Bio Exam 1

Adaptation

A trait that makes an organism better suited to its environment,

• enhancing its survival and reproductive success

• passed on to future generations through natural selection.

Allele

Different forms or variants of the same gene

• can lead to variations in traits among organisms.

Anthropocene

A proposed new geologic epoch

• characterized by the significant and pervasive impact of human activities on Earth's geology and ecosystems.

Artificial Selection

The intentional breeding of plants and animals by humans for desirable traits.

Biodiversity

The variety of life that exists in the world,

• or in a particular habitat or ecosystem,

• encompassing genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.

Biogeochemical Cycling

The pathways by which chemical elements (e.g., carbon, nitrogen) move through the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem.

Biological Evolution

Changes in a population of organisms over time,

• specifically changes in the frequency of inherited traits over successive generations.

Biopiracy

The unauthorized appropriation and commercial exploitation of traditional ecological knowledge or genetic resources,

• often from indigenous communities.

Bioprospecting

The exploration of biodiversity for commercially valuable genetic and biochemical resources,

• often for pharmaceutical, agricultural, or industrial applications.

Bottleneck (Genetic)

A sharp reduction in the size of a population

• due to environmental events or human activities,

• resulting in a corresponding reduction in the population's genetic diversity.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained

• indefinitely by a given environment,

• given the available food, habitat, water, and other necessities.

Chromosome

Structures made of DNA and protein,

• found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells,

• that organize genetic material.

Community

A group of different species living and interacting in the same area.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

A long molecule

• containing the genetic instructions

• used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms.

Differential Reproduction

The process where individuals with certain traits

• produce more offspring than others,

• leading to an increase in the frequency of those traits in subsequent generations.

Ecological Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment,

• including how it meets its needs for food and shelter,

• how it survives,

• and how it reproduces.

Ecosystem

A biological unit consisting of all the living organisms

• (biotic components)

• in an area interacting with each other and with their non-living physical environment

• (abiotic components).

Ecosystem Diversity

The variety of different types of ecosystems within a given region.

Ecosystem Function

The ecological processes

• that control the fluxes and flows of materials, energy, and information through an environment

• (e.g., nutrient cycling, photosynthesis).

Ecosystem Services

The direct and indirect benefits that people obtain from ecosystems,

• categorized as provisioning, regulating, and cultural/non-material services.

Ecosystem Stability

The ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function

• in the face of disturbance or change,

• often assessed by resistance and resilience.

Edge Effects

The influences of adjacent habitats on the environmental conditions

• (e.g., light, wind, temperature) and species composition

• at the boundary or edge of a habitat fragment.

Exotic Species (Introduced Species)

A species living outside its native distributional range,

• which has arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental.

• Not all exotic species are invasive.

Extinction (Global)

The complete disappearance of a species from the entire planet.

Extinction (Localized)

The disappearance of a species from a specific geographic area or ecosystem,

• though it may still exist elsewhere.

Fitter (Survival of the)

A phrase emphasizing that natural selection is a continuous,

• relative process of adaptation rather than a fixed endpoint of 'fittest.'

Functional Diversity

The range of different functions performed by species in an ecosystem,

• reflecting the variety of biological traits and ecological roles present.

Functional Redundancy

The presence of multiple species that perform similar ecological functions within an ecosystem,

• which can contribute to ecosystem stability.

Gene Flow

The transfer of genetic material from one population to another,

• or from one species to another.

• It maintains genetic similarity among interbreeding populations.

Gene Pool

The complete set of genetic information

• (all the genes and their various alleles)

• within a population of a given species,

• or within the entire species.

Genetic Diversity

The diversity that exists among organisms of the same species in their genetic material (DNA),

• contributing to a population's adaptability.

Genetic Recombination

The process by which genetic material is broken and recombined to produce new combinations of alleles,

• particularly during sexual reproduction.

Geologic Time

The vast periods of time over which Earth's history is measured, often involving millions to billions of years.

Habitat Fragmentation

The process by which continuous habitats are divided into smaller, isolated patches,

• often by human land-use changes.

Heritable Trait

A characteristic or feature that can be passed down from parents to offspring through genetic inheritance.

Hybrid Infertility

A post-zygotic reproductive isolation mechanism where hybrid offspring are sterile and cannot reproduce.

Hybrid Inviability

A post-zygotic reproductive isolation mechanism where hybrid offspring fail to develop or survive to reproductive maturity.

Inbreeding

The mating of closely related individuals, which can lead to a decrease in genetic diversity and an increased expression of deleterious recessive traits.

Invasive Species

A non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance, often through its role in trophic interactions.

Law (Scientific)

A descriptive generalization about how some aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances; it predicts what will happen.

Macroevolution

Large-scale evolutionary changes observed over very long periods of time, including the divergence of species and the formation of new taxonomic groups.

Mass Extinction Event

A relatively sudden, global-scale decrease in the diversity and abundance of life forms.

Microevolution

Evolutionary changes within a species or small group of organisms, especially over short periods, typically at the genetic level.

Mutation

A permanent, random alteration in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene. It is a primary source of new genetic variation.

Native Species

A species that naturally originated and evolved in a particular ecosystem without human introduction.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring, leading to evolutionary change.

Niche Partitioning

The process by which natural selection drives competing species to use different resources or occupy different habitats, allowing them to coexist.

Nucleotide

The basic building block of DNA and RNA, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Organism

An individual living entity.

Phylogenetic Systematics

The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms, often depicted using phylogenetic trees.

Phenotype

The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographic area at the same time.

Post-zygotic Mechanism

A type of reproductive isolation that prevents hybrid offspring from developing into a viable, fertile adult after a zygote has formed.

Pre-zygotic Mechanism

A type of reproductive isolation that prevents mating or fertilization from occurring between species, thus inhibiting the formation of a zygote.

Primary Producer

Organisms (like plants and algae) that produce their own food from inorganic sources, usually through photosynthesis, forming the base of a food web.

Provisioning Ecosystem Services

Material benefits people obtain from ecosystems, such as food, fresh water, timber, and genetic resources.

Regulating Ecosystem Services

Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes, such as climate regulation, flood control, disease regulation, and water purification.

Reproductive Isolation

The inability of a species to interbreed successfully with related species due to various biological barriers.

Resilience

The capacity of an ecosystem to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks.

Resource Exploitation

The consumption of natural resources, often to the point of depletion or degradation of the ecosystem.

Scientific Theory

A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. It explains why phenomena occur.

Selective Pressure

Any factor that reduces reproductive success in a portion of a population, acting as a force for natural selection.

Sexual Reproduction

A biological process that involves the combination of genetic material from two parents to produce offspring.

Species

A group of similar organisms that are reproductively compatible and can produce living, fertile offspring.

Species Complementarity

Occurs when different species within a community utilize resources in complementary ways (space, time) or interact synergistically, leading to more efficient resource use and higher productivity.

Species Diversity

The number and relative abundance of different species in a particular area.

Species Richness

The number of different species in a given ecological community.

Speciation

The evolutionary process by which new biological species arise.

Stakeholders

Individuals, groups, or organizations that are affected by or can affect a decision or action.

Trait

A distinguishing quality or characteristic, often genetically determined.

Variation

Differences among individuals in a population, which can be heritable or non-heritable.