Biology 1108- Exam 1

Be careful som e of the defintions I took from ChatGPT becuase it wasn't in the book or slides

Axis Label

Interpret and comprehend the meaning of the x- axis and y-axis, along with their corresponding labels, to
understand the variables being measured

Bar Graph

Data Points

Examine the data points plotted on the graph and
understand their significance in representing information or trends.

Histogram

Legend

a brief description or explanation that accompanies a figure, diagram, or image in scientific papers or books. It provides context or details about the content shown in the figure, helping the reader understand what is being depicted.

Line Graph

Pie Chart

Scatter Plot

Title

Identify and understand the main topic or subject of the graph from its title

Trend Line

a straight or curved line on a graph that shows the general direction or pattern of data points, helping to identify relationships or changes over time.

X- Axis

The horizontal line on a graph

Y- Axis

The vertical line on a graph

Adaptation

Heritable trait or behavior in an organism that aids in its survival and reproduction in its present environment

Biological species concept

a species is one whose organisms can actually or potentially interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring.

Directional selection

selection that favors phenotypes at one end of the spectrum of existing variation

Disruptive selection

two or more extreme phenotypes are favored

Evolution

the process of gradual change in a population or species over time

Gene flow

flow of alleles in and out of a population due to the individual or gamete migration

Genetic drift

effect of chance on a population’s gene pool

Genetic variation

the difference in DNA or genes among individuals in a population, which makes each organism unique.

Morphological species concept

a species as one whose members have
similar morphology (similar in physical structure...body shape, color, size,
etc). It is widely applicable and can be used for fossil and extant species.

Mutation

variation in the nucleotide sequence of a genome

Natural selection

reproduction of individuals with favorable genetic traits that survive environmental change because of those traits, leading to evolutionary change

Phylogenetic species concept

a species is the smallest tip on a phylogenetic tree, or the smallest set of organisms that share a single common ancestor and certain shared traits.

Speciation

formation of a new species

Stabilizing Selection

selection that favors average phenotypes

Allopatric speciation

speciation that occurs via geographic separation

Allopolyploidy

polyploidy formed between two related, but separate species

Autopolyploidy

polyploidy formed within a single species

Dispersal

allopatric speciation that occurs when a few members of a species move to a new geographical area

Postzygotic isolation

a zygote is formed but may not develop properly. Or the organisms produced may be sterile. This is often due to a mismatch of chromosomes between species

Prezygotic isolation

prevents the formation of a zygote, either by preventing mating or preventing fertilization

Reproductive isolation mechanism

a way that prevents different species from mating with each other or producing fertile offspring, helping to keep species separate.

Reproductive isolation

situation that occurs when a species is reproductively independent from other species; behavior, location, or reproductive barriers may cause this to happen

Sympatric speciation

speciation that occurs in the same geographic space

Vicariance

allopatric speciation that occurs when something in the environment separates organisms of the same species into separate groups

Analogous trait (analogy)

are those that are similar but were not inherited from a common ancestor.

Ancestral trait

a characteristic that was present in a common ancestor of a group of organisms and has been passed down to its descendants.

Clade

a group includes a common ancestor and all descendants of that ancestor.

Convergent evolution

process by which groups of organisms independently evolve to similar forms

Derived trait

a new characteristic that evolved in a species or group and was not present in its ancestors.

Homologous trait (homology)

those that are similar due to common ancestry

Lineage

the sequence of ancestors and descendants that trace the evolution or development of an organism, cell, or gene over time

Monophyletic group

organisms that share a single ancestor

Outgroup

a taxon that is outside the groups of interest; often included to help construct a phylogeny

Paraphyletic group

not all descendants of a single common ancestor are included in the group

Phylogenetic tree

diagram showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in genetic or physical traits or both; in essence, a hypothesis concerning evolutionary connections

Phylogeny

evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or group of organisms

Sister group

descendants that split from the same node; closest relatives to each other

Synapomorphy

shared derived characters of monophyletic groups

Taxa (singular: taxon)

single level in the taxonomic classification system

Adaptive radiation

speciation when one species radiates to form several other species

Background extinction

Extinctions are always occurring at varying rates

Binomial nomenclature

system of two-part scientific names for an organism, which includes genus and species names

