Biodiversity, Genetics, and Evolution Notes

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture notes on biodiversity, genetics, and evolution.

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth at all levels, including different species, genetic differences within species, and the ecosystems they form.

How is biodiversity created?

Biodiversity is created through evolution over millions of years, sexual reproduction, and new habitats forming.

How is biodiversity lost?

Biodiversity is lost by habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, invasive species, overhunting, and extinction of species or genetic lines.

What is genetic diversity?

Genetic diversity is the variety of genes and alleles within a single species or population, allowing for adaptation to changes.

What did Linnaeus contribute to biology?

Carl Linnaeus created the binomial system of naming species and a hierarchical classification system.

How are species classified according to Linnaeus's system?

Species are classified using the hierarchy: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

What is the International Barcode of Life (iBOL)?

iBOL is a global project to create a DNA ‘barcode’ library for all species, enabling quick identification from tiny samples.

What is a phylogenetic tree?

A phylogenetic tree is a diagram showing how species are related by common ancestors.

Why are viruses considered not living?

Viruses are not living because they cannot reproduce independently and require a host cell for their replication.

What is a prion?

A prion is a misfolded protein that causes other proteins to misfold, leading to diseases like mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

What causes the Spanish flu to be disastrous?

The 1918 Spanish flu spread rapidly due to crowded conditions, mutated to be deadlier, and caused overactive immune responses.

What is an endospore?

An endospore is a dormant, tough structure some bacteria form in harsh conditions, containing DNA and capable of surviving until conditions improve.

Define pathogen.

A pathogen is any disease-causing microorganism, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and prions.

What type of organisms are fungi?

Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that absorb nutrients from dead or living matter and have key features such as chitin cell walls and hyphae.

What is a saprophyte?

A saprophyte is an organism, usually a fungus or bacteria, that feeds on decaying organic matter, recycling nutrients.

What is meiosis?

Meiosis is a form of nuclear division that produces four genetically unique haploid gametes from one diploid cell for sexual reproduction.

What is independent assortment?

Independent assortment is the random arrangement of homologous chromosome pairs at the metaphase plate in meiosis, generating genetic variation.

What is genetic drift?

Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution where allele frequencies in a population change randomly, often occurring in small populations.

What are homologous structures?

Homologous structures are anatomical features that share a common evolutionary origin, but may serve different functions in different species.