Lecture 5 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What distinguishes the two types of cells?
- prokaryotes: no nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (only single chromosome)
- eukaryotes: nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (distinct chromosomes)
What are the four major metabolic chemical reactions in cells?
- photosynthesis
- chemosynthesis
- cellular respiration
- anaerobic respiration
Under what conditions would you expect chemosynthesis to be prevalent?
when no light is available
Distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction. Which reproductive mode would result in organisms that could evolve more quickly via natural selection?
What are the four major factors that determine a population’s rate of growth?
What is the relationship between population growth and doubling time? Under what situations would it be more useful to use one vs. the other?
Distinguish between the three different survivorship curves. Given the same reproductive rate, which survivorship pattern would result in the highest population growth?
What is the difference between arithmetic and exponential growth? Which results in more rapid increases in population size?
Is it possible for populations to exhibit exponential growth indefinitely? Why or why not?
What is carrying capacity?
What type of environment is more likely to have a higher environmental resistance: a rainforest or a desert?
What is logistic growth? Why do populations level off in size?
What is an organism’s range of tolerance? Which is more likely to grow more rapidly: a
population with a narrow range of tolerance or one with a broader range of tolerance?
Define evolution. Explain its relationship to the concept of natural selection.
How do adaptations come about?
What are the three ways that natural selection can impact a population?
Why are mutations such an important aspect of evolutionary biology?
What is genetic drift? What is its role in the context of evolution?
Why is reproductive isolation such an important part of the formation of new species?
List the different taxonomic levels.
