Genetics and Genetic Diversity Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What primarily causes genetic diversity in a population?

  • The size of the population
  • Reproductive strategies
  • Environmental factors
  • Gene mixing during reproduction (correct)

What is the role of mutations in genetics?

  • They are only caused by environmental conditions
  • They can create new alleles and variations within genes (correct)
  • They prevent genetic traits from changing over generations
  • They always cause harmful changes in alleles

In the context of eye color genetics, what does the 'B' allele represent?

  • Green eyes
  • Brown eyes (correct)
  • Hazel eyes
  • Blue eyes

What determines the phenotype of an individual?

<p>The expression of genes and their interactions (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why do most neutral or harmful mutations not persist in a population?

<p>They are often lethal before reproduction occurs. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What factor can accelerate the rate of mutations?

<p>Environmental conditions such as radiation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are alleles defined in genetics?

<p>Alternate forms of a gene that can exist at a specific locus (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What organism is used as an example for genetic similarity despite diversity in breeds?

<p>Canis familiaris (domestic dog) (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor that allows larger populations to maintain greater biodiversity?

<p>More individuals presenting varied alleles (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the relationship between genotype and phenotype?

<p>Phenotype is a combination of genotype and environmental factors (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is fitness in the context of evolution?

<p>The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce successfully (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the bottleneck effect impact a population's genetic diversity?

<p>It reduces the genetic diversity (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does gene flow contribute to a population?

<p>Introduction of new alleles (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a necessary condition for natural selection to occur?

<p>An overproduction of offspring (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which factor influences the rate of evolution in a population?

<p>The size of the population (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the process of genetic drift?

<p>A random loss of alleles in small populations (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one potential consequence of rapid environmental changes for organisms?

<p>Extinction if they cannot adapt quickly enough (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What advantage does a genetic mutation that provides resistance to a disease offer?

<p>It can enhance survival and reproductive success in certain environments (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true concerning the fossil record?

<p>It provides insights into evolutionary history and extinction (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What primarily composes the vegetation in tundra ecosystems?

<p>Grasses, lichens, and dwarf trees (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Natural selection can lead to which outcome in a population?

<p>Evolution of entirely new species (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main consequence of excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers?

<p>Over-fertilization of natural ecosystems (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of adaptation, what is resilience?

<p>Flexibility to respond to short-term environmental changes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which process in the carbon cycle involves releasing carbon back into the atmosphere?

<p>Decomposition (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does nitrogen play in living organisms?

<p>It contributes to the formation of amino acids (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of benthic communities?

<p>They inhabit the bottom of rivers and lakes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens to rainwater that does not evaporate or infiltrate the soil?

<p>It travels across land as runoff (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the process called when nitrogen is converted into a usable form for plants?

<p>Nitrogen fixation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which gas is produced during denitrification that contributes to the greenhouse effect?

<p>Nitrous oxide (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor that limits nitrogen availability in most ecosystems?

<p>Nitrogen's unavailability in its gaseous form (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the water cycle contribute to biogeochemical cycles?

<p>By facilitating nutrient transport through precipitation and runoff (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What event marked the greatest mass extinction in Earth's history?

<p>The end of the Paleozoic Era (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a way human activity negatively affects biodiversity?

<p>Fragmentation of habitats (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the range within which a given species can exist based on environmental conditions?

<p>Range of tolerance (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when two species compete for a limited resource?

<p>Competitive exclusion (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do exotic species pose a threat to existing ecosystems?

<p>By exploiting unexploited resources (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of a niche in community ecology?

<p>The specific function of an organism within its ecosystem (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which condition is NOT considered when studying aquatic systems?

<p>Soil type (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does habitat fragmentation have on species that require large, undisturbed land areas?

<p>It makes survival more difficult due to disrupted processes (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a limiting resource?

<p>A resource that restricts growth or survival (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do conditions in an ecosystem refer to?

<p>Chemical or physical factors that influence survival (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What major factor is contributing to the current mass extinction of species?

<p>Human-caused habitat destruction (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of aquatic ecosystems compared to terrestrial systems?

