ANTH2210 Exam 1 Review Guide

Practice flashcards for ANTH2210 Exam 1 Review.

Anthropology

The holistic study of humans, past and present, combining cultural, biological, linguistic, and archaeological perspectives.

Culture

The learned, shared, and symbolic systems of behavior, beliefs, and values that humans pass on across generations.

Biological Anthropology

Focuses on the biological and evolutionary aspects of humans, including genetics, fossil records, primatology, and human variation. Also called physical anthropology.

Central Unifying Theory of Biological Anthropology

Evolution, particularly Darwin's theory of natural selection, which explains how populations change over time in response to environmental pressures.

Linnaeus

Developed a binomial nomenclature system for classifying organisms, laying the groundwork for taxonomy.

Buffon

Suggested species could change over time due to the environment, an early evolutionary idea.

Lamarck

Proposed inheritance of acquired traits, an early but flawed evolutionary mechanism.

Cuvier

Established extinction as a scientific fact but believed in catastrophism, not evolution.

Hutton & Lyell

Geologists who proposed uniformitarianism, showing Earth's processes are slow and continuous, implying an ancient Earth.

Darwin & Wallace

Independently formulated the theory of natural selection, revolutionizing biology by explaining how adaptation and speciation occur.

Evolution

The change in populations over generations due to heritable variation.

Natural Selection

The process by which individuals with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more successfully.

Scientific Method

Involves observation, formulation of a hypothesis, testing, and revision.

Human Skeleton

Provides structure, protection, and movement; it consists of the skull and post-cranial bones.

Incisors

Type of teeth used for cutting.

Canines

Type of teeth used for tearing.

Premolars

Type of teeth used for grinding.

Molars

Type of teeth used for grinding.

Human Dental Formula

2.1.2.3/2.1.2.3, representing incisors, canines, premolars, and molars from front to back.

Nervous System

Includes the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral system (nerves branching out).

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Receives sensory info, processes it, and then generates a response to coordinate the body's activities and maintain homeostasis.

Peripheral System

All of the nerves, ganglia, and other neural structures located outside the brain and spinal cord; its primary role is to relay sensory info from the body to the CNS and transmit motor commands from the CNS to the muscles and organs.

Endocrine System

Produces hormones, chemical messengers that regulate growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

Digestive System

Includes the gastrointestinal tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines) which processes nutrients.

Reproductive System

Differs between males (testes, sperm production) and females (ovaries, egg production), but both are essential for reproduction.

Human Microbiome

Trillions of microorganisms living in and on us, influencing digestion, immunity, and even mental health.

Nucleus (Cell Structure)

Area of DNA storage within a cell.

Ribosomes

Cell structures responsible for protein synthesis.

Mitochondria

Cell structures responsible for energy production.

Cytoplasm

The fluid medium within a basic cell structure.

DNA

A double helix composed of nucleotides with bases Adenine-Thymine and Cytosine-Guanine pairing; produces mRNA and tRNA, which guide protein synthesis.

Functions of DNA

Replication, encoding proteins, and regulating biological functions.

Proteins

Perform structural, enzymatic, and regulatory roles in the body.

Chromosomes

Carry genes (alleles at loci).

Homozygous

Having the same allele for a particular gene.

Heterozygous

Having different alleles for a particular gene.

Dominant Alleles

Alleles that mask recessive ones when present.

Mitosis

Process that produces identical diploid somatic cells.

Meiosis

Process that produces haploid gametes for reproduction.

Phenotype

Observable traits of an organism.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

Polygenic Inheritance

Complex traits that involve multiple genes.

Pleiotropy

When one gene influences multiple traits.

ABO Blood System

Demonstrates genotype-phenotype relationships, as combinations of alleles (IA, IB, i) yield observable blood types (A, B, AB, O).

Mendel's Findings

Traits are inherited discretely, alleles segregate during gamete formation, and traits assort independently.

Mutations

Changes in DNA; not always harmful, some are neutral, and others may even provide adaptive advantages.

Mechanisms of Evolutionary Change

Natural selection, mutation, gene flow, and genetic drift.

Niche Construction

Organisms modify environments in ways that shape evolution.

Species

A group of interbreeding individuals producing fertile offspring (Biological Species Concept).

Anagenesis

Gradual evolution within a lineage.

Cladogenesis

Branching speciation, where a lineage splits into two or more distinct species.

Punctuated Equilibrium

Suggests rapid bursts of evolutionary change followed by long periods of stasis.

Phyletic Gradualism

Suggests slow, continuous evolution over long periods.

Phylogeny

Traces evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Taxonomy

Organizes organisms into hierarchical categories based on their relationships.

Law of Priority

Ensures the first validly published name of a species is used.

Law of Type

Establishes the type specimen for naming a species.

Homologous Traits

Traits that arise from shared ancestry.

Analogous Traits

Traits that evolve independently due to similar selective pressures, not shared ancestry.