Introduction to Biodiversity and Biotechnology
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Questions and Answers

What is background extinction rate estimated to be based on the fossil record?

  • 1 per ten species years
  • 1 per thousand species years
  • 1 per hundred species years
  • 1 per million species years (correct)

    • Why are extinction rates currently so high?

  • Due to anthropogenic causes (correct)
  • Due to genetic modification
  • Due to biotechnology
  • Due to natural causes

    • What is the current extinction event being referred to?

  • 7th Mass Extinction
  • 6th Mass Extinction (correct)
  • 5th Mass Extinction
  • 8th Mass Extinction

    • What is genetic engineering also known as?

    <p>Genetic modification</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is biotechnology?

    <p>The use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of artificial selection?

    <p>Dog breeds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a transgene?

    <p>A gene from a different species</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is golden rice known for providing?

    <p>Vitamin A</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a genetically modified organism (GMO)?

    <p>An organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered in a way that does not occur naturally</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How long have humans been modifying crops and animals?

    <p>For thousands of years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of processed foods on U.S. grocery shelves have genetically modified ingredients?

    <p>60% to 70%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for a gene that has been transferred from one organism to another?

    <p>Transgene</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How were most livestock, crops, and pets developed?

    <p>Through selective breeding or artificial selection</p> Signup and view all the answers

    From which wild species was maize developed?

    <p>Teosinte</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is biodiversity?

    <p>The total variety of life on Earth</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of species diversity?

    <p>A collection of different species of fungi</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is credited with developing a classification scheme for organisms?

    <p>Carolus Linnaeus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the broadest, most inclusive taxonomic category?

    <p>Domain</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is taxonomy?

    <p>The scientific study of naming and classifying organisms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is used to classify organisms in taxonomy?

    <p>Both morphology and genetics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the three Domains that all living things can be categorized into?

    <p>Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which Domain includes unicellular and multicellular organisms with eukaryotic cells?

    <p>Eukarya</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary mechanism by which populations change over time, according to evolutionary theory?

    <p>Natural selection</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who are the two scientists credited with co-discovering evolutionary theory?

    <p>Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for organisms that thrive in extreme environments?

    <p>Extremophiles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process by which beneficial traits become more common in a population over time?

    <p>Natural selection</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for organisms that make their own food?

    <p>Autotrophs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the variation of traits in a population that allows for natural selection to occur?

    <p>Genetic variation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of proteins in cells and organisms?

    <p>To carry out many functions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process by which DNA is copied into RNA?

    <p>Transcription</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of RNA polymerase in transcription?

    <p>To transcribe DNA into RNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the building blocks of proteins?

    <p>Amino acids</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the molecule that contains the genetic information of an organism?

    <p>DNA</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process by which RNA is used to make proteins?

    <p>Translation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to proteins?

    <p>Messenger RNA (mRNA)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the concept that explains how traits are passed from parents to offspring?

    <p>Gene theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Gene Theory and Genetic Engineering

    • Gene theory explains how traits are passed from parents to offspring, providing a framework for understanding genetics, heredity, and evolution.
    • Genes are segments of DNA that contain instructions for making proteins, which are the building blocks of life.
    • Genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins.

    DNA, RNA, and Proteins

    • DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a double-stranded molecule containing genetic information.
    • RNA (ribonucleic acid) is a single-stranded molecule that carries genetic information from DNA to proteins.
    • Proteins are the building blocks of life and carry out many functions in cells and organisms.

    Transcription and Translation

    • Transcription is the process by which DNA is copied into RNA, occurring in the nucleus of a cell and involving the enzyme RNA polymerase.
    • Translation is the process by which RNA is used to make proteins, occurring in the cytoplasm of a cell and involving ribosomes.

    Biodiversity

    • Biodiversity refers to the total variety of life on Earth, including genetic variability, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
    • Taxonomy is the scientific study of naming, defining, and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics.
    • Carolus Linnaeus developed a classification scheme using morphology to group organisms into hierarchical categories.

    Domains of Life

    • All living things can be categorized into one of three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
    • Domain Bacteria includes microscopic, unicellular prokaryotes, with some species being autotrophs and others being heterotrophs.
    • Domain Archaea includes microscopic, unicellular prokaryotes, with many being extremophiles.
    • Domain Eukarya includes unicellular and multicellular organisms with eukaryotic cells, including the plant, animal, fungus, and protist kingdoms.

    Origin of Biodiversity

    • Evolution by natural selection provides a logical explanation for how populations change over time, leading to the creation of new species.
    • Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace co-discovered the concept of evolution through natural selection.

    Biodiversity and Extinction

    • Change in biodiversity over time has led to the current high extinction rates, with many extinctions due to anthropogenic causes.
    • The current extinction rate is higher than the background rate, with many species going extinct before they are even discovered.

    Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

    • Biotechnology involves the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products.
    • Genetic engineering (genetic modification) is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome to alter its genetic makeup.
    • Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination.
    • Transgenes are genes that have been transferred from one organism to another using genetic engineering techniques.

    History of Genetic Modification

    • Humans have modified crops and animals for thousands of years using traditional breeding practices (selective breeding or artificial selection).
    • Most livestock, crops, and pets were developed by genetically modifying the traits of wild species.
    • Biotechnology is a broad area of biology involving the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products.

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    Learn about the interconnection of society, environment, and health, and explore genetic engineering, ethics, and impacts. Understand gene theory and its importance in biology.

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