyramid of numbers

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7
Q

What pyramid is always upright?

A

Pyramid of energy

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8
Q

How does size influence the metabolic rate?

A

As size decreases, metabolic rate increases (inverse relationship)

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9
Q

What are exotherms?

A

Organisms that use external/behavioral mechanisms to regulate their body temp

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10
Q

What are endotherms?

A

Organisms that use energy generated by metabolism to maintain body temp

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11
Q
A
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12
Q

What is evolution?

A

The change in genetic makeup of a population over time

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13
Q

What is natural selection?

A

The process by which organisms having adaptations suited for a particular environment have a greater chance of survival and reproduction, passing the adaptation into the next generation

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14
Q

What is productivity?

A

The rate at which an ecosystem can trap energy and turn it into biomass

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15
Q

What is the result of eurotrophication?

A

Overabundance of resources = overgrowth = dead zones

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16
Q

What is a niche?

A

An organisms role in their environment

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17
Q

What are limiting factors?

A

Ex nutrients

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18
Q

What is fitness?

A

The ability of an organism to survive and produce fertile offspring

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19
Q

What is range?

A

The geographical area where an organism is found

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20
Q

What is a habitat?

A

The abiotic and biotic features in a place within an ecosystem/biome

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21
Q

What is ecosystem stability?

A

It determines the rate and direction of evolution
(populations are less likely to evolve in environments that remain stable for long periods of time)

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22
Q

What is asexual reproduction?

A

Budding, cloning, etc
Plants (when in a successful environment)

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23
Q

What are structural adaptations?

A

Changes in structure to make the organism better suited to its environment
Ex. Camouflage, colouration, morphological features (ex changes in skeleton)

