Biol 1204 Exam Study Guide

Biol 1204 Exam Study Guide Overview

This document serves as a comprehensive study guide for the Biol 1204 course. It provides essential terminology, concepts, and details necessary for understanding the material, especially regarding labs and evolutionary biology. Note that this guide may not encompass all possible topics as identified in lab sessions, particularly the last four labs, which are considered fair game for the exam.

General Disclaimer

This is just a guide. There may be other terms/concepts/materials not represented here. All content from your last four labs is ‘fair game’.

Plant Lab Week 1: Bryophytes to Seedless Vascular Plants

Key Terminology

Alternation of Generations: A reproductive strategy that involves two distinct phases in the life cycle—gametophyte and sporophyte.
Gametophyte: The haploid (n) generation producing gametes (sperm and eggs).
Sporophyte: The diploid (2n) generation that produces spores through meiosis.
Spores: Reproductive cells that can develop into a new organism without the need for fertilization.
Lignin: A complex organic polymer that provides structural support in the cell walls of plants.
Vascular Tissue: Specialized tissue in plants (xylem and phloem) that facilitates the transport of water, nutrients, and food.
Xylem: The tissue responsible for water transport from roots to leaves.
Phloem: The tissue responsible for the transport of sugars and nutrients produced by photosynthesis.
Heterospory: Production of spores of two different sizes and sexes.
Homospory: Production of a single type of spore.
Bryophyte: Non-vascular land plants, e.g., mosses.
Pterophyte: Seedless vascular plants, e.g., ferns.
Gymnosperms: Seed-bearing plants that do not produce flowers.
Angiosperms: Flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruit.
Sporangium: A structure in which spores are produced.
Capsule: A part of the sporangium that often contains spores.
Strobilus: A reproductive structure that bears spores or seeds.

Key Evolutionary Steps

Development of vascular tissue facilitated the transport of nutrients and water, allowing plants to grow taller and inhabit a wider variety of environments.
The development of lignin provided structural support enabling plants to thrive on land.
The evolution of gametophyte and sporophyte stages allowed for increased reproductive opportunities and adaptation to different environments.

Reproductive Strategies

Bryophytes: Dominant gametophyte stage, with sporophytes dependent on gametophytes for nutrition.
Pterophytes: Dominant sporophyte stage, with gametophytes being independent.

Identifying Features and Dichotomous Keys

Be able to use dichotomous keys to identify various phyla based on visible traits and characteristics observed under the microscope.

Plant Lab Week 2: Evolution of Seeds and Pollen (Gymnosperms & Angiosperms)

Key Terminology

Flower: A reproductive structure of angiosperms consisting of petals, sepals, stamens, and carpel.
Cone: A reproductive structure of gymnosperms where seeds are produced.
Pollen: The male gametophyte of seed plants, essential for sexual reproduction.
Ovule: The plant structure that develops into a seed after fertilization.
Stigma: The part of the pistil where pollen germinates.
Style: The stalk of the pistil, connecting the stigma to the ovary.
Pistil: The female reproductive part of a flower.
Stamen: The male reproductive part of a flower, consisting of an anther and filament.
Dicot: A group of flowering plants having two cotyledons in their seeds.
Monocot: A group of flowering plants having one cotyledon in their seeds.
Seed: An embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering.
Stomata: Pores on the leaf surface necessary for gas exchange.
Endosperm: Nutrient-rich tissue that supports embryo development in seeds.
Cotyledons: Seed leaves that provide nutrients to the seedling during early growth.
Fruit: The mature ovary of a flower, which contains seeds.
Ovary: The part of a pistil that develops into a fruit.
Sporangium: A structure for spore production.

Evolutionary Origins of Seed Plants

Seed plants evolved from earlier vascular plants, enhancing reproductive success and survival on land.

Differences Between Plant Groups

Angiosperms vs. Gymnosperms: Angiosperms produce flowers and fruits; gymnosperms have cones and adapt to diverse environments differently.
Monocots vs. Dicots: Differences include number of cotyledons (one in monocots, two in dicots) and structural features (leaf venation, root system).

Identifying Features and Dichotomous Keys

Utilize dichotomous keys to identify seed plants by their morphological characteristics.

Fungi Lab Terminology

Zygomycota: A phylum of fungi with a characteristic zygospore.
Glomeromycota: Fungi that form arbuscular mycorrhizae and are essential in plant nutrient uptake.
Ascomycota: Known as sac fungi; they produce spores in sac-like structures called asci.
Basidiomycota: Known as club fungi; they produce spores on club-shaped structures called basidia.
Zygospore: A thick-walled sexual spore formed during the fusion of two gametes.
Arbuscule: A tree-like structure formed by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi within plant roots.
Endomycorrhizae: Mycorrhizal fungi that form associations with plant roots, facilitating nutrient exchange.
Ectomycorrhizae: Mycorrhizal fungi that surround root tips but do not penetrate plant cells.
Lichen: A resilient, composite organism formed by a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae.
Budding: A form of asexual reproduction in fungi where a new organism grows from the parent organism.
Coenocytic/Aseptate: Fungi that lack septa (cross-walls) and have a continuous cytoplasmic mass.
Septate/Acoenocytic: Fungi that have divisions (septa) separating cells within mycelium.

Differences in Major Phyla

Fungi are categorized into several phyla based on reproductive and vegetative features. Key differences involve methods of reproduction (sexual/asexual) and structural characteristics.

Identification Strategies and Characteristics

Use dichotomous keys to identify fungi, focusing on reproductive strategies, metabolic pathways, and features resembling animal characteristics.

Animal Labs I and II Terminology

Key Terminology

Bilateral Symmetry: A body plan where the left and right sides are mirror images.
Radial Symmetry: Body plan with parts arranged around a central axis.
Vermiform: Having the shape of a worm.
Acoelomate: An organism without a coelom, or body cavity.
Coelomate: Organisms with a true coelom, a body cavity completely lined by mesoderm.
Pseudocoelomate: Animals with a body cavity that is not fully lined with mesoderm.
Ecdysis: The process of shedding the outer cuticle in arthropods.
Trochophore Larvae: A type of larval stage that is characteristic of certain invertebrates, including annelids and mollusks.
Protostome: Organisms where the blastopore becomes the mouth during embryonic development.
Deuterostome: Organisms where the blastopore becomes the anus during embryonic development.
Diploblastic: Organisms having two primary germ layers: ectoderm and endoderm.
Triploblastic: Organisms having three primary germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.
Notochord: A cartilaginous rod that provides support in the embryonic stage of chordates.

Key Structures and Evolutionary Changes

Identify significant structures and evolutionary adaptations that define each phylum and subphylum in the animal kingdom.

Cladogram

Understand the cladogram of major phyla within the animal kingdom to illustrate evolutionary relationships.

Identification Strategies

Develop skills to use dichotomous keys to classify animal phyla, subphyla, and classes according to observed characteristics.

Labs Prior to Midterm

Focus on meiosis, mitosis, and life cycles with relevance to phylogeny primarily related to plants.
Understand cladistics and phylogenetics as they apply to the study of different Kingdoms in lab sessions.

Additional Notes

Allometry: Not required for this course.
Protists: Not covered in this context.