1-4 Lecture notecards ANT 111

Anthropology

The scientific study of the human condition, examining what it means to be human.

Scope

Comparative and holistic, covering biology, society, language, and culture across time and space.

Cultural Anthropology

Study of human societies in a cross cultural perspective.

Linguistic Anthropology

Study of language form, function, and social context.

Archaeological Anthropology

Study of past human societies through material remains.

Biological Anthropology

Study of human biological variation within an evolutionary framework.

Somatic Cells

Form parts of the body such as organs and tissues. Genetic changes in these cells are not inherited.

Gametes

Sperm and ova. Only genetic changes in these are inherited.

DNA

Molecule that transmits genetic information. It carries the code for the synthesis of proteins and is structured as a double helix.

Nucleus

A membrane-bound organelle found in eukaryotic cells that houses the cell's genetic material, including DNA.

Mitochondria

Organelles known as the powerhouses of the cell, responsible for producing energy (ATP) through cellular respiration.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

A network of membranes involved in protein and lipid synthesis, it can be rough or smooth depending on the presence of ribosomes.

Ribosomes

Cellular structures that synthesize proteins by translating messenger RNA.

DNA Replication

The process by which a double-stranded DNA molecule is copied to produce two identical DNA molecules, essential for cell division.

Adenine

pairs with Thymine

Guanine

pairs with Cytosine

Scientific Method Steps

Observation, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion, publish.

Charles Darwin

Author of “On the origin of Species”, which described the mechanics of evolutionary processes and natural selection.

Uniformitarianism

The principle that shaped the Earth in the past continues to do so in the present. Proposed by James Hutton and supported by Charles Lyell.

Catastrophism

The idea that catastrophes caused extinction and replacement of species. proposed by Georges Cuvier.

Jean Baptiste Lamarck

Hypothesized that organisms adapt to their environment and pass on acquired characteristics to offspring.

Natural Selection

The process where variation within species, struggle for existence, and inheritance of favorable adaptations lead to the formation of new species over time.

Darwinian Fitness

Reproductive success.

Shortcomings of Darwin’s Theory

Did not understand the source of variation or the particulate nature of inheritance (genes).

Functions of Proteins

Structural molecules (e.g., collagen), enzymes (e.g., lactase), hormones (e.g., insulin), transportation, and antibodies.

Gene in Protein Synthesis

the entire sequence of DNA bases responsible for the synthesis of a protein.

Primatology

The study of non-human primate behavior, which is complex, variable, and often learned.

Human Biological Variation

Arises as a result of adaptation to the environment, affecting anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and reproductive success.