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7. Base pairing rules for DNA synthesis, transcription and translation (not the details): what is
made in each processes (aka the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology (Chapter 5)
A-T, G-C, In rna, t is replaced with u
8. What is natural selection, how is it involved in evolution. (Chapter 8)
Those with genes that are fit best for survival are passed on
9. Fitness - what it is the biological definition?
The measure of producing the most offspring
10. Classification of organisms from Kingdom to species (Chapter 10)
Domain
Kingdom
Phlyum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
11. Convergent evolution (Chapter 8 and 10)
Interacting species evolve together
12. homologous vs. analogous characteristics vs. vestigial traits
Homologous: Similar traits from common ancestor
Analogous: Similar traits from convergent evolution, not common ancestors
Vestigial: Born with it but then disappears, ex gill tail in fetus
Compare the differences in age groups found between industrialized countries and developing
countries.
How has the human population changed in the United States since the time of the baby boomers?
When countries industrialize, explain the demographic transition. What happens to the growth rate,
birth rate, and death rates during each stage?
Is human population growth logistic or exponential? How many people are on the planet today?
Why did population growth increase so fast? Was there ever a period of human population decline?
What are the 3 ways humans have increased carrying capacity?
What is an ecological footprint? How are they different in various countries?
What is our estimated carrying capacity?
Chapter 15
What are the next 2 levels of ecological study that follow population ecology?
What is the difference between them?
What is species diversity in a community? Species richness and relative abundance?
When there are 2 interacting species, do traits evolve separately or together? Why?
Define coevolution.
Define and give examples of abiotic and biotic forces.
What is a niche? What are its features?
What is the difference between a fundamental nice and a realized nice?
What happens when 2 similar species fills the same niche? Define the competitive exclusion principle,
resource partitioning, and character displacement.
Why is competition hard to see? What is the "ghost of competition past?
What is predation? Are parasites considered predators?
Why do exotic species flourish in new habitats even though they were not adapted to their new
environment?
What defenses do plants have against predation? What are the 3 types of behavioral and 5 types
physical defenses animals have against predators?
What is the purpose of mimicry? Describe the difference between Batesian and Mulerian mimicry.
How are some ways predators are adapted for predation?
What is a keystone species and why is it important for a community? Give examples.
What is the "life-dinner hypothesis"?
Will a predator ever cause the extinction of a prey species? why or why not?
What is the difference between ectoparasites and endoparasites?
What are the unique challenges faced by parasites and how do they overcome them?
There were 3 situations that were presented in class that showed the effect of parasites on their hosts.
Explain each one.
What is mutualism? Commensalism? Give examples of each.
When does ecological succession occur? Be sure to know all 5 steps of succession in detail.
Define the biotic and abiotic environments.
What are the 2 major cycles in an ecosystem?
What is a tropic level? What tropic level would you find at the base of all ecosystems? What eats
them? Why are food webs more realistic that food chains?
What is a detritivore?
What doe energy pyramids show?
What is the 10% rule? If we eat 10 pounds of food, how much goes towards our biomass? Where
does the rest go? Why is it more energetically efficient to be a vegetarian?
Why are there so few top carnivores in the world? What is typically the maximum number of trophic
levels you can have based on the 10 percent rule?
Explain the 3 variations in primary productivity: large-based, small-based, inverted pyramid
What are the 3 most important chemical cycles in an ecosystem?
Why they are important:
Carbon: found in carboydrates, plants need it to photosynthesize
Nitrogen: major component of proteins and nucleic acids
Phosphorus: Major component of the phospholipid bilayer and ATP
Make sure you know the cycles associated with these elements.
Why and when does carbon dioxide rise and fall each year?
How are we contributing to the rise in carbon dioxide in the world?
Why do we add fertilizers to plants?
What is eutrophication and why is it bad for the environment?
What are biomes? What are they characterized by?
Be able to recognize the terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
Why is the area around the equator warmer than the rest of the Earth in terms of the distribution of
solar energy?
How is rain formed?
How are deserts formed?
What is a rain shadow and how does it form?
Are urban areas warmer than rural areas? Why or why not?
Is the water on the coast of California warmer or colder than the east coast of the US? Why?
Why are is the weather milder at beach communities?
Explain how el nino conditions differ from normal conditions. What does it cause on both sides of the
Pacific Ocean?
Chapter 16 Review
What are the different ways biodiversity is beneficial to humans? What are the four different values of
biodiversity?
How can biodiversity be defined? What is it most defined as?
What is conservation biology?
Explain how the latitudinal biodiversity gradient works.
In general which biomes (aquatic and terrestrial) have the highest biodiversity?
What are the factors that influence biodiversity? Name a few biodiversity hotspots. Why are they
considered hotspots?
What is the theory of island biogeography? Describe the 2 effects. Who came up with this theory?
What is dynamic equilibrium in terms of the number of species on an island. What 2 factors effect
this? How is island size important?
Explain Wilson and Simberloff's experiment on island recolonization and the results.
Explain how we can apply the theory of island biogeography to non-islands.
Explain the difference between mass extinction and background extinction. What are some causes of
mass extinction?
What are factors that influence the risk of background extinction?
Are all ecological disturbances reversible? Why or why not?
There are 5 types of disruptions of ecosystems that can be disastrous. What are they?
When exotic (invasive) species are introduced, what problems can they cause? How can we prevent
and/or fix the problem? Give examples of accidental introductions and the problems they have
caused.
How does normal rain become acid rain? What is a possible solution for this problem?
Where is rain most acidic in the United States?
What are the effects of acid rain?
What is the greenhouse effect and how does it contribute to global warming?
What is the cause of global warming?
How does the melting of the ice cap change the climate of the Earth?
How are biological systems changing due to climate change?
How is the ozone being depleted and what problems does this cause for us?
Where is the hole in the ozone layer and how large is it now?
Why is the deforestation of the rainforest a problem for us? Why do people clear forests in the first
place?
In the past 200 years, how much rainforest have we lost?
What are some strategies in returning the rainforest to its previous state?
What is the endangered species act?
What is the World Wildlife Fund's "Global 200"
What is Landscape conservation?
When designing a preserve, what are the 4 characteristics that should be included and why should we
include them?
When focusing on species conservation, what are the types we can choose and why would we choose to
protect them?
How do zoos help with the conservation of a species?