Topic 4 completed Flashcards
define biodiversity
the variety of living organisms in an area
define habitat/ecosystem diversity
the range of different habitats or ecosystems in an area
what 2 things does biodiversity include?
species diversity- number of species and the abundance of the species in an area
genetic diversity- the variation of alleles within a species
how do you observe genetic diversity?
by looking at genotype and phenotype
how does looking at phenotypes help show genetic diversity?
by looking at physical traits in a population you get an idea of the diversity of the alleles (as the alleles code for the characteristics)
how do you look at genotypes in a population to investigate genetic diversity?
samples of DNA taken, the order of bases in alleles are slightly different, sequence DNA to look at similarities and differences of the alleles, can measure the number of alleles for a characteristic to see how genetically diverse a species is
or can use heterozygosity index
what is the equation of the heterozygosity index?
H=number of heterozygotes/number of individuals in the population
what does the heterozygosity index show?
the proportion of heterozygotes in a population (the higher the proportion, the higher the genetic diversity)
what is the index of diversity?
D= N(N-1)/sum of n(n-1)
what is endemism?
when a species is only found in one geographical location
define niche
the role a species plays within its habitat
what are the 3 types of adaptations?
anatomical, behavioural, physiological
what are behavioural adaptations? give an example
ways an organism acts that increase its chance of survival
possums ‘play dead’
what are physiological adaptations?
processes inside an organism that increases its chance of survival
brown bears hibernate- lower rate of metabolism so energy is conserved
some bacteria produce antibiotics which kill other species of bacteria so there is less competition
what are anatomical adaptations?
structural features of an organisms body that increase its chance of survival
otters have a streamlined shape so they can glide easily through the water
whales have a thick layer of blubber to help keep them warm
what are the stages of natural selection?
1-Natural mutations in DNA cause genetic variation in the population
2-A selection pressure such as predation, disease, competition changes
3-An allele becomes favourable as this gives a characteristic which increases chance of survival under new selection pressure
4- individuals with favourable allele more likely to survive and reproduce
5- over time frequency of the advantageous allele increases
what can natural selection lead to?
adaptation and evolution
define evolution
a change in the allele frequency
what is speciation?
the development of a new species
what are the 2 types of speciation?
allopatric and sympatric
what is allopatric speciation?
1- a species become geographically separated
2- the 2 groups have different selection pressures
3- different advantageous alleles
4- different changes in allele frequency
5-differences in gene pools
6-populations become genetically distinct
7- will have become reproductively isolated
what is sympatric speciation?
a change occurs which results in 2 groups becoming reproductively isolated
- seasonal changes (individuals develop different flowering or mating seasons)
- mechanical changes (changes genitalia prevent successful mating)
- behavioural changes (changes in mating call)
what does the Hardy-Weinberg principle predict?
that the frequencies of allele in a population won’t change from one generation to the next
under what conditions is the hardy Weinberg principle right?
large population, no immigration, no emigration, no mutation and no natural selection