(Biol 211) Chap. 1: Introduction: Themes In The Study Of Life

Front 1

evolution

Back 1

the process of change that has transformed life on earth from its earliest beginnings to the diversity of organisms living today.

Front 2

biology

Back 2

the scientific study of life.

Front 3

what is the key property to life?

Back 3

reproduction

Front 4

what are the central activities of biology?

Back 4

posing questions about the living world and seeking science-based answers

Front 5

what are some properties of life?

Back 5

- order
- evolutionary adaptation
- response to the environment
- growth and development
- reproduction
- energy processing
- regulation

Front 6

Emergent Properties

Back 6

due to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases

Front 7

Reductionism:

Back 7

the reduction of complex systems to simpler components that are more manageable to study.

Front 8

What are the levels of biological organization (from largest to smallest)

Back 8

1. the biosphere
2. ecosystem
3. communities
4. population
5. organisms
6. organs and organ systems
7. tissues
8. cells
9. organelles
10. molecules

Front 9

The Biosphere:

Back 9

includes most reasons of land, most bodies of water, and the atmosphere to an altitude of several km.

Front 10

the ecosystem:

Back 10

consists of all the living things in a particular area, along with all the nonliving components of the environment with which life interacts such soil, water, atmospheric gases, and light.

Front 11

Communities

Back 11

The entire array of organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem.

Front 12

population

Back 12

consists of all the individuals of a species living within the bounds of a specific area.

Front 13

organism

Back 13

individual living things.

Front 14

organs and organ systems

Back 14

carries out a particular function in the body.

Front 15

tissues

Back 15

a group of similar cells.

Front 16

cells

Back 16

life's fundamental unit of structure and function

Front 17

organelles

Back 17

the various functional components that make up cells

Front 18

molecules

Back 18

a chemical structure consisting of two or more small chemical units called atoms.

Front 19

Chlorophyll:

Back 19

- pigment molecule that makes a maple leaf green

- one of the most important molecules on earth because it absorbs sunlight during the first step of photosynthesis.

Front 20

what is the aim of system biology?

Back 20

to answer big questions

Front 21

system:

Back 21

a combination of components that function together.

Front 22

the goal of system biology?

Back 22

to construct models for the dynamic behavior of whole biological system.

- successful models enable biologist to predict how a change in one or more variables will affect other components and the whole system

- system biology is relevant to the study of life at all levels.

Front 23

operation of any ecosystem involves what two major processes?

Back 23

1. cycling nutrients

2. one-way flow of energy from sunlight to producers to consumers.

Front 24

kinetic energy:

Back 24

the energy of motion

Front 25

thermal energy =

Back 25

heat

Front 26

energy flow through an ecosystem usually entering as ___________ and exiting as ____________

Back 26

light, heat

Front 27

the activities of organisms are all based on what?

Back 27

the activities of cells.

Front 28

all cells share what characteristics?

Back 28

- every cell is enclosed by a membrane that regulates the passage of materials between the cell and its surroundings.

- every cell uses DNA as its genetic info.

Front 29

eukaryotic cell:

Back 29

- is subdivided by internal membranes into various membrane- enclosed organelles

- largest organelle is the nucleus (contains cell's DNA)

- other organelles located in the cytoplasm

Front 30

cytoplasm:

Back 30

the entire region between the nucleus and outer membrane of the cell

Front 31

prokaryotic cell:

Back 31

- DNA is not separated from the rest of the cell by enclosure in a membrane-bounded nucleus.

- lacks the other kinds of membrane-enclosed organelles that characterize eukaryotic cells.

Front 32

contrasting eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells in size and complexity.

Back 32

Front 33

chromosomes:

Back 33

contain almost all of the cell's genetic material

Front 34

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid):

Back 34

the substance of genes (a central database)

Front 35

Genes:

Back 35

the units of inheritance that transmit info. from parents to offspring.

Front 36

nucleotides:

Back 36

the alphabet of inheritance

Front 37

_________ provides the blue-prints, and __________ serve as the tools that actually build and maintain the cells and carry out its activities.

