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Flashcards based on the 100 important topics for the Living Environment Regents Exam, covering cellular communication, transport, body systems, enzymes, genetics, evolution, and human impact.
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How do cells recognize and respond to chemical signals?
By using receptor molecules.
What is Passive Transport (Diffusion)?
The movement of molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration without using energy.
What is Active Transport?
The movement of molecules from LOW concentration to a HIGH concentration using energy (ATP).
What is the role of the digestive system?
Breaks down food into nutrients and puts them in the bloodstream.
What parts are included in the digestive system?
Mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum
What is the function of the circulatory system?
Carries gasses and nutrients throughout the body
What is the main function of enzymes, and what type of organic compound are they?
Enzymes are special proteins that affect the rate of chemical reactions. They act as catalysts in digestion and synthesis.
What three factors affect enzyme reaction rates?
Shape (Lock and Key Model), Temperature, and pH.
What is Dynamic Equilibrium (Homeostasis)?
A steady state or balance.
What is negative feedback?
Controls hormone levels to maintain homeostasis.
What are the two types of cell division?
Mitosis and Meiosis.
How many cell divisions occur in mitosis versus meiosis?
Mitosis: One cell division (1 → 2). Meiosis: Two cell divisions (1 → 4).
What is the genetic makeup of daughter cells in mitosis versus meiosis?
Mitosis: Identical to parent (2n - Diploid #). Meiosis: 1/2 of the parent cell (n - Haploid #).
What are gonads?
Sex glands (Ovaries and Testis).
What are gametes?
Sex cells that unite in fertilization to form a zygote.
What is a zygote?
A fertilized egg.
What is differentiation?
The process that transforms developing cells into specialized cells with different structures and functions.
What can result from uncontrolled cell division?
Cancer
Define heredity.
The passing of genetic information from one generation to the next through reproduction.
Asexual Reproduction
Identical Cells, 1 Parent, and Little Genetic Variation.
Sexual Reproduction
Not Identical Cells, 2 Parents, and Much Genetic Variation.
What are clones?
Identical genetic copies.
What is DNA?
A double-stranded helix polymer of nucleotides that contains the genetic code of the individual.
What are the 3 components of a nucleotide?
Phosphate, a Sugar, and a Base.
What are the DNA bases?
A, T, G, C (Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine)
Which RNA base is used instead of Thymine?
Uracil
What is Evolution?
The process by which organisms have changed over time from simple, single-celled to complex organisms.
What is Natural Selection?
Nature selects those individuals who are best fit for the environment.
What is Adaptive Value?
Any trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions.
What is extinction?
The disappearance of an entire species caused by a failure to adapt to a changing environment.
What does a food chain begin with?
A producer (Autotroph or Plant).
What does a food chain end with?
A decomposer.
How does energy flow in an ecosystem?
Energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, but it is not recycled.
What three things are required by a self-sustaining ecosystem?
(usually the SUN), A process to capture the energy and store it in organic molecules (photosynthesis), A way to recycle elements back to the ecosystem (Decomposers).
What is ecological succession?
The orderly sequence of changes in the communities living in a given ecosystem over time. Pioneer Organisms → Climax Community
Name three material cycles.
Carbon/Oxygen Cycle, Water Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle
What is biodiversity?
A measurement of the degree to which species vary within an ecosystem. The more species present in an ecosystem the higher the biodiversity.
Name two ways man has negatively affected biodiversity?
Cutting down trees, Planting all of the same crop in an area (loss of biodiversity), Removed vegetation for houses, parking lots, roads, etc., Killed organisms and destroyed the food web.
Give an example of three ways to preserve our resources.
Reduce cut down on the amount used (smaller packaging), Reuse - use it for another application (old tires as flower planters), Recycle - can be used to make the product again (like pop bottles)
Give an example of three types of human activities that result in a loss of diversity.
Direct Harvesting - the destruction or loss of a species by over hunting, Land Use - finding the best way to live in the environment- building around trees instead of cutting them down and planting new ones, Habitat Destruction - destroying a part of the natural environment, Deforestation - removing forests for wood or clearing trees for farms.
What is the independent variable?
The one thing that "I change" to test my hypothesis.
What is the dependent variable?
The thing that changes because of the IV (DATA collected).
What is the control group?
The group that is studied under the normal conditions.
What is the experimental group?
The group that is identical to the control group with the ONE CHANGE or difference (the Independent Variable).
Which axis does the Independent Variable (IV) belong on and which one does the (Dependent Variable) DV belong on?
IV Graph on the X - axis DV Graph on the Y axis
What are three things you can do to make an experiment more valid?
Repeat the experiment, Increase the number of specimens or trials, Peer review
What are dichotomous keys used for?
Tools to help in the classification of organisms.