Anatomy and Evolution Test

Study Notes

Open circulatory systems pump fluid called hemolymph through open-ended vessels and into sinuses, where cells are directly bathed in the fluid
Closed circulatory systems pump blood through a network of vessels, keeping it separate from the interstitial fluid.

Cold-blooded animals (ectotherms) rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature.
Warm-blooded animals (endotherms) maintain a stable body temperature through metabolic processes.

The nervous system's primary purpose is to transmit signals between the brain and the body.

Esophagus transports food from the mouth to the stomach.
Intestines are responsible for nutrient absorption.
The brain controls bodily functions and processes information.
A 3-chambered heart has two atria and one ventricle.
A 4-chambered heart has two atria and two ventricles, allowing for separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
Endoskeletons are internal support structures.
Exoskeletons are external support structures.
Testes produce sperm.
Ovaries produce eggs.
Nerves transmit electrical signals throughout the body.
The spinal cord relays signals between the brain and the peripheral nervous system.
Kidneys filter waste from the blood.
Lungs facilitate gas exchange.

Taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming organisms.
Phylogeny is the study of the evolutionary relationships among organisms.
Cladograms and dichotomous keys are classification tools used to determine the evolutionary relationships

Physical adaptations are structural features that enhance survival and reproduction.
Behavioral adaptations are actions that enhance survival and reproduction.

Natural selection is the process by which organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Evolution is the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations

Natural selection occurs naturally through differential survival and reproduction.
Artificial selection is when humans select desirable traits in organisms and breed them to enhance those traits.

Species is a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species.
Isolation leading to speciation promotes biodiversity.

Recombination is the rearrangement of genetic material, especially by crossing over in chromosomes
Mutation is the changing of the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations

Homologous structures indicate common ancestry.
Vestigial traits are remnants of structures that had a function in ancestral species, but no longer do.