Biology Exam 1

Front 1

Theory

Back 1

Broad explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is substantiated by a large body of evidence. Theory makes valid predictions

Front 2

science

Back 2

The observation, identification, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural
phenomenon.
Systematic field of study
Any knowledge gained through verifiable means

Front 3

empirical thought

Back 3

though that relies on information to form an idea or hypothesis, rather than trying to understand life from a nonphysical or spiritual point of view.

Front 4

Empiricism

Back 4

Evidence or consequences that Evidence or consequences that are real and observable by our senses

Front 5

Materialism

Back 5

Science seeks natural causes/explanations for natural phenomena

Front 6

Intelligent Design

Back 6

The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are
best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection.Many biological structures are too complex to have evolved in small steps (argument of “irreducible complexity”) – evolution could not have happened
There are many unexplained gaps in the fossil record – evolution did not happen
A systematic search for evidence that conflicts with the theory of evolution
Does not provide explicit alternative
Does not reference religious scriptures

Front 7

biological evolution

Back 7

phenomenal that populations of organisms change over the course of many generations . As a result some organisms become more successful at survival and reproduction.

Front 8

Diversity

Back 8

Social: variety of culture, ethnicity, within society
Technological: different kinds of tools for individual tasks
Biodiversity:
Number of different fish species in a pond
Genotypic/phenotypic variation within a species

Front 9

trait/adaption

Back 9

Characteristic of an organism that enhances/increases its ability to survive or reproduce
i.e., increases its fitness
Physical, physiological, or behavioral
Genetically based (heritable)
Evolvable – can be modified between generations

Front 10

Niche

Back 10

Unique set of habitat resources required by a species, and its influence on environment and other species
‘species role’ in an ecosytem
Derived from species’ unique set of adaptations
Composed of abiotic (e.g., climate, soil nutrients, diss. O2 conc.) and biotic factors (food resources, predators, etc.)
No two species have the same niche

Front 11

Competitive exclusion

Back 11

The proposal that two species with the same resource requirements cannot occupy the same niche!

Front 12

competition

Back 12

an interaction that affects two or more species negatively, as they compete over food or other resources.

Front 13

Taxonomy

Back 13

Study of theory and practice of classification of living and extinct organisms

Front 14

Systematics

Back 14

Study of biological diversity and evolutionary relationships among organisms

Front 15

hierchial classification

Back 15

a classification system where entries are arranged based on some hierarchical structure

Front 16

phylogeny

Back 16

Hypothesis of evolutionary history/common ancestry

Front 17

binomial nomenclature

Back 17

the standard method for naming species. Each species has a genus name and species epithet.

Front 18

homology

Back 18

Similarities among organisms that occur due to shared ancestry
Morphological homology
Molecular homology

Front 19

Clade

Back 19

Group containing most recent common ancestor (MRCA) and all of its descendents

Front 20

pseudoscience

Back 20

‘Theory in search of facts’
Begins with conclusion or agenda
Highly selective with facts, or heavily dependent on gaps in information
Facts taken out of context, distorted, misrepresented
Misleading use of language
Motivation may be from ignorance or intentional: politics, sales, legal defense

Front 21

horizontal gene transfer

Back 21

s any process in which an organism incorporates genetic material from another organism without being the offspring of that organism

Front 22

Uniformitarianism

Back 22

assumes that the same natural laws and processes that operate in the universe now, have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe

Front 23

Convergent

Back 23

similarity between species from two different lineages due to similar adaptations to similar environments
Superficial similarity due to independent evolution of similar adaptations in unrelated organisms
Can mask/distort phylogeny, but revealed through other characters

Front 24

molecular homology

Back 24

Similarities of gene/protein sequences
Chromosomal banding patterns; number

Front 25

biogeography

Back 25

is the study of the distribution of biodiversity over space and time. It aims to reveal where organisms live, and at what abundance.

Front 26

vestigial structures

Back 26

anatomical feature that has no apparent function but resembles a structure of a presumed ancestor

Front 27

artificial selection

Back 27

Directed modification of traits in domesticated species by humans
‘Human’ selection
Darwin influenced by variation produced through selective breeding

Front 28

carrying capacity (k)

Back 28

The maximum number of individuals in a particular species that can be supported on a sustained basis in a particular area

Front 29

modern synthesis of evolution

Back 29

within a given a population of interbreeding organisms, natural variations exists that is caused by random changes in the genetic material.
genetic changes may be bad or good.

Front 30

population genetics

Back 30

study of genes and genotypes in a population

Front 31

polymorphism

Back 31

phenomenon that many traits or genes may display variation within a population

Front 32

random genetic drift

Back 32

change in allele frequencies due to random sampling error.
Common when pop. is small

Front 33

bottleneck drift

Back 33

form of genetic drift in which population size is dramatically reduced and then rebounds.

Front 34

founders effect

Back 34

small group of individuals separates from a larger population and establishes a colony in a new location, genetic drift is common due to the small pop.

Front 35

stabilizing selection

Back 35

pattern of natural selection that favors the survival of individuals with intermediate phenotypes

Front 36

directional selection

Back 36

pattern of natural selection that favors individuals at one extreme of a phenotypic distribution that have greater reproductive success in a particular environment.

Front 37

disruptive selection

Back 37

pattern of natural selection that favors the survival of two or more different genotypes that produce different phenotypes.

Front 38

sexual selection

Back 38

natural selection that is directed at certain traits of sexually reproducing species that make it more likely for individuals to find or choose a mate and/or engage in successful mating.

Front 39

frequency-dependent

Back 39

the term given to an evolutionary process where the fitness of a phenotype is dependent on its frequency relative to other phenotypes in a given population

Front 40

heterozygote advantage

Back 40

phenomenon in which a hetrerozygote has a higher Dawinian fitness compared to the corresponding homozygotes.

Front 41

fitness

Back 41

likelihood that a genotype will contribute to the gene pool of the next generation as compared with other genotypes.

Front 42

non random mating

Back 42

phenomenon that individuals choose their mates based on their genotypes or phenotypes