FOS 2 Semester 2 Final Exam Study Outline

Flashcards for FOS 2 Semester 2 Final Exam Study Outline

The Fossil Record

The study of fossils to understand past life.

Radiometric Dating

A method for determining the age of rocks and fossils based on the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Geologic Time Scale

A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time.

Stratigraphy

The study of rock layers (strata) to determine relative ages of geological events.

Origin of Life

Early Earth conditions and chemical reactions that could have led to the formation of complex organic molecules from simple inorganic substances.

Iron-sulfide bubbles hypothesis

Suggests that organic molecules necessary for life could have originated from chemical reactions near hydrothermal vents.

Lipid membrane hypothesis

The hypothesis states that the first cell membranes may have been composed of self-assembling lipid molecules.

Role of RNA in early genetic material

RNA could have been the primary genetic material in early life forms, predating DNA.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria that were among the first organisms to release oxygen into the atmosphere.

Evolution of eukaryotic cells

The process by which eukaryotic cells evolved from symbiotic relationships between early prokaryotes.

Evolution of sexual reproduction

The development of sexual reproduction increased genetic variation of organisms.

Primate Evolution

Understanding the evolutionary history and relationships of humans with other primates.

Formation of the solar system

Study of the formation of stars, planets, and the solar system.

The structure of the inner Earth

The layers of Earth.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

The theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that move and interact, causing earthquakes, volcanic activity, and mountain building.

Types of plate boundaries

Convergent, Divergent, and Transform.

Causes of plate movement

Convection currents in the mantle.

Hot spots

Rising plumes of magma that create volcanoes and can contribute to continental growth.

Sig Figs

Rules for determining the precision of measurements in calculations.

Our Solar System

The objects that orbit our sun.

Velocity

The rate at which an object changes its position.

Big Bang Theory

The prevailing cosmological model for the universe, which proposes that the universe has expanded from an initial state of extremely high density and temperature.

Acceleration

The rate at which an object's velocity changes over time.

Orbits and Kepler's Laws

Elliptical paths of planets around the Sun.

Stellar Evolution

The life cycle of stars.

HR diagram

A diagram that plots stars to show the relationship between stars' absolute magnitudes or luminosities versus their stellar classifications or effective temperatures.

Electromagnetic spectrum

The range of all types of EM radiation

Forces

A push or pull.

Momentum

Inertia in motion.

Galaxies

Collections of stars.

The Fossil Record

The study of fossils to understand past life. Fossils include mineralized bones, impressions, casts, and traces of organisms. Types of fossils include:

Radiometric Dating

A method for determining the age of rocks and fossils based on the decay of radioactive isotopes. Different isotopes are used to date materials of varying ages.

Geologic Time Scale

A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time. It is divided into eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages, reflecting major changes in Earth's geology and life forms.

Stratigraphy

The study of rock layers (strata) to determine relative ages of geological events. Principles like superposition and original horizontality are used to interpret the sequence of events.

Origin of Life

Early Earth conditions and chemical reactions that could have led to the formation of complex organic molecules from simple inorganic substances. This includes various hypotheses about where and how life first originated.

Iron-sulfide bubbles hypothesis

Suggests that organic molecules necessary for life could have originated from chemical reactions near hydrothermal vents. These vents provide the right chemical conditions and energy for the formation of complex molecules.

Lipid membrane hypothesis

The hypothesis states that the first cell membranes may have been composed of self-assembling lipid molecules. These membranes could have formed spontaneously in early Earth conditions, enclosing and protecting early genetic material.

Role of RNA in early genetic material

RNA could have been the primary genetic material in early life forms, predating DNA. RNA has the ability to both store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria that were among the first organisms to release oxygen into the atmosphere. Their activity led to the Great Oxidation Event, which drastically changed Earth's atmosphere and paved the way for aerobic life.

Evolution of eukaryotic cells

The process by which eukaryotic cells evolved from symbiotic relationships between early prokaryotes. This includes the endosymbiotic theory, which explains the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Evolution of sexual reproduction

The development of sexual reproduction increased genetic variation of organisms. This allowed for faster adaptation and evolution compared to asexual reproduction.

Primate Evolution

Understanding the evolutionary history and relationships of humans with other primates. This involves studying fossil evidence, genetics, and behavior to trace the lineage of humans and their ancestors.

Formation of the solar system

Study of the formation of stars, planets, and the solar system. This includes the nebular hypothesis and the processes of accretion and differentiation.

The structure of the inner Earth

The layers of Earth including but not limited to:

• Crust
• Mantle
• Outer Core
• Inner Core.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

The theory that Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that move and interact, causing earthquakes, volcanic activity, and mountain building. This theory explains many of Earth's geological features and processes.

Types of plate boundaries

Convergent, Divergent, and Transform.

Causes of plate movement

Convection currents in the mantle.

Hot spots

Rising plumes of magma that create volcanoes and can contribute to continental growth. These hotspots can be intraplate or located near plate boundaries.

Sig Figs

Rules for determining the precision of measurements in calculations.

Our Solar System

The objects that orbit our sun including:

• Planets
• Asteroids
• Comets.

Velocity

The rate at which an object changes its position. It's a vector quantity with both magnitude and direction.

Big Bang Theory

The prevailing cosmological model for the universe, which proposes that the universe has expanded from an initial state of extremely high density and temperature. Key evidence includes the cosmic microwave background radiation and the abundance of light elements.

Acceleration

The rate at which an object's velocity changes over time. It can be positive or negative, indicating speeding up or slowing down.

Orbits and Kepler's Laws

Elliptical paths of planets around the Sun, governed by Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion:

• Law of Ellipses
• Law of Equal Areas
• Law of Harmonies.

Stellar Evolution

The life cycle of stars. Depending on the star’s mass, these stages can include:

• Nebula
• Protostar
• Main Sequence
• Red Giant
• Supernova
• White Dwarf
• Neutron Star
• Black Hole.

HR diagram

A diagram that plots stars to show the relationship between stars' absolute magnitudes or luminosities versus their stellar classifications or effective temperatures. It reveals patterns in stellar properties and helps classify stars into different types.

Electromagnetic spectrum

The range of all types of EM radiation including:

• Radio Waves
• Microwaves
• Infrared
• Visible Light
• Ultraviolet
• X-rays
• Gamma Rays.

A push or pull.