Biology 20 Year-End Review

Flashcards for Biology 20 Year-End Review focusing on vocabulary terms and definitions based on the provided lecture notes.

Albedo

The amount of energy reflected by clouds, water, and land.

1st Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

With each energy conversion, some energy is 'lost' as heat.

Autotrophs

Organisms that are able to make their own energy (i.e., producers such as plants).

Heterotrophs

Organisms that must obtain energy from other organisms (i.e., consumers such as animals).

Chemosynthesis

An alternative form of photosynthesis used by organisms that do not have access to sunlight.

Fermentation

An alternative form of cellular respiration used by organisms who do not have access to oxygen (anaerobic process), leading to production of pyruvate.

Rule of 10

Only 10% of energy available to a lower trophic level is passed on to the next trophic level.

Pyramid of Numbers

Shows how many organisms are present in each trophic level. Can be inverted if fewer large producers are responsible for sustaining many small consumers.

Pyramid of Biomass

Shows the dry biomass of living organisms in each trophic level. Can be inverted depending on the stage of the producer's life cycle.

Pyramid of Energy

Shows the total amount of energy transferred through each trophic level and can never be inverted.

Hydrogen Bonds

Weak bonds that form between H+ and O- atoms of different water molecules.

Cohesion

H₂O molecules are attracted to one another, resulting in surface tension.

Adhesion

H₂O molecules are attracted to other surfaces.

Slow Cycling

Deposition of compounds in the Earth's crust or other sinks over long periods of time.

Rapid Cycling

Movement of gaseous compounds through the atmosphere.

Carbon Sink

A location where carbon is stored (e.g., trees, Earth's crust, rocks, ocean).

Population

A group of individuals of the same species who live in a given area.

Community

Groups of different species interacting in a given area.

Ecosystem

All of the living and non-living components of a given area.

Binomial Nomenclature

A method of classifying organisms according to their genus and species name.

Variations

Differences in specific traits.

Adaptations

Variations which increase the chance of survival.

Natural Selection

Organisms with variations which increase their chance of survival are more likely to reproduce and pass these variations on to offspring, leading to changes in the population over time.

Homologous Structures

Structures which serve different purposes but are anatomically similar, indicating an evolutionary relationship.

Analogous Structures

Structures which serve similar purposes but are anatomically different; do not indicate evolutionary relationship.

Lamarckian Evolution

Animals acquire characteristics which help them survive and pass those traits on to offspring (incorrect theory).

Gradualism

Species change slowly over long periods of time.

Punctuated Equilibrium

Periods of evolutionary 'lulls' are interrupted by periods of rapid change.

Reproductive Isolation

Populations are no longer able to produce viable offspring.

Geographic Isolation

Populations become physically separated, causing them to become different over time.

Anabolic Pathway

Synthesizing large molecules from smaller ones.

Catabolic Pathway

Breaking down large molecules into smaller ones.

Chemiosmosis

The movement of hydrogen ions down a gradient using energy released by high-energy molecules. Yields ATP as hydrogen ions are pushed through ATP synthase.

Dehydration Synthesis

A process involving the loss of an OH- from one monosaccharide and H+ from another to form a chemical bond, creating a disaccharide and releasing H₂O as a by-product.

Isomers

Compounds with the same chemical formula but different structural arrangement.

Hydrogenation

The addition of hydrogen to break double bonds, converting unsaturated fats into saturated fats.

Cholesterol

A type of lipid most commonly associated with atherosclerosis or heart disease (LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol).

Peristalsis

Wave-like contractions that push the bolus down the esophagus towards the stomach.

Diaphragm

Dome-shaped muscle that controls breathing by forcing air in and out of the lungs.

Vasoconstriction

Blood vessels contract and move away from the skin to conserve heat.

Vasodilation

Blood vessels expand and move towards the skin to dissipate heat.

Systolic Pressure

Measure of max. pressure during ventricular contraction.

Diastolic pressure

Measure of minimum pressure before ventricular contraction.

Coronary Pathway

Specialized capillaries which supply heart muscle tissue with oxygen and other nutrients.

Antigens

Markers' on the cell surface of pathogens.

Antibodies

Free-floating proteins which bind to specific antigens, identifying them as foreign particles.