SCIENCE: Life Science for Praxis 7814

What are the three components of cell theory?

1. All living things are composed of cells. 2. The cell is the smallest unit of life. 3. All cells come from pre-existing cells.

What is the structural hierarchy of life?

Cells, Tissues, Organs, Organ Systems, Organisms.

What is a food chain?

A hierarchical structure of organisms that are dependent on each other for food.

What do energy pyramids illustrate?

The transfer of energy from one stage of a food chain to another.

What is the role of producers in an energy pyramid?

Producers (plants) produce their own food from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, and are usually at the bottom tier.

What are primary consumers?

Herbivores that eat plants, such as bunnies in an energy pyramid.

What are secondary consumers?

Organisms that eat primary consumers, such as snakes in an energy pyramid.

What are tertiary consumers?

Carnivores that eat secondary consumers, such as birds in an energy pyramid.

What are quaternary consumers?

Carnivores that eat tertiary consumers, such as hawks in an energy pyramid.

What is the function of decomposers?

Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead material back into the soil.

What is carrying capacity?

The maximum population of a particular organism that an environment can support without detrimental effects.

What are the levels of organization in ecosystems?

Species, Populations, Communities, Ecosystems.

What is a species?

A group of interbreeding organisms that do not ordinarily breed with members of other groups.

What is a population?

All individuals of a given species in a specific area or region at a certain time.

What is a community?

All the populations in a specific area or region at a certain time.

What is an ecosystem?

A dynamic entity composed of the biological community and the abiotic environment.

What are ecological relationships?

Interactions among organisms that may be predatory, competitive, or mutually beneficial.

What is the process of cellular respiration?

The process of taking in food in the form of carbohydrates, making energy in the form of ATP, and removing waste.

What is the equation for cellular respiration?

Glucose (sugar) + Oxygen → Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy (as ATP).

What is photosynthesis?

The process by which plants make their own food using carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight.

What is the equation for photosynthesis?

Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight → Glucose (sugar) + Oxygen.

What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, while eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus and organelles.

What are the two domains of prokaryotes?

Archaea and Bacteria.

What is the function of the nucleus in eukaryotic cells?

The nucleus serves as the command center of the cell and houses the DNA.

What is the function of mitochondria?

Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, providing energy.

What is the role of the cell membrane?

The cell membrane is a fluid, permeable covering that regulates what enters and exits the cell.

What is the function of chloroplasts in plant cells?

Chloroplasts are involved in photosynthesis, converting sunlight into energy.

What is the significance of the symbiotic relationship between plants and animals?

The waste of animal cells becomes nutrients for plants, while the waste of plant cells becomes nutrients for animals.

What is biodiversity?

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

What is natural selection?

The process through which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

What is adaptation in the context of biological evolution?

Adaptation refers to the process by which a species becomes better suited to its environment.

What is the definition of competition in ecology?

When two or more organisms rely on the same environmental resource.

What is predation?

The behavior of one animal feeding on another.

What is symbiosis?

The close relationship of two dissimilar organisms.

What is mutualism?

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

What is commensalism?

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unharmed.

What is parasitism?

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.

Provide an example of competition in an ecosystem.

Cheetahs and lions compete for the same type of food.

In the predator-prey relationship, who is the predator?

The lion is the predator; the zebra is the prey.

What are the three types of symbiosis?

Mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

How do humans have a mutualistic relationship with micro-organisms?

Bacteria in the digestive tract keep humans healthy while being fed by what the human eats.

What is an example of commensalism?

The cattle egret sits on top of cattle and eats the bugs that land on them.

What is an example of parasitism?

A tick living on a dog benefits while the dog is harmed.

What is an ecosystem?

A biological community of organisms interacting with their environment and each other.

How can pollution impact an ecosystem?

It can directly kill organisms and interrupt interactions, negatively impacting life throughout the ecosystem.

What are the two main systems in plant structures?

The root system (below ground) and the shoot system (above ground).

What is photosynthesis?

A process used in plants to convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy in the form of carbohydrates.

What is transpiration?

The process where plants suck water from roots to small pores in leaves, releasing water vapor into the atmosphere.

What are the two main types of reproduction in living things?

Sexual and asexual reproduction.

What is sexual reproduction?

Involves two parents, each contributing a gamete (sperm from males and ova from females).

What is asexual reproduction?

Involves only one parent and includes methods like binary fission and budding.

What is binary fission?

A type of asexual reproduction where a single parent cell doubles its DNA and divides into two cells.

What is budding?

A type of asexual reproduction where a small growth on the surface of a parent breaks off to continue growing into adulthood.

Who developed the theory of evolution?

Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.

What is natural selection?

