Biology: Midterm Study Guide

Organism

any living thing that carries out the major characteristics of life

What are the 8 characteristics of life

1. Grow + Develop

2. Genetic Code

3. Reproduce

4. Respond to Stimuli

5. Organized

6. Use + Make Energy

7. Cells

8. Homeostasis

Grow

living things increase in size by increasing size + number of cells

Develop

process that involves changes, maturation, + specialization of cells

What is the difference between grow + develop

Grow --> increase numbers + sizes of cells in the body

Develop --> cells that mature to meet the needs of that organism

What is an example of grow + develop (1 for each)

Grow -->

Develop --> a butterfly (stages of life until it becomes a butterfly)

Describe DNA

molecule that carries genetic info for the development + functioning of an organism

What are the 2 types of reproduction

1. asexual

2. sexual

Asexual

reproduction involving ONE parent producing GENETICALLY IDENTICAL offspring

Sexual

reproduction involving two parents contributing genetic info to create UNIQUE OFFSPRING

Explain the differences between asexual + sexual

Asexual --> one parent = clone

Sexual --> two parents = unique offspring

Respond to Stimuli

how an organism responds to the environment to help it survive + adapt

What are the 5 levels of organization (smallest to biggest)

1. cells

2. tissues

3. organs

4. organ systems

5. organisms

True or False: Cells are made up of organisms

False --> cells are the smallest level + all added together to create organisms

What are the 2 types of use + make energy

1. photosynthesis

2. cellular respiration

Photosynthesis

process plants use to make energy

Celluar Respiration

chemical process used by people to take oxygen + glucose

What is the difference between photosynthesis + cellular respiration

Photosynthesis --> plants use sun to make energy

Cellular Respiration --> humans eat things to make energy

What are the four types of cells

1. unicellular

2. multicellular

3. prokaryote

4. eularyote

Unicellular

one-celled organism (example: bacteria)

Multicellular

more than one cell (example: humans)

Prokaryote

has no nucleus + membrane-bound (example: bacteria)

Eukaryote

has true nucleus + membrane-bound organelles (example: all other organisms)

Homeostasis

process where organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment

Give 2 examples of homeostasis

1. hot --> sweating

2. cold --> shivering

What is the difference between homeostasis + respond to stimuli

Homeostasis --> internal

Respond to Stimuli --> external

What are 3 other essentials for life

1. water

2. proper internal temp/pressure

3. oxygen

Living (Hint: 3 things)

1. show all 8 characteristics of life

2. living things = organisms

3. part of a living organism (ex: arm/leaves = alive for a short period of time after detachment)

Give 3 examples of living

1. plants

2. animals

3. humans

Dormant (Hint: 2 things)

1. don't show characteristics of life until placed in the right environment

2. alive but NOT ACTIVE

Give 3 examples of dormant

1. seeds

2. fertilized eggs

3. yeast

Dead (Hint: 1 thing)

1. alive at one time but no longer

Give 3 examples of dead

1. animals have died

2. leaves fallen off trees

3. snake sheds dead skin

Nonliving (Hint: 2 things)

1. have NEVER been alive

2. anything process = nonliving

Give 3 examples of nonliving

1. fire

2. rocks

3. wind

Scientific Method

logical + systematic approach/process to problem solving + organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world

What are the 7 steps of the Scientific Method

1. Problem/Question

2. Observatio/Research

3. Formulate Hypothesis

4. Experiment

5. Collect + Analyze Results

6. Conclusion

7. Communicate Results

Problem/Question (Hint: 2 things)

1. develop testable question/problem

2. must be solved through experimentation

Observation/Research (Hint: 1 thing)

1. make observations/research topic

Formulate Hypothesis (Hint: 2 things)

1. predict possible answer/explanation to the problem/question

2. If the independent variable, then the dependent variable

Independent Variable

factor intentionally changed by the experimenter

Dependent Variable

variable affected by a change in the independent variable (variable that's measured)

Experiment (Hint: 2 things)

1. devleop + follow procedure (includes detailed material list)

2. outcome must be measurable (quantifiable)

Control Group

serves as standard of comparison (no treatment + normal conditions

Constants

variables that remained the same throughout the whole experiment

Explain 2 types of data

1. qualitative data --> color + texture

2. quantitative data -- numerical data

Collect + Analyze Data (Hint: 1 thing)

1. include tables, graphs, + pictures

Conclusion (Hint: 2 things)

1. summary based on evidence or facts

2. must include 5 things

What are the 5 things conclusion musty have

1. restate the hypothesis

2. was it correct or incorrect

3. bring in relevant data

4. mention any errors

5. recommendation for further study/possible improvements to the procedure

Communicate Results (Hint: 2 things)

1. present to peers

2. peer review

Peer Review

a review by people with similar professional qualifications (ensures method is valid + results well supported by relevant data)

Scientific Law (Hint: 3 things)