<p>Oxygen levels and salinity variations (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does resource overexploitation affect biodiversity?

<p>It directly lowers biodiversity (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why might scientists and government officials disagree on biodiversity policies?

<p>They have varying opinions on the severity of the crisis (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of introducing nonnative species into an ecosystem?

<p>Contributes to habitat destruction (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of predation within ecosystems?

<p>It helps to establish energy flows within communities. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines mutualistic interactions between species?

<p>Both species benefit while looking out primarily for themselves. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly describes primary consumers?

<p>They feed exclusively on producers. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In ecological pyramids, what does biomass refer to?

<p>The total weight of biological material at a given trophic level. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a perturbed ecosystem from one experiencing a disturbance?

<p>Perturbation involves gradual changes, while disturbance is sudden. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does resilience impact an ecosystem's recovery process?

<p>Higher resilience allows for quicker recovery to the original state. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which biome is characterized by the wettest and warmest conditions?

<p>Tropical rainforest. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What key feature differentiates temperate grasslands from forests?

<p>Insufficient water to support dense forests. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of the Mediterranean biome?

<p>Dry summers and most rainfall in winter. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What defines ecological boundaries within ecosystems?

<p>Aquatic boundaries are clear where land meets water. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one main function of primary producers in an ecosystem?

<p>To create food through photosynthesis. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following biomes has the highest plant and animal diversity?

<p>Tropical rainforest. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary consequence of energy loss at each trophic level?

<p>Decreased efficiency of energy transfer. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the role of community ecology?

<p>It studies the interactions among entire habitats. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Biodiversity

The variety of living and nonliving components in a system.

Genetic Diversity

The variation in genes within a population.

Evolution

The process of change in the features of a species over many generations.

Phenotype

An organism's observable traits and characteristics.

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Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

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Allele

Different forms of a gene.

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Mutation

A change in a gene.

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Dominant allele

An allele that masks the expression of a recessive allele.

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Species

Group of organisms with similar morphology, physiology, biochemical properties, and reproductive ability.

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Fitness

Organism's ability to survive and reproduce successfully.

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Natural Selection

Mechanism of evolution where fitter organisms survive and reproduce more.

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Adaptation

Organism's fit to its environment.

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Gene flow

Migration of individuals introducing new genes into a gene pool.

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Genetic drift

Random changes in allele frequencies in a population, especially in smaller populations.

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Bottleneck effect

Significant reduction in population size due to a disaster, leading to loss of genetic diversity.

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Fossil record

Preserved remains of organisms in rocks that show evolutionary changes across time.

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Population size

The total number of individuals in a particular species or group.

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Evolutionary rate

Speed at which evolution occurs.

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Extinction

The termination of a species or population.

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Predation

One species uses another as a resource, like a wolf eating a rabbit.

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Mutualism

A relationship where both species benefit, like a fig wasp pollinating a fig tree.

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Community Ecology

The study of interactions between different populations in a habitat.

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Trophic Levels

Feeding positions in a food web, like producers, consumers, and decomposers.

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Primary Producers

Organisms like plants and algae that make food from sunlight.

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Consumers

Organisms that eat other organisms.

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Ecological Pyramids

Show how energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels.

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Biomass

The total weight of living organisms at a trophic level.

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Ecosystem

A self-contained unit with living and non-living components interacting.

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Ecosystem Boundary

The edge of an ecosystem, like the shoreline of a lake.

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Disturbance

A sudden event that disrupts an ecosystem, like a hurricane or fire.

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Perturbation

A slow, gradual change to an ecosystem, like an invasive species.

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Resilience

The ability of an ecosystem to recover after a disturbance.

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Biome

A large region with similar climate, plants, and animals.

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Tropical Rainforest

The warmest and wettest biome with high biodiversity.

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Mass Extinction

A period in time where many species disappear rapidly.

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Biodiversity Crisis

The rapid decrease in the variety of species.

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Human Activity (Biodiversity Impact)

Actions that can reduce or harm biodiversity.

