Cells & Life
What are the six characteristics that make something alive?
Grow, use energy, made of cells, reproduce, respond to the environment, and get rid of waste.
What types of life were found in the Precambrian era?
Simple life like bacteria and single-celled organisms.
In which type of rock are fossils found?
Sedimentary rocks.
What are the three types of rocks?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
What are the layers of the Earth from outermost to innermost?
Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core.
What is the difference between plant and animal cells?
Plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts; animal cells do not.
What major life changes occurred in the Cambrian era?
Animals with shells and hard parts appeared.
What is the law of superposition?
Oldest rock layers are on the bottom, youngest on top.
How are sedimentary rocks formed?
From layers of sediment piling up and compacting.
What kind of events happen in the Earth’s mantle?
Heat and movement of molten rock.
Name and describe two types of cellular transport.
Passive transport (no energy) Active transport (uses energy)
How did mammals benefit from the extinction of dinosaurs?
Mammals evolved and spread into more types.
How do large and small crystals form in rocks?
Large = slow cooling; Small = fast cooling.
How are igneous rocks formed?
From cooled magma or lava.
What animals and events were in the Paleozoic era?
Fish, insects, plants appeared.
What is the difference between unicellular and multicellular organisms?
Unicellular = one cell; Multicellular = many cells.
What happened during the Quaternary period?
Ice ages occurred; humans evolved and spread.
What are unconformities? Give an example.
Gaps in rock layers, like erosion removing layers.
What causes metamorphic rocks to form?
Heat and pressure change other rocks.
What were key events of the Mesozoic era?
Dinosaurs ruled the Earth.
List three organelles found in both plant and animal cells and their functions.
Nucleus (controls cell), mitochondria (makes energy), cell membrane (protects the cell).
Why are there so few fossils from Precambrian time?
Most organisms were soft-bodied and didn’t fossilize well.
What is the difference between absolute and relative age?
Absolute = exact age; Relative = older or younger than others.
Name a process that brings rocks and minerals to the surface.
Volcanoes or earthquakes.
What developed during the Cenozoic era?
Mammals and humans appeared.