1. description of observation NOT AN EXPLINATION

2. usually mathematical expression

3. laws don't become theories

Scientific Theory

well-tested explanation that unifies a wide range of observations + a hypothesis that allows scientists to make predictions

Scientific Models

simple representation of a complex model (helps scientists get a better understanding)

Traditional Classification

classifying organisms based on visible traits

Taxonomy

1. Science of classification

2. classifies by observable traits

Charles Linnaeus

father of taxonomy

True or False: For traditional classification, organisms are based on geneitc code

False --> traditional classification is based on physical features

Dichotomous Key (Hint: 2 things)

1. used to identify organisms

2. series of either/or questions (about visible traits)

What are the names used in a dichotomous key (Hint: 2 names)

1. common name

1. scientific name

True or False: Using the common name in a dichotomous key is better than using the scientific name

False --> Using the scientific name is better because organisms could have different names around the world

What are the parts of the scientific name (Hint: 2 things)

1. Genus

2. species

Binomial Nomenclature

2-part scientific name (based on genus + species)

What is the format of Binomial Nomenclature (Hint: 3 things)

1. Genus (G capitalized)

2. species (s lowercase)

3. everything is italicized

Taxa

group/level of organization where organisms are classified

What are the taxa levels (general --> specific)

1. Domain

2. Kingdom

3. Phylum

4. Class

5. Order

6. Family

7. Genus

8. Species

How to tell if organisms are related (using their names)

by looking to see if they have similar genus or species (if they have similar species, more related compared to having similar genuses)

How to tell if organisms are related (using a diagram)

the closer they are together on the diagram

What are the pros and cons of traditional classification

Pro = easy to use --> see if they have the same visible traits

Con = inaccurate --> doesn't accurately show evolutionary history

When can species reproduce viable offspring

species are from the same biological species

Viable Offspring (Hint: 2 things)

offspring that can:

1. survive on their own

2. reproduce successfully

(examples: lions or tigers)

Nonviable Offspring (Hint: 2 things)

offspring that CAN'T:

1. survive on their own

2. reproduce

(example: ligers --> lions + tigers)

Modern Classification

arrangement of organisms into orderly groups based on their similarities and evolutionary relationships

What are the pros and cons of modern classification

Pros = more accurate + shows how close different organisms are related

Cons = more time-consuming

What is the difference between traditional and modern classification

Traditional --> based on visible traits

Modern --> uses DNA, evolutionary relationships, + common ancestry

What are modern classifications based on + explain them (Hint: 2 things)

1. Fossils --> remains/evidence of any organism that once lived on earth

2. DNA --> unique genetic code/set of instructions explaining how something is made up

What are the 2 types of fossils

1. Body Fossils --> remains of dead organisms/imprint remains made

2. Trace Fossils --> what organisms left behind

Phylogeny

evolutionary history of species/group of related species

Cladistics

analysis of evolutionary relationships

Cladogram

Diagram --> shows evolutionary relationships among group of organisms

Clade

A group of species w/ single common ancestor

Phylogenetic Tree

family tree --> shows evolutionary relationships thought to exist among groups of organisms

Common Ancestor

first trait all descendants shared (based on fossils/DNA)

Lineages

Lines --> showing what each trait organism had leading up to the species

Speciation/Nodes

where lineage splits (result in separation)

Derived Traits

trait present in organisms allowed to evolve from last common ancestor (more than 2 species share trait)

Shared Traits

trait where only 2 species have in common

What is the difference between derived + shared traits

Derived --> more than 2 species have same trait (on cladogram)

Shared --> ONLY 2 species have same trait (on cladogram)

Homologous Characters (Hint: 2 things)

1. traits found in different organisms that are similar

2. inherited from common ancestor w/ same trait

Analogous Characters (Hint: 2 things)

1. similar functions (have different structures)

2. developed traits to help them live

What is the difference between homologous and analogous characters

Homologous --> common trait + inherited from common ancestor

Analogous --> similar functions + not inherited from common ancestor

Explain how bats' and birds' wings are an example of analogous characters (Hint: 3 main things)

1. both have similar traits but their structures are different

2. not inherited from common ancestor w/ wings

3. both did natural selection --> developed wings to help them

Explain how bats' and humans' forelimbs are homologous characters (hint: 2 main things)

1. both have common bone structure

2. even though they have different functions --> they developed from same common ancestor

Domain

most general classification

What are the 3 domains

1. Bacteria

2. Archaea

3. Eukaryota

Kingdom

Second largest group in taxonomic hierarchy (more specific than domain)

What are the 6 kingdoms

1. Archaebacteria

2. Eubacteria

3. Protista

4. Fungi

5. Plantae

6. Animalia

Which kingdoms go under the domain: Bacteria

1. Eubacteria

Which kingdoms go under the domain: Archea

1. Archeabacteria

Which kingdoms go under the domain: Eukarya

1. Protista

2. Fungi

3. Plantae

4. Animalia