Items to review for comprehensive component of the exam
1. Evolution and natural selection
a. Definition of evolution
b. Sources of genetic variation within populations
c. Three basic types of variation seen within populations
d. The components needed for natural selection to occur (variation, selection, and
heritability)
e. The mechanism of natural selection (how it works)
f. Define selection and state/recongnize different forms of selection
g. Other mechanism of evolution (artificial selection and gene flow)
2. Speciation
a. Define speciation
b. Mechanisms of reproductive isolation
c. Allopatric v. sympatric speciation
3. What is divergence/adaptive radiation
4. What is convergent evolution
5. Charactericstics of prokaryotes (archea and bacteria)
6. General characteristics of protozoans (animal –like protists)
a. Don’t worry about details of any specific taxa, just have general sense of this group
7. General characteristics of algae (plant-like protistis)
8. Key characteristics of fungi and three main phyla
a. Don’t worry about details of any specific taxa, just have general sense of this group
9. Key characteristics and life history of the 4 main plant groups
a. Non-vascular plants
b. Vascular, non-seed plants
c. Gymnosperms
d. Angiopserms
10. Animal symmetry
11. Deuterstome v. protosome development
12. Patterns in respiratory system development
13. Open v. closed circulatory systems
14. Key characteristics of the common invertebrate taxa
a. Porifera
b. Cnideria
c. Platyhelmenthes
d. Nematode
e. Annelid
f. Arthropoda
g. echinodermata