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Habitat Fragmentation

Breaking up a habitat into smaller, isolated pieces.

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Exotic Species

A species introduced to a new area where it isn't native.

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Ecology

The study of relationships between organisms and their environment.

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Conditions (Ecology)

Environmental factors (temperature, light, water) that affect organisms.

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Resource (Ecology)

Anything that organism needs and can use up (food, water).

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Range of Tolerance

The range of conditions in which a species can survive.

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Interspecific Competition

Competition between different species for resources.

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Limiting Resource

A resource that, in short supply, controls growth of a population.

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Competitive Exclusion

One species outcompetes another for a resource.

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Paleozoic Era

A period of Earth's history prior to the Mesozoic Era.

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Desert Biome

A biome with less than 25 cm of precipitation per year, characterized by extreme temperatures and sparse vegetation.

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Tundra Biome

A biome found beyond the tree line in cold, treeless regions, characterized by permafrost and low-lying vegetation.

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Benthic Communities

Plants and animals living at the bottom of freshwater ecosystems like rivers and lakes.

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Thermoclines

Abrupt changes in water temperature with depth, preventing layers from mixing.

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Biogeochemical Cycles

The continuous movement of elements and materials through the Earth's biosphere, soil, and water.

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Over-fertilization

Excessive use of agricultural fertilizers that can harm natural ecosystems by releasing excess nitrogen and phosphorus.

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Evapotranspiration

Water loss from plants through evaporation and transpiration during photosynthesis.

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Runoff

Water flowing across the land surface, collecting in streams and rivers.

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Photosynthesis

The process by which plants convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into food and sugars.

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Nitrogen Fixation

The process by which certain organisms convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into usable forms for plants.

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Study Notes

Biodiversity and its Importance

  • Biodiversity encompasses the variety of living and non-living components in a system. Genetic diversity underlies biodiversity.
  • Genes, acting as blueprints, change through generations. These changes in physical traits like eye color are due to evolution.
  • Every organism inherits genes that dictate its development and functioning.
  • Phenotype refers to an individual's observable traits; these are expressed by the genes, which form the genotype.
  • DNA, arranged in chromosomes within cells, makes up genes.
  • Alleles are alternative forms of genes. For instance, brown (B) and blue (b) eye color alleles can combine in various ways. The dominant allele (B) masks the recessive allele (b).
  • Mutations, which occur randomly, can create new alleles and change the genotype. Environmental factors, like chemicals and radiation, can increase the mutation rate.
  • Most mutations are neutral or harmful but beneficial mutations in reproductive cells can be passed to offspring. Beneficial mutations increase the chances of survival and reproduction.
  • Larger populations usually exhibit greater biodiversity because they are more likely to possess different alleles for a given gene and have more opportunities for mutations.

Expressions of Genetic Diversity

  • Phenotype combines genotype and environmental factors impacting an organism's traits. Eye color is primarily determined by genotype, while factors like nutrition often contribute to height differences.
  • A species is a collection of organisms sharing similar morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and the ability to interbreed.

Evolution

  • Evolution is the shift in genotypes over time, sometimes resulting in altered phenotypes.
  • Fitness is a species' survival and successful reproduction ratio.
  • Some alleles, while potentially harmful overall, can be beneficial in specific contexts, like the sickle cell trait that protects against malaria.
  • Darwin's theory of natural selection outlines the process: limited offspring, phenotypic variability, some phenotypes increasing survival odds (fitter) and the successful reproduction and survival of the fitter specimens to pass their traits to the next generation. This explains adaptation. Adaptive ability depends on genetic variability; with more variety, more potentially successful traits are available for a changing environment.
  • Species' adaptation happens with physiological or behavioral changes but is limited for long-term or vast environmental shifts.

Non-adaptive Evolutionary Processes

  • Gene flow, the introduction of new alleles through migrating populations interbreeding, alters gene pools.
  • Genetic drift, a random process, reduces genetic variety, especially in smaller populations, and is independent of natural selection.
  • The bottleneck effect, from natural disasters or human activities, produces smaller populations with reduced genetic diversity and increases vulnerability to genetic drift.
  • Some evolutionary changes (e.g., major change in diet) take longer than others (e.g., subtle physical changes).

