exam #1

Question 1

what is evolution?

Answer 1

change in allele frequencies in a population over generations

Question 2

what are population genetics?

Answer 2

the branch of genetics dealing with the description of observed heritable features in populations through space & time

Question 3

who is evolutionary biology credited to?

Answer 3

darwin

Question 4

true or false: there was some discussion of the possibility of change amongst classical philosophers & some movement toward ‘evolutionary’ ideas in europe before darwin

Answer 4

true

Question 5

who was the best-known ‘pre-darwinian’ evolutionist?

Answer 5

jean baptiste de lamark

Question 6

what did lamark believe?

Answer 6

species change & suggested mechanisms by which it might happen

Question 7

what were the two things darwin was the first to do?

Answer 7

accumulate sufficient evidence to convince people that evolution occurred & develop a logical, coherent mechanism to explain how & why evolution happens

Question 8

why do we have wallace’s line?

Answer 8

the line separates species due to the separation of the continents of asia & australis

Question 9

who did darwin take inspiration from?

Answer 9

malthus: said population growth will always tend to outrun the food supply & immediately suggested natural selection

Question 10

darwin delayed publishing until…

Answer 10

he received wallace’s paper, which outlined natural selection

Question 11

true or false: darwin & wallace agreed on the details regarding how natural selection would work

Answer 11

false, but both were convinced that it was the primary mechanism by which evolution occurred

Question 12

basic outline of darwin’s theory:

Answer 12

1. individuals within a species differ in morphology, physiology, & behavior
2. some of this variation is heritable
3. organisms have a huge capacity for increase in numbers, but populations tend to remain constant
4. as a result of competition, some variants leave more offspring than others
5. if reproductive success is due to the varying trait, & it’s heritable, it will be passed onto the next offspring & become more common in the next generation

Question 13

true or false: the mechanism of natural selection was viewed as favorably & many believed its power to produce evolution

Answer 13

false

Question 14

what does variation in domesticated forms mean?

Answer 14

great variation in animal breeds & cultivated plants, & deliberate selection to modify varieties

Question 15

true or false: species isolated by strong barriers tend to be distinct, though physical conditions are similar

Answer 15

true

Question 16

what is classification?

Answer 16

the general pattern of groups within groups

Question 17

what are homologous organs?

Answer 17

organs which share detailed similarity due to a shared ancestral origin

Question 18

what did gregor mendel do?

Answer 18

studied peas, worked out the essentials of heredity & published promptly

Question 19

heredity info is contained in genes located where?

Answer 19

on chromosomes

Question 20

true or false: most plants & animals carry 2 sets of chromosomes

Answer 20

true

Question 21

one gene has different versions called what?

Answer 21

alleles

Question 22

what’s a phenotype?

Answer 22

observable characteristics of an organism

Question 23

what’s a genotype?

Answer 23

the set of genes or alleles an individual has

Question 24

what’s incomplete dominance?

Answer 24

heterozygotes show intermediate phenotype

Question 25

gametes are produced by what?

Answer 25

meiosis, where ''reduction division' occurs that results in haploid cells

Question 26

meiosis does not just reduce chromosome number, but also...

Answer 26

creates or makes possible new gene combinations

Question 27

what is synapsis?

Answer 27

process through which homologous chromosomes come together as pairs

Question 28

what is an independant assortment of chromosomes?

Answer 28

when chromosomes align during meiosis, chromosomes from the same parent may move into different cells

Question 29

what is random fertilization?

Answer 29

combination of any sperm with any egg allows trillions of possibilities

Question 30

what must genetic variation come from?

Answer 30

mutation

Question 31

what is mutation?

Answer 31

any change in the nucleotide sequence

Question 32

is deletion or duplication more lethal?

Answer 32

deletion, which is usually lethal & duplication which is generally harmful

Question 33

what are point mutations?

Answer 33

change in one nucleotide of DNA

Question 34

true or false: lots of mutations are beneficial

Answer 34

false