The process where traits that allow organisms to adapt better to their environment are passed down to offspring, enabling better survival and reproduction.

What is adaptation in the context of evolution?

The distribution of traits in a population that are matched to and can change with environmental conditions.

How do populations evolve?

Through genetic mutations over long periods of time, populations of organisms adapt to their environment.

What is the role of mutations in evolution?

Mutations are changes in the DNA molecule that can provide reproductive advantages, leading to adaptation and potentially the development of separate species.

How did the black moths in England illustrate natural selection?

The black moths were camouflaged against black trees due to a genetic mutation, allowing them to survive and reproduce more than the white moths.

What are alleles?

Alleles are forms of the same gene that have slight differences in their DNA base sequences.

What is dominance in genetics?

Dominance occurs when the effect of one allele masks the contribution of a second allele at the same locus.

What is the significance of Gregor Mendel in genetics?

Gregor Mendel is known as the Father of Genetics for his work on inheritance patterns using pea plants, where he discovered the concepts of dominant and recessive traits.

What does a Punnett square illustrate?

A Punnett square is a diagram used to predict the probability of specific traits being passed on to offspring from genetic crosses.

What is the outcome of crossing a true-breeding yellow pea (YY) with a true-breeding green pea (yy)?

100% of the offspring will be yellow (Y) because yellow is dominant over green (y).

What is required for a person to display blue eyes?

A person must inherit both recessive alleles (yy) to display blue eyes.

What is phototropism?

Phototropism is the growth of a plant toward a light source.

What is geotropism?

Geotropism is the growth response of a plant to gravity, where roots grow downward and stems grow upward.

What are chloroplasts?

Chloroplasts are small disks inside plant cells that aid in photosynthesis.

What is germination?

Germination is the process by which a seed breaks through its outer shell and begins to grow root and shoot systems under suitable soil and temperature conditions.

What happens to the offspring of a cross between Yy and yy in the Punnett square?

25% of the offspring will be green (yy) because they must inherit both recessive alleles.

What environmental factors can cause mutations?

Mutations can be caused by mistakes during cell division or exposure to environmental factors such as ultraviolet (UV) light and cigarette smoke.

What is the life cycle of plants?

The life cycle of plants includes stages of germination, growth, maturation, and reproduction.

What is the significance of adaptation in evolution?

Adaptation allows species to better survive and reproduce in their environments, potentially leading to the evolution of new species.

What does the term 'recessive' mean in genetics?

Recessive refers to an allele that is masked by the presence of a dominant allele and requires two copies to express a trait.

What is an example of a dominant trait in humans?

Brown eye color is an example of a dominant trait over blue eye color.

What is the relationship between environmental factors and genetic variation?

Environmental factors can influence the occurrence of mutations, leading to genetic variation within a population.

How do plants disperse their seeds?

Plants disperse their seeds through environmental methods like wind or water, or through interactions with animals and humans.

What is the importance of genetic variation in a population?

Genetic variation is crucial for the adaptability and survival of a population in changing environments.

What is the term for a plant in its early growth stage after germination?

Seedling

What process do plants undergo when they reach maturity to produce new life?

Reproduction

What are the four stages of an insect's life cycle?

Egg, larva, pupa, and adult

What is the middle stage of vertebrate life cycles characterized by growth before reaching sexual maturity?

Young

How do amphibians differ in their early life stages compared to other vertebrates?

They spend the early part of their life in water and breathe through gills.

What is the life stage called in insects that occurs after the larval stage?

Pupa

What is heredity?

The passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another.

What is a gene?

The basic physical and functional unit of heredity, made up of DNA.

How many copies of each gene do living things typically have?

Two copies, one inherited from each parent.

What is the significance of small differences in genes among individuals?

They contribute to each person's unique physical features.

What is fragmentation in the context of reproduction?

When a piece of an organism breaks off and develops into a new organism.

What is parthenogenesis?

A process where an embryo develops from an unfertilized cell.

Which process do plants use to convert light energy into chemical energy?

Photosynthesis

What is a tropism?

A turning toward or away from something in the environment, influencing how plants grow.

What is positive geotropism?

Growth of roots downward, in the direction of gravity.

What is negative geotropism?

Growth of stalks or leaves upward, against the direction of gravity.

What is positive phototropism?

Growth toward a light source.

What is negative phototropism?

Growth away from the light.

What is the primary response of plants to stimuli?

How they grow.

What is the role of hormones in plant responses to stimuli?

They govern the plant's growth responses.

What is the correct answer to the question about the life stage 'Pupa'?

C. Insects

What is the correct answer to the question about the process used by plants to create energy?

D. Photosynthesis