Bio150 Final Exam Vocabulary Study Guide

A comprehensive collection of vocabulary terms and definitions derived from the Bio150 Final Exam study guide covering origins of life, plant/animal diversity, and environmental biology.

7 criteria for life

The standard set of biological requirements an entity must meet to be considered a living organism.

Protobionts

Aggregates of abiotically produced molecules surrounded by a membrane-like structure, serving as a precursor to cellular life.

Endosymbiosis

The process by which certain organelles, like mitochondria and chloroplasts, originated as free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by a host cell.

Gram Positive Bacteria

Bacteria with a simpler cell wall containing a thick layer of peptidoglycan that retains crystal violet stain during the Gram staining process.

Gram Negative Bacteria

Bacteria with a thin peptidoglycan layer and an outer membrane; they do not retain crystal violet stain and are often more resistant to antibiotics.

Microbiome

The community of microorganisms that inhabit specific regions of a body or individual environments.

Producers

Organisms, such as plants, that generate their own energy and biomass through processes like photosynthesis.

Bryophytes

A group of non-vascular plants, such as mosses, where the gametophyte generation is the dominant stage of the life cycle.

Pteridophytes

Vascular plants, such as ferns, that reproduce via spores and have a dominant sporophyte generation.

Gymnosperms

Vascular seed plants that produce 'naked' seeds, meaning their seeds are not enclosed within flowers or fruits.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed within fruits; they are currently the most diverse group of plants.

Vascular tissue

Specialized plant tissues, including xylem and phloem, that transport water, minerals, and nutrients throughout the plant.

Protostome

An animal whose mouth develops from the first opening (blastopore) in the early embryo.

Deuterostome

An animal in which the anus develops from the first opening (blastopore) in the early embryo, such as echinoderms and chordates.

Chordates

A group of animals characterized by having a notochord, a dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail at some point in their development.

Ray-finned fishes

The most diverse group of fishes, characterized by fins supported by bony spines or rays.

Lobe-finned fishes

A group of bony fishes with fleshy, muscular fins; this group includes the closest living fish relatives of tetrapods.

Amniotes

A clade of tetrapod vertebrates comprising reptiles, birds, and mammals that lay eggs with specialized membranes to protect the embryo.

Tetrapods

Vertebrates characterized by having four limbs, which enabled the invasion of terrestrial environments.

Monophyletic

A taxonomic group consisting of an ancestral species and all of its descendants.

Island Biogeography

The study of species richness and community patterns on islands based on factors like size and distance from the mainland.

Latitudinal patterns of biodiversity

The ecological trend where species richness generally increases as one moves from the poles toward the tropics.

Allele frequency

The relative frequency of a particular variant of a gene in a population, which changes due to mechanisms like natural selection or genetic drift.