BIO FINAL EXAM

Animals

Multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the kingdom Animalia.

Australopithecus

An early hominin genus that lived in Africa and is thought to be ancestral to the genus Homo.

Bilateria

Animals with bilateral symmetry and three germ layers.

Binomial name

A two-part scientific name (genus and species) used to classify organisms.

Body fossils

Fossils of actual body parts like bones or teeth.

Chordates

Animals with a notochord, dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail at some stage.

Continuous trait

A trait that shows a range of phenotypes (e.g., height).

Cranium

The skull, especially the part that encloses the brain.

Denisovans

An extinct group of hominins known from Siberian fossils, closely related to Neanderthals.

Deuterostomes

A group of animals including vertebrates; their embryos form the anus before the mouth.

Discrete trait

A trait that is either present or absent (e.g., attached earlobes).

Extant

Still living; not extinct.

Fossil record

The collection of all discovered fossils and their placement in geological context.

Genus

A taxonomic rank above species and below family.

Geologic timescale

A timeline used to describe the timing and relationships of events in Earth's history.

Half-life

The time required for half of a radioactive substance to decay.

Great apes

A group including orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans.

Hominidae

The great ape family, including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.

Homininae

A subfamily including humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.

Homo

The genus that includes modern humans and closely related species.

Homo erectus

An extinct species of early humans with a larger brain and more complex tools.

Homo sapiens

The species name for modern humans.

Human

A member of the species Homo sapiens.

Mammal

A warm-blooded vertebrate with hair/fur and mammary glands.

Modern human

Current subspecies of humans (Homo sapiens sapiens).

Natural selection

The process by which traits that improve survival or reproduction increase in frequency.

Neanderthals

An extinct species of humans who lived in Europe and Asia, closely related to modern humans.

Out of Africa hypothesis

The theory that modern humans evolved in Africa and migrated outward.

Polygenic trait

A trait controlled by two or more genes (e.g., skin color).

Primates

An order of mammals including monkeys, apes, and humans.

Radioactive decay

The process by which unstable atomic nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation.

Paleontology

The scientific study of fossils.

Trace fossils

Fossils of biological activity (e.g., footprints, burrows).

Tribe Hominini

The tribe that includes modern humans and our direct ancestors.

Vertebrates

Animals with backbones.

Active TB

Tuberculosis where bacteria are actively multiplying and symptoms are present.

Anopheles mosquito

The genus of mosquito that transmits malaria.

Antibiotic resistance

The ability of bacteria to survive and multiply despite antibiotics.

Conjugation

The process of direct DNA transfer between bacteria via a pilus.

Directional natural selection

Selection that favors one extreme phenotype over others.

Horizontal gene transfer

The movement of genetic material between organisms without reproduction.

Latent TB

TB infection where bacteria are present but inactive, with no symptoms.

Malaria

A mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The bacterial species that causes tuberculosis.

Plasmid

A small circular DNA molecule found in bacteria, often carrying antibiotic resistance genes.

Plasmodium

The genus of parasites that cause malaria.

Protist

A diverse group of mostly single-celled eukaryotes.

Rifampin

An antibiotic used to treat TB by inhibiting bacterial RNA synthesis.

RNA polymerase

The enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a DNA template.

Transcription

The process of copying DNA into RNA.

Transduction

Gene transfer between bacteria via viruses.

Transformation

Uptake of DNA from the environment by bacteria.

Tuberculosis

A disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affecting the lungs and other organs.