Bio 180 EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027
COMPLETE EQUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
CORRECT ANSWERS || 100%
GUARANTEED PASS
Organism - ANSWER A living entity made up of one or more cells
Theory - ANSWER An explanation for a very general class of phenomena or
observations
Cell Theory - ANSWER All organisms are made of cells and all cells come from
preexisting cells
Null Hypothesis - ANSWER Specifies what we should observe when the
hypothesis being tested isn't correct
Control Group - ANSWER A group that checks for other factors which are not
being tested
Two components of scientific theories - ANSWER Pattern and process
Population - ANSWER Individuals of the same species that are living in the same
area at the same time
,Descent with modification - ANSWER Evolution
Pattern component of Evolution - ANSWER 1) Species change through time
2) Species are related through common ancestry
Fossil Record - ANSWER All fossils that have been found and described in the
scientific literature
Extant Species - ANSWER Living species
Extinct Species - ANSWER No longer existing species
Transitional Feature - ANSWER A trait in a fossil species that is intermediate
between those of older and younger species
Pattern - ANSWER Summarizes observations about the natural world — factual
statements about what we see. Example: populations change over time in response
to environmental change.
Process - ANSWER Explains the mechanisms that produce the observed patterns.
Example: natural selection — individuals with heritable advantageous traits leave
more offspring.
Natural Selection - ANSWER Process by which organisms better adapted to their
environment survive and reproduce more. NOT goal-directed. Acts on populations
over time, not individuals.
Artificial Selection - ANSWER Human-directed breeding for specific traits. Goal-
oriented — humans decide which traits are 'desirable.'
, Fitness - ANSWER An organism's ability to survive AND reproduce in its
environment. Measured by number of offspring produced.
Adaptation - ANSWER A heritable trait that increases an organism's fitness in a
specific environment.
Genetic Drift - ANSWER Random changes in allele frequencies in a population.
Two types: Bottleneck effect (disaster reduces population) and Founder effect
(small group colonizes new area).
Directional Selection - ANSWER One extreme phenotype is favored, shifting
mean in one direction.
Stabilizing Selection - ANSWER Intermediate phenotype is favored, reducing
variation and maintaining average.
Disruptive Selection - ANSWER Both extreme phenotypes are favored, splitting
population and can lead to speciation.
Homologous Structures - ANSWER Same ancestry, may serve different functions.
Evidence of divergent evolution. Example: forelimbs of whales, bats, and humans.
Analogous Structures - ANSWER Same function, DIFFERENT ancestry.
Evidence of convergent evolution. Example: wings of birds and insects.
Vestigial Structures - ANSWER Remnant structures that have lost original
function. Evidence of evolution. Example: human tailbone (coccyx), wisdom teeth.
, Gene - ANSWER A segment of DNA that encodes a trait.
Allele - ANSWER A specific VERSION of a gene (e.g., D or d). Multiple alleles
can exist for one gene.
Genotype - ANSWER The genetic makeup of an organism (e.g., Dd, DD, dd).
Phenotype - ANSWER The observable characteristics — what you can see or
measure. Influenced by genotype AND environment.
Homozygous - ANSWER Two IDENTICAL alleles (DD or dd). Also called a
pure-breeding line.
Heterozygous - ANSWER Two DIFFERENT alleles (Dd).
Dominant allele (D) - ANSWER Expressed in both homozygous (DD) AND
heterozygous (Dd) individuals.
Recessive allele (d) - ANSWER Only expressed when homozygous (dd). Masked
by dominant allele in Dd.
Gamete - ANSWER A haploid reproductive cell (sperm or egg). Carries ONE
allele per gene.
Particulate inheritance - ANSWER Genes retain physical integrity and do NOT
blend. They pass intact from parent to offspring.
COMPLETE EQUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
CORRECT ANSWERS || 100%
GUARANTEED PASS
Organism - ANSWER A living entity made up of one or more cells
Theory - ANSWER An explanation for a very general class of phenomena or
observations
Cell Theory - ANSWER All organisms are made of cells and all cells come from
preexisting cells
Null Hypothesis - ANSWER Specifies what we should observe when the
hypothesis being tested isn't correct
Control Group - ANSWER A group that checks for other factors which are not
being tested
Two components of scientific theories - ANSWER Pattern and process
Population - ANSWER Individuals of the same species that are living in the same
area at the same time
,Descent with modification - ANSWER Evolution
Pattern component of Evolution - ANSWER 1) Species change through time
2) Species are related through common ancestry
Fossil Record - ANSWER All fossils that have been found and described in the
scientific literature
Extant Species - ANSWER Living species
Extinct Species - ANSWER No longer existing species
Transitional Feature - ANSWER A trait in a fossil species that is intermediate
between those of older and younger species
Pattern - ANSWER Summarizes observations about the natural world — factual
statements about what we see. Example: populations change over time in response
to environmental change.
Process - ANSWER Explains the mechanisms that produce the observed patterns.
Example: natural selection — individuals with heritable advantageous traits leave
more offspring.
Natural Selection - ANSWER Process by which organisms better adapted to their
environment survive and reproduce more. NOT goal-directed. Acts on populations
over time, not individuals.
Artificial Selection - ANSWER Human-directed breeding for specific traits. Goal-
oriented — humans decide which traits are 'desirable.'
, Fitness - ANSWER An organism's ability to survive AND reproduce in its
environment. Measured by number of offspring produced.
Adaptation - ANSWER A heritable trait that increases an organism's fitness in a
specific environment.
Genetic Drift - ANSWER Random changes in allele frequencies in a population.
Two types: Bottleneck effect (disaster reduces population) and Founder effect
(small group colonizes new area).
Directional Selection - ANSWER One extreme phenotype is favored, shifting
mean in one direction.
Stabilizing Selection - ANSWER Intermediate phenotype is favored, reducing
variation and maintaining average.
Disruptive Selection - ANSWER Both extreme phenotypes are favored, splitting
population and can lead to speciation.
Homologous Structures - ANSWER Same ancestry, may serve different functions.
Evidence of divergent evolution. Example: forelimbs of whales, bats, and humans.
Analogous Structures - ANSWER Same function, DIFFERENT ancestry.
Evidence of convergent evolution. Example: wings of birds and insects.
Vestigial Structures - ANSWER Remnant structures that have lost original
function. Evidence of evolution. Example: human tailbone (coccyx), wisdom teeth.
, Gene - ANSWER A segment of DNA that encodes a trait.
Allele - ANSWER A specific VERSION of a gene (e.g., D or d). Multiple alleles
can exist for one gene.
Genotype - ANSWER The genetic makeup of an organism (e.g., Dd, DD, dd).
Phenotype - ANSWER The observable characteristics — what you can see or
measure. Influenced by genotype AND environment.
Homozygous - ANSWER Two IDENTICAL alleles (DD or dd). Also called a
pure-breeding line.
Heterozygous - ANSWER Two DIFFERENT alleles (Dd).
Dominant allele (D) - ANSWER Expressed in both homozygous (DD) AND
heterozygous (Dd) individuals.
Recessive allele (d) - ANSWER Only expressed when homozygous (dd). Masked
by dominant allele in Dd.
Gamete - ANSWER A haploid reproductive cell (sperm or egg). Carries ONE
allele per gene.
Particulate inheritance - ANSWER Genes retain physical integrity and do NOT
blend. They pass intact from parent to offspring.
