DiStefano Biology Test #1: First & Second Notes Packets, Main Topics, Vocabulary, Darwin, etc.

First step of the scientific method

observation

qualitative data

Information describing color, odor, shape, or some other physical characteristic

quantitative data

numerical data

Inference

A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning

experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

dependent variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

controlled experiment

An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time.

controlled variables

held constant, used for reference, In any experiment there are 10-12 of these

control group

not being manipulated, baseline group

experiment group

exposed to manipulation of independent variable

Repitiion

something done multiple times during an experiment or running the same experiment more than one time to increase accuracy

replication

to replicate things exactly in a different experiment, done by a different group

theory

well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations

properties of life

order, reproduction, growth and development, metabolism, regulation, response to the environment, evolutionary adaptation

are all properties of life necessary for something to be alive?

no

What did Darwin study that made him grossed out?

medicine

What did Darwin learn from a freed slave?

taxidermy

What was Darwin's profession when he was approached to join the HMS beagle?

Clergyman

HMS Beagle

5 yr trip to map the coast of S. America, Darwin studied a wide variety of plants and amimals

Patterns of Diversity

Why habitats had animals (isolation)

Fossils

Preserved remains of once-living organisms, Darwin wondered why they died out

Galapagos Islands

Chain of islands near South America where Darwin developed his theory of natural selection by studying the unique life there. Finches and Tortoises, different species depending on island.

Adaptive Radiation

Rapid speciation of many species to fill many ecological niches

Lonesome George

The last of it species, extinct in 2012 on Pint Island

Hutton

Father of Geology, believed earth was very old and it was shown in rocks

Lyell

principles of geology, believed that the present earth was the key to the past

Malthus

economist who was focused on population growth, birthrate and deathrate, and when we would run out of surplus as it relates to evolution

Lamark

inheritance of acquired characteristics, use and disuse, his theories were disproved by Darwin later

Alfred Wallace

Came up with the idea of natural selection to explain evolution, joint published with Darwin, survival of the fittest

Homologous structures

Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry. Similar form but different function

vestigial organs

organ that serves no useful function in an organism, left over from ancestors

Analogous structures

environmentally related due to environmental pressure, not related closely species wise

Co-evolution

Process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other.

developmental homology

A similarity in embryonic form, or in the fate of embryonic tissues, that is due to inheritance from a common ancestor.

genetic homology

animals and plants in different groups that share common ancestor with similar genes (house cats and lions)

Geographic distribution

the natural arrangements of animals and plants in particular regions of the world based on land connections and migration over time

Induviduals do not evolve, _________________ evolve.

populations

Acquired traits __________ be passed on to offspring

can not

Mutations, gene shuffling, and sexual reproduction can all be:

sources of variation

disruptive selection

form of natural selection in which a single curve splits into two; occurs when individuals at the upper and lower ends of a distribution curve have higher fitness than individuals near the middle

stabilizing selection

Natural selection that favors intermediate variants by acting against extreme phenotypes

directional selection

Form of natural selection in which the entire curve moves; occurs when individuals at one end of a distribution curve have higher fitness than individuals in the middle or at the other end of the curve

artificial selection

Breeding organisms with specific traits in order to produce offspring with identical traits. (farming plants and breeding them)

sexual selection

A form of natural selection in which individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely than other individuals to obtain mates.

what is a sneaky salmon?

a male who looks like a female to sneak their sperm onto the eggs without other males noticing

Changes in gene frequency due to chance that has a bigger impact on smaller populations

genetic drift

allopatric speciation

The formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another. (often caused by human intervention)

sympatric speciation

when a new species arises within the same geographic area as its parent species

3 domains of life

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

Archaea

domain of single cell organisms, can live in extreme conditions

Eucarya

have a more complex internal structure than Archaea or Bacteria AND have a membrane around the DNA. Resistant to anti-bacterials and anti-biotics.

Bacteria

single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus; can cause diosease but moslty can help organisms (eg. human digestion)

What does a T. rex taste like?

chicken

The best adapted individuals survive and reproduce

natural selection

What percentage of salmon eggs survive to spawn?

less than 0.1%

Different stages of a salmons life include:

eggs, alevin, fry, parr, smolts, returning adults, adults spawning

are all salmon smolts absolutley identical?

no

Adaptation

any characteristic that improves the survival or reproductive success of an organism, often the result of natural selection, organisms match closely with their enviornment.

Darwinian fitness

the contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation relative to the contributions of other individuals

fitness value of 1

assigned to phenotype with the highest reprodcution

how is fitness value calculated

reproductive success divided by the dominant type's reproductive success

Do you have to be the strongest to be fit?

no

experimental design

planning a set of procedures to investigate a relationship between variables

Ethics

the principles of right and wrong that guide an individual in making decisions

4 tenets of ethics

autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice

autonomy

independence

Beneficence

Doing good or causing good to be done; kindly action

Non-maleficence

do no harm

Justice

fairness

Cladogram

Diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms

How to read a cladogram

start at the bottom and work your way up
the organisms above a trait has that trait

Fitness

Ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

convergent evolution

Process by which unrelated organisms independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar environments

selective pressure

when the environment pushes an individual or population to adapt or evolve

what is the selective pressure of elephants?

poaching