Biology 120 final exam review
questions well answered graded A+
Characteristics of life - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Order
2. Regulation
3. Growth and Development
4. Use of energy
5. Response to environment
6. Reproduction
7. Evolution
Within an ecosystem... - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Nutrients must be cycled
2. Energy must flow
DNA - correct answer ✔✔ chemical material for all genes
Genome - correct answer ✔✔ complete genetic code for an organism
Taxonomy - correct answer ✔✔ the study of naming and classifying species
(because of biological diversity)
Evolution - correct answer ✔✔ -genetic change in a population over generations
-changes that are inherited that produce diversity among organisms
,Darwinian view of life - correct answer ✔✔ 1. descent with modification: species living today
descended from ancestral species
2. proposed mechanism for descent with modification and called it natural selection
Natural Selection - correct answer ✔✔ individuals with traits better suited to the local
environment will have the greatest reproductive success
Adaptation - correct answer ✔✔ the accumulation of favorable variations in a population over
time
Species - correct answer ✔✔ a group of populations whose members can interbreed with each
other to produce offspring
Speciation - correct answer ✔✔ when one species splits to form two species
Science - correct answer ✔✔ any method of learning about the natural world that follows the
scientific method
2 main scientific approaches - correct answer ✔✔ 1. discovery science: describing nature
2. hypothesis driven science: explaining nature
Discovery Science - correct answer ✔✔ seek natural causes for natural phenomena; depends on
observations and measurements; conclusions are inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning - correct answer ✔✔ generalization that summarizes a large number of
observations
Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔ proposed explanation for a set of observations; narrow in
scope; supported by a smaller body of evidence
,Theory - correct answer ✔✔ widely accepted explanatory idea; broad in scope; supported by a
large body of evidence
2 features that distinguish science from other styles of inquiry - correct answer ✔✔ 1.
dependence on observations and measurements that others can verify
2. requirement that hypotheses are testable by experiments that others can repeat
4 stage hypothesis for the origin of life - correct answer ✔✔ 1. the abiotic synthesis of organic
monomers (amino acids were formed)
2. amino acids were headed up, water evaporated, and polymers formed (dehydration reaction)
3. formation of pre-cells; molecules interact together, a membrane develops around them so
that the internal environment could differ from its surroundings.
4. origin of self replicating molecules; short strands of RNA could replicate themselves
The origin of eukaryotic cells - correct answer ✔✔ 1. membrane infolds
2. endosymbiosis; one species living inside another host species
Evidences that support evolution - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Fossil record: each rock layer has a
unique set of fossils from a certian time
2. Continental drift: the lungfish existed before break up of Pangea and they are still present all
over the world
3. Comparative anatomy: [homology- similarity in body structures of different organisms due to
common ancestry]; vestigial structures
4. Comparative embryology: in early stages of development, embryos of vertebrates look more
alike than different
5. Molecular biology: hereditary background of organisms are documented within their DNA
and proteins
, Prezygotic Reproductive Barriers - correct answer ✔✔ -temporal isolation: species that mate at
different times
-habitat isolation: species live in different places but look similar
-behavioral isolation: mating calls between species are different
Reproductive Barriers at the mating attempt - correct answer ✔✔ -mechanical isolation: genital
openings cannot align
-gametic isolation: gametes cannot fuse
Postzygotic reproductive barriers - correct answer ✔✔ -reduced hybrid viability: offspring may
be frail
-reduced hybrid fertility: offspring cannot reproduce
-hybrid breakdown: [in plants] the plant offspring cannot reproduce
Mechanisms for evolution
[change allele frequencies] - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Mutations: random events; all variation
comes from mutations; can be harmful, beneficial, neutral
2. Gene flow: exchanging of alleles between two different populations
3. Genetic drift: differences between organisms in reproduction/survival due to chance/random;
happens after environmental disturbances; can reduce variation; fixation of alleles
4. Natural selection: adaptation to new environment results in origin of a new species
Natural selection based on 2 observations - correct answer ✔✔ 1. excessive numbers of
offspring are produced
2. individuals vary among a population
3 types of natural selection - correct answer ✔✔ 1. directional selection: shifts traits to left or
right; favors extreme end; usually result of a local environmental change
