INTRO TO BIOLOGY/ SCIENTIFIC METHOD
A scientist wants to know if the amount of sunlight a plant receives affects its height. What are the independent and dependent variables?
Independent (x-axis) = amount of sunlight
Dependent (y-axis) = plant's height
What is the difference between an ionic and covalent bond?
Ionic = electrons are TRANSFERRED (metal + nonmetal)
Covalent = electrons are SHARED (nonmetal + nonmetal)
Compare the movement of energy and matter in an ecosystem.
Energy FLOWS
Nutrients CYCLE
Population growth is affected by four factors (recall formula). What are those four factors?
Birth rate, death rate, immigration rate, emigration rate
(5 descriptors of population: growth rate, geographic range, density, distribution, age structure)
What theory for evolution did Lamarck propose?
Inheritance of acquired traits
What is the theory of spontaneous generation? Is it correct?
The idea that life can arise spontaneously, from non-living matter; NO!
(Ex. Pasteur's experiment disproved spontaneous generation. He showed that microorganisms were present in the air and could contaminate sterile broths, but only if the air had access to the liquid.)
Sulfur has an atomic number of 16 and a mass number of 32. A sulfur ion has a charge of -1. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons does this ion have?
protons = 16 (atomic #)
neutrons = 16 (mass # - atomic #)
electrons = 17 (atomic # + extra electrons)
What process converts nitrogen gas from the atmosphere (N2) into a form plants can use?
Nitrogen fixation
No two species can occupy the same niche because one will outcompete the other. What is the name of this rule/ principle?
Competitive Exclusion Principle
A meadow is full of both deep and shallow flowers. Short beaked hummingbirds are able to get nectar from shallow flowers, and long beaked hummingbirds are able to get nectar from deep flowers. Hummingbirds with medium length beaks are not selected for. What type of selection is this?
Disruptive selection (both extremes favored)
Convert 12 centimeters (cm) to kilometers (km)
12 cm --> 0.12 meters --> 0.00012 km
(scientific notation: 1.2 x 10-4 km)
Water is a polar molecule, which leads to its many properties. What does polar mean?
uneven distribution of electrical charge;
partial negative side = oxygen (electronegative)
partial positive side = hydrogen
(Water is polar due to H-bonding!!)
What are the different trophic levels from lowest to highest in an ecological pyramid? (Level 1 to 4)
Level 2: Primary consumer (heterotroph, herbivore)
Level 3: Secondary consumer (heterotroph, carnivore)
Level 4: Tertiary consumer/ Apex predator (heterotroph, carnivore)
Barnacles on a whale get food and a free ride. The whale is unaffected. What species interaction is this called?
Commensalism
What is it called when a large-scale disaster wipes out a big portion of the population, leading to a change in allele frequencies?
Bottleneck effect
What is the difference in the image produced by a light microscope and electron microscope?
Light microscopes are less clear/ detailed, lower resolution (but much easier and to use!)
What are 2 functions of carbohydrates?
Energy (Ex. glucose/ simple sugars for quick bursts)
Storage (Ex. starch in plants, glycogen in animals)
What 2 biomes receive the least amount of rain?
Desert and tundra
What is the stable community at the end of ecological succession called?
Climax community
What is it called if a species is relatively constant over time followed by a period of rapid change?
Punctuated Equilibrium
What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?
to provide a baseline for comparison, to ensure the independent variable is what is causing the change in the dependent variable, not some other confounding factor
There are several properties of water discussed in class. What are 2 of these properties?
Ice less dense than water, cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, capillary effect, high specific heat, universal solvent
Which trophic receives the most amount of energy from the sun? Which receives the least?
Producers; Apex predators
What is the difference between a REALIZED niche and FUNDAMENTAL niche?
Realized = where a species ACTUALLY lives
Fundamental = where a species could POTENTIALLY live
What is the difference between a homologous and analogous structure?
Homologous --> SAME structure/ ancestry but different function
Analogous --> DIFFERENT structure/ ancestry but SAME function