Biology Basics

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Questions and Answers

What is the term for the movement of individuals and their alleles between populations?

Genetic drift

Genetic diversity

Gene pool

Gene flow (correct)

What is the process in which traits in species gradually change over successive generations?

Fold

Evolution (correct)

Extinction

Fault

What is the study of the structure and composition of molecules within a cell?

Pangaea

Molecular biology (correct)

Mitosis

Meiosis

What is the process in which organisms better adapted for an environment are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation?

Natural selection Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the total genetic information of a population, usually expressed in terms of allele frequency?

Gene pool Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the variation in genes between members of the same species?

Genetic diversity Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process of cell division that results in new cells with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell?

Meiosis Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the change to DNA sequence, at the gene or chromosomal level?

Mutation Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which the information in a gene's DNA is converted into a form that can be used by the cell?

Gene expression Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the membrane-bound organelles where cellular respiration occurs?

Mitochondria Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which the genetic message in DNA is copied into a mRNA molecule?

Transcription Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of a mutation at one particular point in the DNA sequence, such as a substitution or single base deletion or insertion?

Point mutation Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the condition where there is only one copy of a particular chromosome instead of two?

Monosomy Signup and view all the answers

What is the process in which a gene is expressed through the synthesis of a protein?

Translation Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the building blocks of nucleic acids, containing a sugar part, a phosphate part, and a nitrogen-containing base?

Nucleotides Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the sugar found in the nucleotides of DNA?

Deoxyribose Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process in which an organism's genetic information is altered, resulting in a change to its phenotype?

Genetic mutation Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the sequence of three nucleotides in DNA that can code for an amino acid?

Codon Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process in which genetic information is passed from one generation to the next?

Genetic inheritance Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the condition where there are three copies of a particular chromosome instead of two?

Trisomy Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

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Evolution and Species

Evolution: the process in which traits in species gradually change over successive generations
Extinction: complete loss of a species when the last organism of the species dies
Gondwana: one of the continents formed when Pangaea broke up, part of which became Australia
Gradualism: the theory that suggests the Earth's geological features were due to the cumulative product of slow but continuous processes
Homologous structures: body structures that can perform a different function but have a similar structure due to their evolutionary origin
Homology: similar characteristics that result from common ancestry
Natural selection: process in which organisms better adapted for an environment are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation
Phyletic evolution: when a population of a species progressively changes over time to become a new species
Species: taxonomic unit consisting of organisms capable of mating and producing viable and fertile offspring
Species diversity: the number of different species within an ecosystem

Geological Processes

Fault: a break in a rock structure causing a sliding movement of the rocks along the break
Fold: a layer of rock bent into a curved shape, which occurs when rocks are under pressure from both sides
Fossils: evidence of life in the past
Half-life: time taken for half the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay; that is, change into atoms of a different element
Plate tectonics: theory describing the movement of parts of the Earth's crust, called plates, and explaining the events at the boundaries between the plates
Relative age: age of a rock compared with the age of another rock
Relative dating: method of dating that determines the age of a rock layer by relating it to another layer using superposition and the fossils contained
Uniformitarianism theory: a theory based on the concept that the Earth is changed by natural forces that occur gradually over time

Genetics and Cells

Autosomes: non-sex chromosomes
Cell: the smallest unit of life and the building blocks of living things
Chromosomes: tiny thread-like structures inside the nucleus of a cell that contain the DNA that carries genetic information
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): a substance found in all living things that contains its genetic information
Gene: segment of a DNA molecule with a coded set of instructions in its base sequence for a specific protein product; when expressed, may determine the characteristics of an organism
Genotype: genetic instructions (contained in DNA) inherited from parents at a particular gene locus
Mitosis: cell division process that results in new genetically identical cells with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell
Meiosis: cell division process that results in new cells with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell
Phenotype: characteristics or traits expressed by an organism

