Biodiversity Study

Flashcards based on biodiversity 9 lecture notes, covering topics from variation within species to DNA and natural selection.

What is biodiversity?

Biological diversity; measures the variety and number of organisms in an area.

Give examples of areas with high biodiversity.

Amazon rainforest and coral reefs.

Give examples of areas with low biodiversity.

Sahara desert, polar regions, and mountain regions (like Tibet).

What are some regions where it is hard to discover species?

Rainforests and deep oceans.

What is a diversity index?

A number between 0 and 1, indicating low or high diversity respectively.

What is a species?

A group of living organisms that have similar characteristics and are capable of reproduction to produce viable offspring.

What are adaptations?

Variations that allow an organism to survive better in its environment.

What are structural adaptations?

Physical features that increase an organism's chance of survival.

What are behavioral adaptations?

Strategies or behaviors that increase an individual's chances of survival.

What is variation between species?

Differences between different species, even in the same environment.

What is variation within species?

Variation that exists between members of the same species.

What are the three categories of variations within a species?

Polymorphism, metamorphism, and sexual dimorphism.

What is polymorphism?

Different adult forms within a species.

What is metamorphism?

Different forms for life stages (juvenile/adult).

What is sexual dimorphism?

Marked differences between male and female.

What is speciation?

The process by which new species form, often when groups of a population become separated or isolated.

What is a niche?

A combination of where an organism lives, what it eats/what eats it, and its interactions with its environment

What does a niche consist of?

Shelter/habitat, diet, and interactions.

What is a producer?

Photosynthesizing organisms that grow using energy from the sun.

What is a herbivore?

An animal that eats only producers.

What is a omnivore?

An animal that eats both consumers and producers.

What is a carnivore?

An animal that eats only other consumers.

What are decomposers?

Organisms that break down dead organisms and release organic matter.

What are scavengers?

Organisms that feed on dead organisms.

What is a specialist?

An animal with special adaptations that optimize living in a particular environment.

Give some examples of specialists:

Pandas (eat bamboo only) and Koalas (eat eucalyptus only)

What is the problem with being a specialist?

A big change in the environment can lead to extinction.

What is a generalist?

An animal with adaptations to survive in a variety of environmental conditions and eat a variety of foods.

Give some examples of generalists:

Humans, crows, grizzly bears, lions, mosquitos

What is the problem with being a generalist?

It is hard to out-compete a specialist.

What are the three ways that different species can interact?

Predation, competition, and symbiosis.

What is predation?

Intent to kill and eat.

What is competition?

A fight for a resource.

What is symbiosis?

A close and long-term relationship between organisms.

What are the three types of symbiotic relationships?

Mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

What is mutualism?

Both species benefit.

What is commensalism?

One species benefits, the other is unaffected.

What is parasitism?

One species benefits, one is harmed.

What is resource partitioning?

Species avoid competition by dividing resources.

What is heredity? What are heritable traits?

Traits that are passed from a parent to its offspring.

What are the two major types of reproductive strategies?

Sexual and asexual reproduction.

What is asexual reproduction?

Type of reproduction with only one parent, offspring are typically identical to the parent.

What are the advantages of asexual reproduction?

Genetically identical offspring and rapid population increase.

What is the disadvantage of asexual reproduction?

Little genetic variation.

What are the four types of asexual reproduction?

Binary fission/Cell division, spores, budding, and cloning.

What is binary fission/cell division?

Where a single-celled organism duplicates its contents and divides to form a pair of cells identical to the original.

What is a spore?

A single-celled reproductive structure that contains all the genetic material required to grow a copy of the parent.

What is budding?

Where an organism grows a bud which eventually detaches and grows into a new copy of the parent.

What is cloning?

A process by which humans can make an identical copy of a living organism.

What is sexual reproduction?

Type of reproduction that requires two parents to supply genetic material for their offspring; results in offspring that are not identical to either parent.

What is an advantage of sexual reproduction?

Much greater variation.

What are some disadvantages of sexual reproduction?

Time and energy requirements, mating difficulties, childbirth, and slow population growth.

What are gametes?

Reproductive cells.

What is the male gamete called?

Sperm.

What is the female gamete called?

Eggs

What is a zygote?

When sperm and egg meet, a zygote is formed, which will undergo cell division and eventually form an embryo.

What is plant sexual reproduction?

The male reproductive organ is called the stamen. The female reproductive organ is called a pistil which produces the egg.

What is external fertilization?

Sperm and egg meet outside of the mother (fish, amphibians).

What is internal fertilization?

Sperm and egg meet inside the mother (birds, mammals, insects).

What is nature vs nurture?

Nature traits are determined by our genes. Nurture traits are determined through the influence of our environment.

What is genetics?

The science that studies heredity.

What are discrete traits?

Traits that are easy to observe, but difficult to measure and quantify.

What are continuous traits?

Traits that are easily measured and quantified.

What are dominant genes?

Genes code for a trait that always appears, regardless of which gene it is paired with.

What are recessive traits?

Traits code for a trait that only appears when paired with another recessive gene.

What is a genotype?

The genes that an organism has.

What is a phenotype?

The traits or characteristics that can be observed in the organism.

What are mutations?

Changes to DNA (genetic material).

What causes mutations?

Random copying error and mutagens.

What is Mitosis?

The process of cell division that produces somatic cells or body cells.

What is Meiosis?

The process of producing sex cells or gametes.

What is genetic engineering?

A process by which humans move DNA from one cell to another, even from one species to another.

What is a transgenic organism?

An organism that has the DNA of more than one species.

What are GMO's'?

Genetically modified organisms, resulting from combining genes from different organisms.

What is DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information for all living things

Discuss the history of DNA

DNA was first discovered in the early 1950's by Watson and Crick. The shape of each DNA molecule is called a double helix and is shaped like a coiled ladder.

What are the four nitrogen bases?

Adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G).

Discuss DNA, Genes, Chromosomes, & Genomes:

A series of DNA molecules makes a gene, a series of genes makes chromatid, two chromatids make a chromosome, and a set of chromosomes makes a genome.

What causes mutations?

Mutagens and Random Errors.

What is artificial selection or selective breeding?

For hundreds of years, humans have bred plants and animals to have desirable traits.

What is natural selection?

Organisms must compete for resources. The variation in the population gives some individuals a competitive advantage. The competitive advantage increases the likelihood for that individual to reproduce.

What is sexual selection?

Some individuals prefer mating partners who have particular features or behaviours.