Bio_I_Final_Exam_Review_Units_I-IV_Humphries

What is the theory that explains the unity and diversity of life?

The theory of evolution.

What phenomenon did Darwin observe that influenced his theory of natural selection?

Humans can produce variation in species through artificial selection.

What is the biological scale that starts from the biosphere down to atoms?

BECPOOsOTMA.

What are the three biological domains?

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes.

What is the term for organisms that lack membrane-bound organelles?

Prokaryotes.

What is the definition of a hypothesis in scientific method?

An educated guess or tentative explanation.

What distinguishes a theory from a hypothesis?

A theory explains a great diversity of observations and is supported by a large body of evidence.

What is the mass of an element determined by?

The number of protons plus neutrons.

What are isotopes?

Atoms of the same element that vary in neutrons.

What is the process by which monomers are linked to form polymers?

Dehydration synthesis.

What are the four major types of biological molecules?

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids.

What kind of bond involves the sharing of valence electrons?

Covalent bonding.

Define pH in relation to hydrogen ions.

The negative log of the molar concentration of H+ ions.

What protects against drastic pH changes in biological systems?

Buffers.

What makes water an effective solvent?

Its polarity, which allows it to form hydration shells around ions.

What are the two types of secondary structures in proteins?

Alpha helices and beta sheets.

How do competitive inhibitors affect enzymes?

They compete for the active site and can shut down an enzyme.

What is the primary function of ribosomes during protein synthesis?

To attach to mRNA and assemble amino acids into a polypeptide.

What mechanism do viruses use to replicate inside host cells?

They use either the lytic or lysogenic cycle.

What is the significance of the Central Dogma in molecular biology?

It describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

What are operons in prokaryotes?

Genetic regulatory systems that control gene expression.

What phenomenon allows different proteins to be produced from the same gene?

Alternate gene splicing.

What type of mutation occurs when one nucleotide pair is changed?

Point mutation.

What does the term 'redundant genetic code' mean?

Several codons can specify the same amino acid.

What can be the result of a frameshift mutation?

It alters the reading frame, potentially leading to a nonfunctional protein.

What are plasmids used for in genetic engineering?

To splice human genes into bacteria for protein production.

How does energy coupling in metabolism work?

Releasing energy from catabolic reactions drives endergonic reactions.

What do tumor suppressor genes do?

They normally inhibit cell division and can prevent tumor growth.