Properties of Life
What is the term for maintaining a stable internal environment?
Homeostasis
What is taxonomy?
What is the science of classifying organisms based on shared characteristics?
What is evolution?
What is the slow change in species over time?
What type of symmetry does a sponge have?
What is asymmetry?
What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Prokaryotic cells have no nucleus; eukaryotic cells do.
Name 3 of the 9 Properties of life.
chemical uniqueness, levels of organization, reproduce, use genetic code, use energy, grow and develop, respond to environment, evolve, maintain homeostasis.
Who is considered the father of taxonomy?
Who is Carolus Linnaeus?
What is the term for similarity in structure due to common ancestry?
What is homology?
Give an example of an animal with radial symmetry
Jellyfish or sea star
What is an adaptation?
A trait that improves an organism’s chance of survival.
Which property of life explains why animals grow from an embryo into an adult?
Growth and Development
What is the correct way to write a scientific name?
Genus capitalized, species lowercase, both italicized or underlined.
Explain the peppered moth example and what caused the population to change.
During the Industrial Revolution, darker moths survived on soot-darkened trees because they were camouflaged, leading to a higher frequency of the dark trait.
Which type of symmetry is associated with cephalization?
What is bilateral symmetry?
Why is classification important for scientists?
To organize, identify, and show relationships among organisms.
Are viruses considered living? Support your answer with two properties from the list.
No, they do not meet all properties, such as independent reproduction and metabolism.
What is binomial nomenclature, and why is it important
Two-part naming system (Genus species) that provides a universal name to avoid confusion and show relatedness.
Name two types of evidence for evolution
Fossil record, homology, biogeography, genetic similarities.
Define cephalization
Concentration of sense organs and nervous tissue at the anterior end of the body
Name the levels of organization from organelle to organism.
Organelle → cell → tissue → organ → organ system → organism.
Make an argument: Is fire living or non-living? Support with 4 properties.
Non-living: it doesn’t use genetic code, doesn’t reproduce, doesn’t maintain homeostasis, etc.
List the 6 kingdoms of life
Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia
Explain how natural selection works and give an example
Nature selects for traits that improve survival; for example, giraffes with longer necks survive better in areas with tall trees.
Match these directional terms to their meanings:
Anterior, posterior, dorsal, ventral.
Anterior = head end, posterior = tail end, dorsal = back, ventral = belly.
How do genetic variation and genetic diversity affect survival of a species?
They increase the chances of survival by providing different traits that may help organisms adapt to changing environments.