Studying life
How old is the earth?
4.5- 4.6 billion years old
What are the common set of chemical building blocks?
Proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids
what are the 3 domains?
Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya
What does a phylogenetic tree depict?
Patterns of descent, NOT physical similarities
How to prokaryotic cells divide?
Asexually by binary fission
what were the earliest photosynthesizers?
bacteria
What is a population?
A group of organisms of the same species interacting in an environment
What is the signature element of life on Earth?
Carbon
What evidence is phylogenetic history based on now?
Genetic evidence
Halophiles live in what type of environment?
Salty environments
What were some of the molecules that originated life?
Water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen
Organisms regulate their internal environment though which process?
Homestasis
What is genetic diversity and why is it important?
The variety of genes within a species. Genetic variations enables species to survive, reproduce, and adapt to environmental changes.
What is topology?
Branching pattern
What serves as a site for protein synthesis?
Ribosomes
What is Biology?
The scientific study of living things
What is the importance of atmospheric O2?
Cells became aerobic and allowed life to colonize on land
What is the main cause for many threats to biodiversity?
Humans
What is a synapomorphy?
A shared derived trait
3 common shapes of bacteria:
Cocci, Bacilli, Spirilla
What defines living things?
Is a seed living? Why or why not?
Yes, because they have the potential to grow
How is the Northern Spotted owl affected by habitat loss?
What is the difference between an ancestral trait and a derived trait?
Ancestral traits originated in the common ancestor that can be retained, modified, or lost
Derived traits are found in the descendent but never in the common ancestor
Bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan layer that stains red