Class

division of phylum in the taxonomic classification system

Domain

the broadest category

Eukaryote

organism with cells that have nuclei and membrane-bound organelles

Family

division of order in the taxonomic classification system

Genus

division of family in the taxonomic classification system; the first part of the binomial scientific name

Kingdom

domain division in the taxonomic classification system

Mass extinction

event or environmental condition that wipes out the majority of species within a relatively short geological time period

Order

class division in the taxonomic classification system

Peptidoglycan

material composed of polysaccharide chains cross-linked to unusual peptides

Phylum

kingdom division in the taxonomic classification system

Prokaryote

single-celled organism that lacks organelles and does not have nuclei surrounded by a nuclear membrane

Acidophile

organism with optimal growth pH of three or below

Aerobe

organisms that use oxygen

Alkaliphile

organism with optimal growth pH of nine or above

Anaerobe

refers to organisms that grow without oxygen

Bacilli

Rod-shaped prokaryotes

Binary fission

prokaryotic cell division process

Capsule

external structure that enables a prokaryote to attach to surfaces and protects it from dehydration

Cocci

Circular shaped prokaryotes

Cyanobacteria

bacteria that evolved from early phototrophs and oxygenated the atmosphere; also known as blue-green algae

Endospores

Develop a thick wall around their genome and a small portion of the cytoplasm. When exposed to environmental stress. Highly resistant to environmental stress. Especially heat. When conditions improve can germinate and return to normal cell division. Bacteria causing tetanus, botulism, and anthrax

Fimbriae

Proteinaceous; used for attachment and in formation of biofilms; Proteinaceous; used for attachment, glidin motility, and in formation of biofilms

Glycocalyx

Polypeptide or polysaccharide

Gram Stain

stains bacteria purple or pink based on cell wall characteristics

Halophile

organism that require a salt concentration of at least 0.2 M

Lipopolysaccharides

Lipid A portion of LPS can cause fever, vasodilation, inflammation, shock, and blood clotting.

Mesophile

an organism that grows best at moderate temperatures, typically between 20°C and 45°C (68°F to 113°F).

Peptidoglycan

material composed of polysaccharide chains cross-linked to unusual peptides

Pili

Present in some; proteinaceous; used in bacterial exchange of D N A

Plasmid

extrachromosomal, covalently closed, circular DNA molecule that may only contain one or a few genes; common in prokaryotes

Psychrophile

organism that grows at temperatures of -15 °C or lower

Slime Layer

Loosely attached to cell surface; Water-soluble; Sticky layer allows prokaryotes to attach to surfaces

Thermophile

organism that lives at temperatures between 60–80 °C

Antibiotics

biological substance that, in low concentration, is antagonistic to the growth of prokaryotes

Autotroph

organism that produces organic molecules from small inorganic compounds

Biofilm

microbial community that is held together by a gummy-textured matrix

Bioremediation

use of microbial metabolism to remove pollutants

Carbon cycle

Prokaryotes are crucial in converting carbon between inorganic and organic forms, cycling through land, atmosphere, aquatic environments, sediments, and biomass.

Colony

aggregation of cells arising from single parent cell

Conjugation

process by which prokaryotes move DNA from one individual to another using a pilus

Element fixation

conversion of elements from the environment into biologically usable forms

Heterotroph

organism that consumes organic substances or other organisms for food

Koch’s postulates

Suspected causative agent must be found

in every case of the disease and be absent

from healthy hosts. Agent must be isolated and grown outside

the host. When agent is introduced to a healthy,

susceptible host, the host must get the

disease. Same agent must be found in the diseased

experimental host

Nitrogen Cycle

Prokaryotes are essential in the nitrogen cycle, converting nitrogen between different forms

Pathogen

agent with the ability to cause disease

Phototroph

organism that is able to make its own food by converting solar energy to chemical energy