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24
What are behavioural adaptations?
Things an organism does to survive, usually in response to external stimuli Ex. Nesting, hibernation, migration, mating dances
25
What are physiological adaptations?
Changes in metabolism to maintain homeostasis Ex. Breathing rate, skunks door production, digestive enzymes
26
What is genetic variation?
DNA variations among individuals of the same population Sources: mutation, genetic recombination, genetic drift
27
How does phenotypic variation occur?
When variation of the bases (genetic variation), causes amino acid change
28
What is phenotypic variation?
Variability of phenotypes within a population (differences in observable appearance)
29
What is natural selection?
The process by which a population of organisms changes because individuals with certain traits can survive the local environment conditions and pass these traits onto offspring
30
What do selective pressures do?
Organisms with particular characteristics are either favoured or eliminated Cause individuals with certain phenotypes to behave a better chance of survival and reproduction
31
What is fitness?
The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce
32
What is evolutionary fitness?
A measure of the average contribution to the gene pool of the next generation of an organism with a particular genotype/phenotype
33
What is descent with modification?
Species change over time, giving rise to new species that share a common ancestor This explains organisms adaptations
34
Define evolution and what it needs to happen
Evolution causes populations to be better adapted to their environments over time Depends on the environment and requires existing heritable groups
35
What is artificial selection?
Species modified by humans (selective breeding)
36
What is direct observation (evidence of evolution)?
Insect population s becoming rapidly resistant to pesticides (ex DDT) Antibiotic resistant bacteria
37
What is the fossil record (evidence of evolution)?
Radioactive dating + law of superposition Transitional fossils
38
What are homologous structures?
Similar structures, different functions Indicates a common evolutionary ancestor
39
What are analogous structures?
Similar function, different structure Does not indicate a common evolutionary ancestor
40
What is molecular homology?
Shared characteristics on a molecular level (DNA/RNA sequences)
41
What are vestigial organs (evidence of evolution)?
Ex tiny pelvis and leg bones in some snakes
42
What is convergent evolution?
The process by which distantly related organisms independently evolve similar traits Analogous structures
43
What does biogeography mean?
How and why animals live where they do (geographic species distribution) Ex South American desert animals are more closely related to other animals they live near than Asian desert animals
44
What are endemic species?
Species native to a particular region and only found in that region.
45
What a re introduced species?
Non native species
46
What are invasive species?
Introduced species that spread widely and cause harm
47
Why do species go extinct?
Climate change is faster than evolutionary processes Low variability
48
What is a species?
A group of living organisms that can exchange genes/interbreed and provide viable and fertile young
49
What does evolution act on?
Populations
50
What is micro evolution?
Adaptations that are confined to a single gene pool (population of a species)
51
What is macro evolution.
Major evolutionary change within a whole taxonomic group (above species level)
52
What is speciation?
The evolution of a new species over time If they can still interbreed, they are still the same species
53
What is gradualism?
New species slowly change over time from a common ancestor (Think transformation)
54
What is punctuated evolution?
Period of stasis followed by rapid evolutionary change Can be seen in sudden changes observed in the fossil record (divergence)
55
What causes speciation.
Reproductive isolation
56
What is reproductive isolation?
The existence of biological barriers that impede production of viable fertile young
57
What is post zygotic reproductive barriers?
A offspring is prevented from developing into a fertile adult
58
What is prezygotic reproductive barriers?
Happens before the egg and sperm meet?
59
What is genetic drift?
Random change in allele frequency in a population
60
What is allopathic speciation?
New species occurring because they are geographically isolation from the parent population - interrupts gene flow causing reproductive isolation
61
Does their have to be geographic isolation for speciation to occur?
No
62
What is simpatic speciation?
A small part of the population forming a new species without being geographically isolated from the parent population.
63
How does simpatico speciation occur?
Part of the population may have switched to a new habitat or food source or there could be a mistake in cell division causing polyploidy (common in plants)
64
What is adaptive radiation?
Single common ancestor, highly branched into different species These new species fill different ecological niches in their communities that often open up after catastrophic events/mass excitations
65
What is cladogenesis?
Evolutionary splitting of a parent species into two distinct species forming a class group of organisms from a common ancestor
66
What does cladogenesis result in?
Diversity. (Many species produced by few)
67
What is agenesis?
Gradual changes (transformation) The lineage in a phylogenetic tree does not split
68
Dear King Philip came over for good soup
Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genius, species
69
Explain Batesian Mimicry?
A lizard lacking a chemical defence mechanism that is coloured in the same ways as a lizard that has a defense mechanism.
70
What is aposometric colouration?
Colouring that indicates an animal is poisonous
71
What is cryptic colouration?
Colouring that acts as camouflage/disguse
72
What is Müllerian mimicry?
Two toxic organisms (both have defense mechanisms), look similar (so predatory avoid both
73
What is a gene pool?
The combination of all the genes (including alleles) present in a reproducing population or species
74
What is phenotypic frequencey?
The rate of occurrence of a particular phenotype in a population/gene pool
75
What is genotypic frequency?
The frequency of occurrence of a particular genotype
76
How are allele frequencies expressed?
As a decimal
77
What is Hardy Weinberg/Genetic Equilibrium?
A theoretical condition in which a populations genotype and allele frequency remains unchanged over successive generations (evolution is not occurring).
78
What are the requirements for Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?
1. Large population 2. Random Mating 3. No net mutations 4. No migrations 5. No natural selection
79
p + q = 1
80
What are the 3 types of species distribution?
1. Clumped 2. Uniform 3. Random
81
What are life history stratagies?
The pattern of survival and reproduction events typical for a population (a species life cycle)
82
What are k selected species?
S curve, stable environment ex Humans and elephants
83
What are r selected species?
J curve, fluctuation environment ex. bacteria, flies
84
What is environmental resistance?
Prevents a population from growing at its biotic potential and determines the carrying capacity of the habitat.
85
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum # of individuals that an ecosystem can continually supply resources to/support
86
What is biotic potential?
The maximum growth rate of a population given unlimited resources, space, and lack or competition or predators.
87
What are density dependant limiting factors?
Limiting factors that is closely tied to population size ex. Disease, food supplies
88
What are density independent limiting factors?
Not related to population size ex. Natural disasters, weather conditions

AP Biology (7 decks)

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