Back 37

DNA, Proteins.

Front 38

Inherited DNA directs development of an organism

Back 38

Front 39

genome:

Back 39

the entire "library" of genetic instructions that an organism inherits

Front 40

DNA: the genetic material

Back 40

Front 41

A systems map of interactions among proteins in a cell

Back 41

illustrates the reactions within a cells of a fruit fly (popular research organism)

- based on a database of thousands of known proteins and their known interactions with other proteins.

Front 42

basics of the system strategy:

Back 42

necessary to inventory as many parts of the system as possible (such as all the known genes and proteins in a cell)

Front 43

Bioinformatics:

Back 43

the use of computational tools to store, organize and analyze the huge volume of data that results from high-through put methods.

Front 44

catalyzed =

Back 44

accelerated

Front 45

feedback regulation:

Back 45

- the output (product) of a process regulated that very process.

- in life:
most common form of regulation is negative feedback and positive feedback.

Front 46

negative feedback

Back 46

accumulation of an end product of a process slows that process.

Front 47

positive feedback:

Back 47

- an end product speeds up its production.

- occurs as chemicals released by the platelets attract more platelets.

Front 48

what is the core theme of biology:

Back 48

evolution

Front 49

classifying life (largest to smallest):

Back 49

- domain
- kingdom
- phylum
- class
- order
- family
- genus
- species

Front 50

linnaean classification of humans:

Back 50

domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: animalia
Phylum: Chordata
class: mammalia
Order: primates
family: hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: sapien

Front 51

The 3 domains:

Back 51

1. bacteria
2. Arechea
3. Eukarya

Front 52

Domain Eukarya is divided into what kingdoms:

Back 52

1. protists
2. fungi
3. plantae
4. animalia

Front 53

On the origin of species by means of natural selection: by charles darwin

Back 53

- the history of life, as documented by fossils and other evidence.

- is a saga of a changing earth billions of yrs. old, inhabited by an evolving cast of living forms.

Front 54

charles darwin's book articualted what two main points:

Back 54

1. darwin presented evidence to support his view that contemporary species arose from a succession of ancestors.

- "descent with modification"

- captured the duality of life's unity and diversity.
- unity: in the kingship among species that descended from common ancestory.
- diversity: in the modifications that evolved as species branched from their common ancestor.

2. proposed a mechanism for desent with modification. "natural selection"
- started with the observations from nature.

- made inferences from observations to arrive at his theory of evolution.
- individuals with inherited traits that are best suited to the local environment are more likely to survive and reproduce that less fitted individuals.

Front 55

an example of unity underlying the diversity of life: the architecture of cilia in eukaryotes

Back 55

Front 56

natural selection

Back 56

0 the natural environment "selects" fro the propagation of certain traits.

- evolution occurs as the unequal reproductive success of individuals adapts the pop. to its environment.

Front 57

kinship:

Back 57

affinity: a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character.

Front 58

science:

Back 58

derived from Latin = "to known"

- a way of knowing about the natural world.

- developed out of curiosity about ourselves, other lifeforms, plants, and the universe.

- basic urge: striving to understand

Front 59

Inquiry:

Back 59

- at the heart of science

- a search for info. and explanation

- often focusing on specific questions.

Front 60

What two main types of scientific inquiry do biologist use?

Back 60

- discovery science

- hypothesis-based science

Front 61

Discovery science:

Back 61

- mostly about describing nature and processes

- aka: descriptive science

- observation and analysis of data

Front 62

hypothesis-based science:

Back 62

mostly about explaining nature

Front 63

data:

Back 63

- records observations

- implies to the numbers

- some is qualitative (recorded descriptions)

Front 64

a campground example of hypothesis-based inquiry

Back 64

Front 65

Inductive reasoning:

Back 65

derive generalizations from a large number of specific observations

Front 66

deductive reasoning:

Back 66

the logic flows in the opposite direction, from general to specific.

- from general premises, we extrapolate to the specific results we should expect if the premises are true.

