BIOL 1584 - Exam 1

Atom

Atom

the smallest functional units of matter that form all chemical substances

Carbon

the building block of all living matter

Molecule

two or more atoms bonded together

Compound

any molecule composed of two or more elements

Macromolecule

large, complex organic molecules

Covalent bond

electrons are shared to fill valence (outer) shells in single, double, or triple bonds; very strong

Ionic bond

electrons are transferred, forming ions that are attracted to each other; intermediate strength

Hydrogen bond

hydrogen atom from one polar molecule is attracted to an electronegative atom from another molecule; weakest bond

Chemical reaction

when one or more substances are changed into other substances

Condensation reaction

two molecules are combined to form a single molecule usually with the loss of a small molecule such as water

Hydrolysis reaction

involves adding water to one large molecule to break it into multiple smaller molecules.

Taxonomy

the grouping of species based on common ancestry

Prokaryotes

small, simple cells that lack sub-cellular organelles like chloroplasts, mitochondria or nuclei; typically unicellular

Eukaryotes

more complex; uni- and multicellular; have organelles such as mitochondria, nuclei, chloroplasts; typically larger cells

Cell theory

all living organisms are composed of one or more cells; cells are the smallest units of life; new cells only come from pre-existing cells by cell division

Domain bacteria

mostly unicellular prokaryotes that inhabit many diverse (some extreme) environments on Earth

Cytoplasm

everything contained within the plasma membrane (cytosol, endomembrane system, mitochondria, etc)

Nucleoid region

where DNA is located

Cell wall

provides support and protection

Glycocalyx

traps water, gives protection, helps evade immune system

Domain archaea

unicellular prokaryotes that often live in extreme environments

Plasma membrane

Boundary between the cell and the extracellular environment

Ecology

the study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environments

Organismal ecology

the study of the ways in which individual organisms meet challenges of their environments

Behavioral Ecology

how individual behavior contributes to reproductive success and survival

Physiological Ecology

physiological changes that allow organisms to adapt to their environment and how the environment impacts the distribution of species

Conditioning

when response to a stimulus can be modified by learning

Non-associative learning

learning without an association to positive or negative reinforcement

Associative learning

behavior is changed through a positive or negative association between a stimulus and response

Cognitive learning

learning/solving problems that require conscious thought (frequently involves perception, analysis, judgment and senses; also may involve memory and decision-making)

Classical conditioning

involuntary response is associated with a neutral stimulus that did not originally elicit the response

Operant Conditioning

Voluntary response is reinforced by a consequence (reward or punishment)

Migration

long-range seasonal movement linked to temperature, food availability, and suitable breeding grounds

Habituation

a form of non-associative learning in which an innate response to a stimulus decreases after repeated or prolonged presentations of that stimulus

Critical period

a limited time during development when learning can be coupled with innate behavior

Optimal Foraging Theory

idea that animals will do cost/benefit analysis in finding a food source; needs to be advantageous to the individual

Population

group of interbreeding individuals (or species) living in the same geographic area at a given time

Population density

number of organisms in a given area

Dispersion

the spacing of a population in a given area

Semelparity

produces all offspring in a single reproductive event; reproduce 1x then die

Iteroparity

repeated reproduction at intervals throughout the life cycle (seasonal/continuous)

Density-dependent factors

factors that will affect mortality in a population because of the population's density

Density-independent factor

factors that will affect mortality in a population independent of the population's density

Community

the assemblage of populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time

Species richness

the number of species in a community

Succession

the gradual and continuous change in species composition and community structure following a disturbance; the species changing and species richness over time

Primary succession

newly exposed site is colonized by living things for the first time; when new land is formed or bare rock exposed (volcano/glacier retreat; no soil present)

Secondary succession

site where organisms used to live, was disturbed, and now recolonized; soil and nutrients still present (result of fire, tornado, flood, etc)

Ecosystem ecology

studies the movement of energy and materials through organisms and their communities

Heterotrophs

get organics from their environment

Chemical element

Each specific type of atom is a _______

Proton information

• Subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

• Have a positive charge of +1.

• The number in the atom determines its atomic number.

Neutron information

• Subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

• They have a mass of approximately 1 atomic mass unit (AMU) and no electrical charge.

• The number in the atom can vary, resulting in different isotopes of an element.