Environment and Climate

Acid rain: rainwater, snow, or fog that contains dissolved chemicals that make it acidic
Atmosphere: the layer of gases around the Earth
Biodiversity: total variety of living things on Earth
Biome: region of the Earth divided according to dominant vegetation type
Biosphere: the life-support system of the Earth, containing the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biota
Climate sensitivity: the measure of temperature change in the climate, dependent on the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
Convection currents: process of heat transfer in gases and liquids in which lighter and hotter materials rise, and cooler and denser materials sink
Deforestation: the process of clearing trees to convert the land for other uses
Desertification: the process in which fertile regions become more dry and arid
Enhanced greenhouse effect: an intensification of the greenhouse effect caused by an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
Global warming: the observed rise in the average near-surface temperature of the Earth
Greenhouse effect: a natural effect of the Earth's atmosphere trapping heat, which keeps the Earth's temperature stable
Greenhouse gases: gases found in the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect, trapping the Sun's heat### Genetics
An organism with genetic information from another species in its genome is known as an organism with genetic information from another species.
A trait coded for by genes located on sex chromosomes is known as an inherited trait.
Transposition is the ability of a gene to change position on the chromosome.
A section of a chromosome that moves about the chromosome within a cell through the method of transposition is known as a transposon.
A sequence of three nucleotides in DNA that can code for an amino acid is known as a triplet.
A condition where there are three copies of a particular chromosome instead of two is known as trisomy.
Differences between cells or organisms are known as variation.
A cell formed by the fusion of male and female reproductive cells is known as a zygote.

Evolution

Absolute age is the number of years since the formation of a rock or fossil.
Absolute dating is determining the age of a fossil and the rock in which it is found using the remaining amount of unchanged radioactive carbon.
A feature that aids in the survival of an organism is known as an adaptation.
When divergent evolution of one species results in the formation of many species that are adapted to a variety of environments, it is known as adaptive radiation.
Alternative forms of a gene for a particular characteristic are known as alleles.
A type of speciation where populations are separated by a geographical barrier is known as allopatric.
Body structures that perform a similar function but may not have a similar basic structure are known as analogous structures.
Plants that have flowers and produce seeds are known as angiosperms.
The process in which humans breed animals or plants in such a way to increase the proportion of desired traits is known as artificial selection.
The system devised by Carolus Linnaeus giving organisms two names, the genus and another specific name, is known as the binomial system of nomenclature.
The total variety of living things on Earth is known as biodiversity.
The geographical distribution of species is known as biogeography.
A radiometric dating technique that uses an isotope of carbon-14 to determine the absolute age of fossils is known as carbon dating.
The theory that the Earth was changed only by sudden catastrophes rather than evolutionary processes is known as catastrophism.
Membrane-bound organelles which are the site of photosynthesis are known as chloroplasts.
Tiny thread-like structures inside the nucleus of a cell that contain the DNA that carries genetic information are known as chromosomes.
The process in which two species evolve in partnership so that they depend on each other is known as coevolution.
Exploring similarities and differences in the anatomical structures of various species is known as comparative anatomy.
Exploring similarities and differences between embryos of various species is known as comparative embryology.
The theory that the continents of Earth have moved to different locations over time is known as continental drift.
The tendency of unrelated organisms to acquire similar structures due to similar environmental pressures is known as convergent evolution.
The exchange of alleles between maternal and paternal chromosomes is known as crossing over.
The process of clearing trees to convert the land for other uses is known as deforestation.
When a population is divided into two or more new populations that are prevented from interbreeding, it is known as divergent evolution.
A technique that can be used to compare the DNA in different species to determine how closely related they are is known as DNA hybridisation.
A community of living things that interact with each other and with the environment in which they live is known as an ecosystem.
A type of gene flow in which an individual leaves a population is known as emigration.
A process that describes the evolutionary origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts within eukaryotic cells is known as endosymbiosis.
A theory that can be used to describe the evolutionary origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts in eukaryotic cells is known as endosymbiotic theory.
Divisions of geological time defined by specific events in the Earth's history, divided into periods, are known as eras.
Cells that possess membrane-bound organelles such as a nucleus and mitochondria are known as eukaryotic cells.

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Description

This quiz covers fundamental concepts in biology, including evolution, extinction, and fossils, as well as geological terms like fault and fold.