Evolution Rate Factors

  • Rapid environmental changes and populations with high genetic variation contribute to faster evolutionary rates. Smaller populations are more susceptible to rapid genetic alteration by genetic drift and bottlenecks.
  • Populations may either adapt into a new species (leading to extinction of the original population) or fail to adapt and subsequently becoming extinct.

The Fossil Record

  • Fossils preserved in sediment and rock provide insight into evolution and extinctions.
  • The fossil record forms the basis of the geological timescale, dividing Earth's history into segments with significant events.
  • Mass extinctions, including significant extinctions of marine and land-based forms toward the end of the Paleozoic Era, significantly lowered the diversity of species.
  • Current human activity is leading to a sixth mass extinction, primarily through habitat loss. Recovery from these events can take millions of years.

Human Activity and Biodiversity

  • Human activities, particularly overexploitation (e.g., fishing), habitat destruction, and introducing non-native species, directly and indirectly alter biodiversity.
  • Habitat fragmentation occurs through human activity such as roads, separating populations and often lowering genetic diversity. Fragmentation creates more edges in a habitat.
  • Exotic species, introduced by humans or existing populations, may cause issues by exploiting available resources and displacing native species
  • Human altered boundaries affect natural processes like migration and mating for organisms that need big, connected habitats.

Linking Biodiversity & Evolution To Ecology

  • Ecology studies the interplay between organisms and their environment, examining the relationships at various levels.
  • Environmental conditions (chemical or physical) influence survival and growth.
  • Resources (needed for survival like food, water, light and oxygen) are consumed and not available to others. Many species can exist in an environment with limited resources (high salt concentration in marsh).
  • The principle of competitive exclusion describes when one species outcompetes others for a limiting resource as a result of niche overlap leading to extinction, behavior adjustment/adaptation, or migration.
  • Species' roles in their community (niches) may be separated through diversification in resource utilization to avoid competition.

Community Ecology

  • Populations interact through interspecific competition, predation, and mutualism. Limiting resources, such as food or water, influence the sizes of populations that use that resource.
  • Trophic levels (feeding positions in a food chain or web) show energy transfer, with primary producers forming the base (photosynthesis), followed by consumers (primary, secondary, tertiary).
  • Ecological pyramids illustrate energy and biomass reduction through trophic levels.

Major Aspects of Ecosystems

  • Ecosystems (self-contained units) encompass boundaries, biotic components, and abiotic factors. Components of an ecosystem, along with processes, are critical. Changes in ecosystem include boundaries (easy in water systems, hard in land systems), conversion of energy(predictable), and biomass(varied).
  • Disturbances (chemical or biological events that seriously injure or kill groups of organisms, such as a hurricane or forest fires) differ from perturbations (a species gradually taking over an ecosystem).
  • Resilience is an ecosystem's ability to recover after a disturbance.

Biomes

  • Biomes are large-scale regions categorized by vegetation type and wildlife adaptations. Variations in temperature rainfall and sunlight affect the kinds of species, abundance, and richness of species.
  • Tropical rainforest, dry forest, temperate rainforest, temperate broadleaf forest, boreal forest, temperate grassland, tropical scrub forest/savanna, mediterranean, desert, and tundra are examples. There are also aquatic biomes (freshwater and marine).

Biogeochemical Cycles

  • Biogeochemical cycles involve the continuous circulation of elements (such as carbon, nitrogen, and water).
  • Human activities can disrupt these cycles, leading to issues such as acid rain and eutrophication (excess nutrients).
  • The water cycle plays a crucial role in biogeochemical cycling.

Human and Biodiversity Interactions

  • Human activities like slash-and-burn agriculture can significantly alter biodiversity.
  • In general, human activities directly and indirectly often threaten biodiversity, including fragmenting habitats.

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Explore the key factors that contribute to genetic diversity within populations. This quiz will cover the significance of mutations and their impact on genetics, making it essential for understanding evolutionary biology.

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