questions well answered graded A+
Characteristics of life - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Order
2. Regulation
3. Growth and Development
4. Use of energy
5. Response to environment
6. Reproduction
7. Evolution
Within an ecosystem... - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Nutrients must be cycled
2. Energy must flow
DNA - correct answer ✔✔ chemical material for all genes
Genome - correct answer ✔✔ complete genetic code for an organism
Taxonomy - correct answer ✔✔ the study of naming and classifying species
(because of biological diversity)
Evolution - correct answer ✔✔ -genetic change in a population over generations
-changes that are inherited that produce diversity among organisms
,Darwinian view of life - correct answer ✔✔ 1. descent with modification: species living today
descended from ancestral species
2. proposed mechanism for descent with modification and called it natural selection
Natural Selection - correct answer ✔✔ individuals with traits better suited to the local
environment will have the greatest reproductive success
Adaptation - correct answer ✔✔ the accumulation of favorable variations in a population over
time
Species - correct answer ✔✔ a group of populations whose members can interbreed with each
other to produce offspring
Speciation - correct answer ✔✔ when one species splits to form two species
Science - correct answer ✔✔ any method of learning about the natural world that follows the
scientific method
2 main scientific approaches - correct answer ✔✔ 1. discovery science: describing nature
2. hypothesis driven science: explaining nature
Discovery Science - correct answer ✔✔ seek natural causes for natural phenomena; depends on
observations and measurements; conclusions are inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning - correct answer ✔✔ generalization that summarizes a large number of
observations
Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔ proposed explanation for a set of observations; narrow in
scope; supported by a smaller body of evidence
,Theory - correct answer ✔✔ widely accepted explanatory idea; broad in scope; supported by a
large body of evidence
2 features that distinguish science from other styles of inquiry - correct answer ✔✔ 1.
dependence on observations and measurements that others can verify
2. requirement that hypotheses are testable by experiments that others can repeat
4 stage hypothesis for the origin of life - correct answer ✔✔ 1. the abiotic synthesis of organic
monomers (amino acids were formed)
2. amino acids were headed up, water evaporated, and polymers formed (dehydration reaction)
3. formation of pre-cells; molecules interact together, a membrane develops around them so
that the internal environment could differ from its surroundings.
4. origin of self replicating molecules; short strands of RNA could replicate themselves
The origin of eukaryotic cells - correct answer ✔✔ 1. membrane infolds
2. endosymbiosis; one species living inside another host species
Evidences that support evolution - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Fossil record: each rock layer has a
unique set of fossils from a certian time
2. Continental drift: the lungfish existed before break up of Pangea and they are still present all
over the world
3. Comparative anatomy: [homology- similarity in body structures of different organisms due to
common ancestry]; vestigial structures
4. Comparative embryology: in early stages of development, embryos of vertebrates look more
alike than different
5. Molecular biology: hereditary background of organisms are documented within their DNA
and proteins
, Prezygotic Reproductive Barriers - correct answer ✔✔ -temporal isolation: species that mate at
different times
-habitat isolation: species live in different places but look similar
-behavioral isolation: mating calls between species are different
Reproductive Barriers at the mating attempt - correct answer ✔✔ -mechanical isolation: genital
openings cannot align
-gametic isolation: gametes cannot fuse
Postzygotic reproductive barriers - correct answer ✔✔ -reduced hybrid viability: offspring may
be frail
-reduced hybrid fertility: offspring cannot reproduce
-hybrid breakdown: [in plants] the plant offspring cannot reproduce
Mechanisms for evolution
[change allele frequencies] - correct answer ✔✔ 1. Mutations: random events; all variation
comes from mutations; can be harmful, beneficial, neutral
2. Gene flow: exchanging of alleles between two different populations
3. Genetic drift: differences between organisms in reproduction/survival due to chance/random;
happens after environmental disturbances; can reduce variation; fixation of alleles
4. Natural selection: adaptation to new environment results in origin of a new species
Natural selection based on 2 observations - correct answer ✔✔ 1. excessive numbers of
offspring are produced
2. individuals vary among a population
3 types of natural selection - correct answer ✔✔ 1. directional selection: shifts traits to left or
right; favors extreme end; usually result of a local environmental change