Front 67

hypothesis:

Back 67

a tentative answer to a well-framed question: an explanation on trial.

- usually an educated guess, based on experience and on the data available from discovery science.

- leads to predictions that can be tested by making additional observations or by performing experiments.

Front 68

hypothesis must be:

Back 68

- testable (must be some way to check the validity of an idea)

- falsifiable (must be some observation/ experiment that could reveal if such an idea is actually not true)

Front 69

idea of hypothesis-based science:

Back 69

to frame two / more alternative hypotheses and design experiments to falsify those candidate explanations.

Front 70

INQUIRY: Does the presence of poisonous coral snake affect predation rates on their mimics, kingsnakes?

Back 70

Front 71

controlled experiment:

Back 71

one that is designed to compare an experimental group with a control group (ideally, the experimental group and control groups differ only in the one factor the experiment is designed to test)

Front 72

scientific theory:

Back 72

- much broader in scope than a hypothesis.

- general enough to spin off many new, specific hypotheses that can be tested.

- generally supported by a much greater body of evidence.

Front 73

scientific models:

Back 73

can take many forms:
- diagrams
- graphs
- 3D objects
- computer programs
- math equations

Front 74

technology:

Back 74

scientific knowledge for some specific purpose.

Front 75

all the organisms on your campus make up
a. an ecosystem
b. a community
c. a population
d. an experimental group
e. a taxonomic domain.

Back 75

b. a community

Front 76

which of the following is a correct sequence of levels in life's hierarchy, proceeding downward from an individual animal?
a. brain, organ system, nerve cell, nervous tissue

b. organ system, nervous tissue, brain

c. organism, organ system, tissue, cell, organ

d. nervous system, grain, nervous tissue, nerve cell

e. organ system, tissue, molecule, cell

Back 76

d. nervous system , brain, nervous tissue, nerve cell

Front 77

which of the following is not an observation or inference on which Darwin's theory of natural selection is based?
a. poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring.
b. there is heritable variation among individuals
c. because of overpopulation of offspring, there is competition for limited resources.
d. individuals whose inherited characteristics best fit them to the environment will generally produce more offspring.
e. a population can become adapted to its environment.

Back 77

a. poorly adapted individuals never produce offspring

Front 78

system biology is maninly an attept to
a. understand the integration of all levels of biological organization from molecules to the biosphere
b. simplify complex problems by reducing the system into smaller, less complex units
c. construct models of the behavior of entire biological systems
d. build high-throughput machines for the rapid acquisition of biological data
e. speed up the technological application of scientific knowledge

Back 78

c. construct models of the behavior of entire biological systems

Front 79

protists and bacteria are grouped into different domains because:
a. protists eat bacteria
b. bacteria are not made of cells
c. protists have a membrane-bounded nucleus, which bacterial cells lack
d. bacteria decompose protists
e. protists are photosynthetic

Back 79

c. protists have a membrane-bounded nucleus, which bacterial cells lack

Front 80

which of the following best demonstrates the unity among all organisms?
a. matching DNA nucleodtide sequences
b. descent with modification
c. the structure and function of DNA
d. natural selection
e. emergent properties

Back 80

c. the structure and function of DNA

Front 81

Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?
a. the temperature decreased from 20C to 15C.
b. the plant's height is 25 cm
c. the fish swam in a zig-zag motion
d. the six pairs of robins hatched an average of three chicks
e. the contents of the stomach are mixed every 20 seconds.

Back 81

c. the fish swam in a zig-zag motion

Front 82

which of the following best describes the logic of hypothesis-based science?
a. if i generate a testable hypothesis, tests and observations will support it.
b. if my prediciton is correct, it will lead to a testable hypothesis.
c. if my observations are accurate, they will support my hypothesis
d. if my hypothesis is correct, i can expect certain test results
e. if my experiments are set up right, they will ead to a testable hypothesis.

Back 82

d. if my hypothesis is correct, i can expect certain test results.

