What is the relationship between codons, anticodons, and amino acids? codon- a group of three bases that specifies a particular amino acid anticodon- three ribonucleotides able to form base pairs with the codon for the animo acid in mRNA What are the roles of the major molecules involved in translation? definition: the process of using the information in mRNA to synthesize proteins major molecules: mRNA, tRNA (amino acid and anticodon), ribosomes What is meant by the "central dogma" of molecular biology? DNA--(transcription)--mRNA--(translation)--proteins What is the significance of meiosis in populations of sexually reproducing organisms? two back-to-back divisions occur creating four daughter cells each with on chromosome; crossing over and creating genetic diversity is key in meiosis Can you distinguish between homology and convergent evolution? homology- similarities due to a common ancestor (ex: structural, developmental, and genetic) convergent evolution- various structures in different species having the same function, but have evolved separately this do not share a common ancestor Can you distinguish between a founder effect and a genetic bottleneck? founder effect- immigrants establish new populations genetic bottleneck- high mortality strikes individuals at random Can you distinguish between directional, stabilizing, and disruptive selection? directional- the average phenotype of the population changes in one direction stabilizing- reduces both extremes in a population disruptive- favors the extreme phenotypes Can you identify monophyletic groups when given a phylogenetic tree? draw it out and explain What are plasmids and restriction enzymes and why are they significant? plasmid- circular pieces of DNA restriction enzymes- cuts plasmid at restriction sites draw out the cycle and explain (gene insertion into plasmids) Types of symbiotic relationships- can you distinguish the three basic types? mutualism- both species benefit commercialism- one species benefits, but the other is not harmed parasitism- one species benefits while the other is harmed HIV infectious cycle- can you explain the basic steps? 1. fusion with host cell 2. viral proteins enter the host cell 3. viral DNA is formed from reverse transcription 4. DNA moves into the nucleus and integrates into the DNA of host cell 5. new RNA is used to make proteins 6. new RNA and proteins move to the edge (new HIV forms) 7. the virus matures and spreads Can you explain the events of the mushroom life cycle? mature spore producing body (n+n which is dikaryotic); spores produced in basidia (2n); meiosis (n-four haploid); walled off and creates a haploid basidiospore; dispersal and germination; different mating types fuse together Can you explain the similarities and differences between the life cycles of mosses and ferns? similarities- basically the same life cycle differences- sporophyte (ferns) vs gametophyte (mosses); ferns are photosynthetic Can you explain the four basic principles of natural selection? 1. traits vary in populations 2. some differences in traits are heritable 3. not all survive and produce offspring 4. individuals with certain heritable traits are more likely to survive than others Can you explain the concept of a "rain shadow"? once cooled air has passed the crest of a mountain range, the air is relatively dry because much of its moisture content has already been released (the areas that get the dry air are in a rain shadow) Lake turnover (why does it occur every fall and spring?). they occur in response to changes in air temperature What are the basic types of learning in animals? imprinting- young animals imprint on whatever they spend the most time with right away (usually parents) classical conditioning- when animals learn to associate one stimulus with another thinking- do animals actually think? (Crows and chimps) What is altruism and why is it significant? definition- putting themselves in harms way/sacrifice themselves for others significance- helping closely related individuals so their genes can be passed down to future generations How might homing pigeons be able to navigate their way back home? they might be able to pick up on smells or different air currents Population growth curves. exponential- no constraints; unlimited and unchecked growth logistic growth- carrying capacity (K) Mimicry (Batesian and Mullerian). batesian- harmless species poses as harmful mullerian- several species share the same patterns Why is excess N and P in lakes and oceans problematic? excess N and P causes a lack of oxygen in the water and creates dead zones What are pheromones? produced and released outside of an organisms body and have an impact on another organism Fundamental and realized niche- can you explain these concepts? fundamental- absence of competitors realized- what is actually observed in nature Keystone species- what are they and why are they significant? without them, the ecosystem would be harmed or cease to exist (give an example) An equilibrium model of Island biogeography. fundamental factors that determine the number of species we find on islands large- more species than small closer to the mainland- more species than far; more likely new species will colonize Competitive exclusion principle- can you apply this basic concept? two species with the same niches cannot coexist Biological magnification- what is it and why is it relevant? definition- the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed it may not seem like a big problem at first glance, but it causes detrimental effects to organisms down the line Ecological pyramids- what happens to available energy, biomass, and population numbers at successively higher trophic levels in most ecosystems? as the trophic level increases, the amount of energy, biomass, and population decreases because ecosystems can only sustain a certain number of organisms Why is the pea wrinkled-seed allele a recessive allele? the trait associated with the allele is not exhibited in heterozygotes The alleles found in haploid organisms cannot be dominant or recessive. Why? dominance and recessiveness describe which of two possible phenotypes are exhibited when two different alleles occur in the same individual What is the function of primase? synthesis of a short RNA strand that is complementary to single-stranded DNA How are Okazaki fragments synthesized? using the lagging strand template, and synthesizing 5' to 3' If a base-pair change occurs during DNA replication, this ______mutation Why isn't inbreeding considered an evolutionary process? it does not change allele frequencies Which of the following describes vicariance? The population is fragmented into isolated subpopulations What do some photosynthetic bacteria use as a source of electrons instead of water? Hydrogen Sulfide What are organisms called that use inorganic compounds as electron donors in cellular respiration? – Lithotrophs Unlike plant cells walls that contain cellulose, bacterial cell walls are composed of _Peptidoglycan When using Koch's postulate, which of the following is an essential requirement for the suspected pathogen? --it is present in all organisms with the disease What is a pollen grain? -- male gametophyte Fixed action patterns are examples of _____.—Innate behaviors Optimal foraging--Minimizes fitness costs and maximizes fitness benefits Humans who have pets tend to be healthier than humans who do not have pets. Which of these terms applies to the relationship between a human and a pet? --Mutualism Which of these terms applies to the relationship between a dog and a blood-sucking tick? ---Parasitism breaks hydrogen bonds splitting apart the two strands of DNA. – Helicase addition or deletion of a nucleotide ----Frameshift mutation Missense mutation---change in sequence changes the amino acid specified