Electron information

• Subatomic particle with a negative charge

• Found in the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus

• Determines the chemical properties and reactivity of an atom

• Involved in the formation of chemical bonds

makes up about 95% of the atoms in living organisms

Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon

What percent of atoms in living organisms do mineral elements make up

less than 1%

what percent of atoms in living organisms do trace elements make up

Less than 0.01%

Biologically important functional groups that bind to carbon

amino acids

carboxyl

hydroxyl

phosphate

Properties of chemical reactions

Breaks/forms bonds

Requires a source of energy

In living organisms, they often require an enzyme as catalyst

Tend to proceed in a particular direction but will eventually reach equilibrium

Occur in liquid (water)

Organic molecules

Molecules that contain carbon

Examples of macromolecules

Lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids

What is in the carboxyl group

amino acids and fatty acids

What is in the hydroxyl group

steroids, alcohol, carbohydrates, and some amino acids

What is in the phosphate group

Nucleic acids, ATP, and phospholipids

Principles/characteristics of living things:

Reproduce

Evolve/adapt

Maintain homeostasis

Made of cells

Need energy

Grow/develop

Have genetic material

Levels of biological organization:

Atoms

Molecules/macromolecules

Cells

Tissues

Organs

Organism

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Biosphere

Binomial nomenclature

the specific name for each species

Organisms are classified based on

domain, genus, then species

Features all cells have:

Phospholipid bilayer

cytoplasm

genetic material

ribosomes

Three domains of life

bacteria

archaea

eukarya

Types of prokaryotes

Bacteria and archaea

Characteristics of prokaryotes

simple cell structure with no nucleus or subcellular organelles

mostly unicellular

occur as single cells, pairs, or filaments

Shapes of bacteria

Spheres (coccus/cocci)

Rods (bacillus/ bacilli)

Comma-shaped (vibrio/vibrios)

Spiral-shaped flexible (spirochete/spirochetes)

Spiral-shaped rigid (spirillum/spirilla)

Characteristics of eukaryotes

DNA is housed inside a membrane-bound nucleus

compartmentalized functions

organelles each have their own unique structure and function

lots of variety between cell types and species

Plasma membrane functions

Membrane transport in and out of cell with selective permeability

Cell adhesion

Cell signaling using receptors

Bacterial cell structure

Cytoplasm, nucleoid region, and ribosomes are inside the plasma membrane

cell wall, glycocalyx, and appendages are outside the plasma membrane

Ribosomes

responsible for making/synthesizing proteins

DNA

responsible for storage, transmission, and expression of genetic material

as cells get larger, the ______________ gets smaller, affecting cell function

surface area-to-volume ratio; important to bring in nutrients, remove wastes, and transport

Chloroplasts

Use photosynthesis

Found in nearly all species of plants and algae

Have an outer and inner membrane

Mitochondrion

Have outer and inner membranes

Intermembrane space and mitochondrial matrix

Evidence of endosymbiosis

Mitochondria and chloroplasts

Grow and self-replicate by binary fission

Have their own circular DNA (like bacteria)

Have two membranes

Cell morphology

Size and shape of eukaryotic cells show great variation

Even cells that share the same genome can have very different morphologies

Mitochondria derived from

proteobacteria (purple bacteria)

Chloroplasts derived from

cyanobacteria (photosynthetic blue-green bacteria)

Similarities between domain archaea and eukaryotes

histone proteins

ribosomal proteins

RNA polymerases

Archaea are the only organisms that can make

methane

Extremophiles

a microorganism that thrives in extreme conditions

Thermophile

Thrives in heat

Psychrophile

Thrives in cold

Halophile

Thrives in high salinity

Acidophile

Thrives in high acidity

Multicellular organisms must have:

cell communication between cells

cells attached to each other

some sort of cellular specialization

What has an essential role in producing organic carbon and fixing nitrogen

cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria

photosynthetic bacteria abundant in fresh water, oceans, wetlands, and on surfaces of arid soils

Types of behavior

innate - instinctual and genetically-programmed

learned - behavior based on previous experience

cognition - requires conscious thought/senses/judgement

Fixed action patterns

will continue to completion once initiated due to the sign stimulus

Types of migration

Piloting - animal moves from one familiar landmark to the next

orientation - ability to follow compass bearing and travel in a straight line

navigation - follow compass bearings but can also set or adjust path

Types of traps

pitfall

mist net

live trap

quadrat

How to determine population density

Count individuals or count smaller groups, average, and extrapolate to larger