Front 83

a controlled experiment is one that:
a. proceeds slowly enough that a scientist can make careful records of the results
b. many include experimental groups and control groups tested in parallel
c. is repeated may times to make sure the results are accurate
d. keeps all environmental variables constant
e. is supervised by an experienced scientist

Back 83

b. may include experimental groups and control groups tested in parallel.

Front 84

which of the following statements best distinguishes hypotheses from theories in science?
a. theories are hypothesis that have been proven
b. hypotheses are guesses; theories are correct answers.
c. hypotheses usually are relativcely narrow in scope; theories have broad explanatory power.
d. hypotheses and theories are essentially the same thing.
e. theories are proved true in all cases; hypotheses are usually falsified by tests.

Back 84

c. hypotheses usually are relatively narrow in scope; theories have broad explanatory power.

Front 85

The core idea that makes sense of the unity and all the diversity of life is
a. the scientific method
b. inductive reasoning
c. deductive reasoning
d. evolution
e. systems biology

Back 85

d. evolution

Front 86

in an experiment similar to the mimicry experiment performed by the Pfennings, a researcher found that there were more total predator attacks on model king snakes in areas with coral snakes than in areas outside the range of coral snakes. From this the researcher concluded that:
a. the mimicry hypothesis is false
b. there were more predators in the areas with coral snakes
c. king snakes do not resemble coral snakes enough to protect them from attacks
d. the data that should be compared to draw a conclusion must include a control-- a comparison with the number of attacks on model brown snakes
e. more data must be collected before a conclusion can be drawn

Back 86

d. the data that should be compared to draw a conclusion must include a control-- a comparison with the number of attacks on model brown snakes

Front 87

why can a hypothesis never be "proven" to be true?
a. one can never collect enough data to be 100% sure
b. there may always be alternative hypotheses that might account for the results and that were not tested.
c. science is limited by our senses.
d. experimental error is involved in every research project.
e. science "evolves" hypotheses and even theories are always changing.

Back 87

b. there may always be alternative hypotheses that might account for the results and that were not tested.

Front 88

which of the following is an example of positive feedback regulation?
a. the hormones insulin and glucagon regulate blood-sugar levels
b. in the birth of a baby, uterine contractions stimulate release of chemicals that stimulate more uterine contractions.
c. a rise in temp. when you exercise stimulates sweating and increased blood flow to the skin
d. when cells have sufficient energy available, the pathways that break down sugars are turned off
e. a rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere correlates with increasing global temp.

Back 88

b. in the birth of a baby, uterine contractions stimulate release of chemicals that stimulate more uterine contractions.

Front 89

which of the following areas is mismatched with its description?
a. discovery science -- data collection and analysis' deductive reasoning
b. hypothesis-based science-- hypothesis generation; predictions; experiments or observations
c. systems biology-- high thorughput technology, bioinformatics, interdisciplinary teams
d. taxonomy-- identify and name organisms; place in hierarchical categories
e. technology-- inventing practical uses of scientific knowledge

Back 89

a. discovery science -- data collection and analysis' deductive reasoning

Front 90

in a pond sample you find a unicelluar organism that has numerous chlorplasts and a whiplike flagella. In which of the following groups do you thing it should be classified?
a. plant
b. animal
c. domain Archaea
d. one of the proposed kingdoms of protists
e. you cannot tell unless you see if it has a nucleus or not.

Back 90

d. one of the proposed kingdoms of protists.

Front 91

What is DNA?
a. the substance of heredity
b. a double helix made of four types of nucleotides
c. a code for protein synthesis
d. a component of chromosomes
e. all of the above.

Back 91

e. all of the above

Front 92

which of the following represents the correct sequence in the life's hierarchical levels, proceeding upward?
a. organ, tissue, organ system, organism, population
b. organism, community, population, ecosystem, biosphere
c. molecule, organelle, cell, tissue, organ, organism
d. tissue, cell, organ, organism, community
e. both b and c are correct sequences.

Back 92

c. molecule, organelle, cell, tissue, organ, organism.