Introduction to Animal Diversity and Plant Defense Mechanisms

These flashcards cover vocabulary and key concepts from the lecture on plant and animal diversity, emphasizing definitions and their relevance in biological sciences.

Bits

Basic units of information in computing, representing a binary value of 0 or 1.

Plant defense mechanisms

Physiological, ecological, mechanical, chemical, and immune responses plants utilize to protect themselves from herbivores and environmental stress.

Altricial offspring

Offspring that are born in an undeveloped state and require significant parental care, exemplified by many bird species.

Precocial offspring

Offspring that are born in a more developed state and can fend for themselves almost immediately, as seen in species like ducks.

Cephalization

The evolutionary trend where sensory organs and nervous tissues become concentrated in a central location, typically leading to the formation of a head.

Bilateria

A clade of animals characterized by bilateral symmetry, having a distinct head and tail region.

Gastrulation

The phase early in embryonic development where cellular layers are organized, setting up the basic body plan of the animal.

Deuterostomes

A major group of animals in which the blastopore forms the anus, and the mouth is formed second.

Protostomes

A major group of animals in which the blastopore forms the mouth, and the anus is formed second.

Coelom

A fluid-filled body cavity formed within the mesoderm, allowing for greater body complexity and movement.

Acoelomate

An animal that does not possess a coelom, where the body is solid between the ectoderm and endoderm.

Eumetazoa

The clade of animals with true tissues, encompassing a varied group known for having symmetry and complex organ systems.

Radial symmetry

A body plan in which any plane cutting through the central axis divides the organism into mirror images, common in cnidarians.

Pseudocoelomate

Animals that possess a pseudocoelom, a fluid-filled cavity not fully lined by mesoderm, such as roundworms (nematodes).

Metamorphosis

A developmental transition in which an animal undergoes a significant change in form from larva to adult.

Parthenogenesis

A form of asexual reproduction where an offspring develops from an unfertilized egg, common in some reptiles and insects.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in the production of gametes.

Ecosystem specialization

The adaptations and modifications organisms undergo to thrive in specific environmental niches.

Cambrian explosion

A significant evolutionary event approximately 540 million years ago, marked by a rapid increase in the diversity of life forms and complexity.

Phylogeny

The evolutionary history and relationship of organisms.

Taxonomy

The science of classification of living organisms into categories based on shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships.