Bio150 Final Exam Study Guide (Dr. Keck)

Vocabulary-style flashcards based on the Dr. Keck Bio150 Final Exam Study Guide, covering origins of life, plant/animal diversity, and basic ecological principles.

Protobionts

Aggregates of abiotically produced molecules surrounded by a membrane-like structure, representing a key step leading to cellular life.

Endosymbiosis

The evolutionary process by which certain organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, originated as free-living prokaryotes that were taken inside another cell.

Gram staining

A technique used to differentiate bacteria into two groups (positive and negative) based on differences in their cell wall structure.

Bryophytes

A group of plants comprising mosses, characterized by lack of vascular tissue and a dominant gametophyte generation.

Pteridophytes

Vascular plants that reproduce via spores, such as ferns, with a dominant sporophyte generation.

Gymnosperms

Seed plants that do not produce flowers, often referred to as "naked seed" plants.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants, which represent the most diverse group of plants.

Vascular tissue

The specialized tissue in plants (xylem and phloem) that functions in the transport of water, minerals, and nutrients.

Protostome

A classification of animals based on a developmental pattern where the blastopore usually develops into the mouth.

Deuterostome

A classification of animals based on a developmental pattern where the blastopore usually develops into the anus.

Chordates

A group of animals that includes vertebrates, tunicates, and lancelets, identified by specific shared characteristics during development.

Amniotes

A group of tetrapods, including reptiles, birds, and mammals, that possess an egg adapted for terrestrial environments.

Tetrapods

Vertebrates with four limbs (or whose ancestors had four limbs) that invaded terrestrial environments.

Ray-finned fishes

The most diverse group of fishes, characterized by fins supported by long, flexible rays.

Lobe-finned fishes

A group of fishes with muscular fins supported by bones; they are the closest living fish relatives of tetrapods.

Monophyletic

A group that consists of an ancestral species and all its descendants; the study guide asks to determine if reptiles fit this classification.

Arboreal

Tree-dwelling; used in the context of dinosaurs that possessed traits making the transition to flight possible.

Island Biogeography

A field of study examining the factors that affect the species richness and diversification of isolated natural communities.

Latitudinal patterns of biodiversity

The ecological observation of how species richness and diversity change in relation to distance from the equator.

$CO_2$ (Carbon Dioxide)

An atmospheric gas that correlates with climate change and is absorbed by the environment at rates different from human output.