Population Dynamics
What term describes the maximum population size an environment can support?
Carrying capacity
What does Simpson's Diversity Index measure?
Species diversity taking into account richness, abundance and evenness values in a community
What is a karyotype?
The number and visual appearance of the chromosomes in the cell nuclei of an organism
Who proposed theory of natural selection?
Charles Darwin
What is the base pairing rule for DNA?
A-T
C-G
What type of growth curve shows a population growing rapidly before stabilising at carrying capacity?
Logistic growth curve (S-shaped)
Name a common method used to sample mobile organisms such as insects
Sweep netting or pitfall traps
The extinction of the dinosaurs was an example of what kind of extinction event?
Mass extinction
What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle used to study?
Genetic equilibrium in populations
What enzyme unzips DNA during replication?
DNA Helicase
What is a keystone species?
A species that has a disproportionately large effect on ecosystem structure and function
What is a clade?
A group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all of it descendents
The process that produces gametes in sexually reproducing organisms
meiosis
Give an example of a mechanism that can disrupt genetic equilibrium
Mutation
Genetic drift
Natural selection
Gene flow
What does the term 'genome' refer to?
The complete set of DNA in an organism
How can evolution be observed in populations over time?
Changes in allele frequencies across generations
In species interactions, what is the relationship called when one species benefits and the other is harmed?
parasitism
What does the term 'crossing over' refer to in meiosis?
The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes
What type of speciation occurs when populations are separated by a physical barrier?
Allopatric speciation
What is aneuploidy?
The presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell.
What is ecological succession?
The process by which ecosystems change and develop over time
Give an example of mutualism in an Australian ecosystem
eg. Eucalyptus trees and pollinating insects/Coral and zooxanthellae
In a dihybrid cross of heterozygotes (AaBb × AaBb), what is the expected phenotypic ratio?
9:3:3:1
What is adaptive radiation?
Rapid diversification of a species into many new forms to fill ecological niches.
What is the difference between codominance and incomplete dominance?
Codominance = both alleles fully expressed, incomplete dominance = blended phenotype