BIO final

Logistic Growth

Logistic growth follows a S shaped curve when graphing. This type of growth appears to be exponential at first; however, various factors cause it to slow and stop at maturity.

K(carrying capacity)

Populations cannot continue to grow indefinitely as there is only a finite amount of resources available for consumption. When a population reaches the maximum size that can be sustained indefinitely without growth, the environment housing the population

dependent-independent factors

Density at times can determine the effect a trauma has on a population, based on the population size when the trauma occurs and if this trauma is density dependant. Diseases are density dependant as disease spreads rapidly in close contact situations and

r(rate of population growth)

The rate of population growth is determined directly by the change in population size, which in turn is directly correlated to the rate of births (b) and deaths (d). Essentially, r = b - d.

endotherm-ectotherm

These categories are used to describe where an animal acquires its body temperature, either from metabolic processes or from the environment.

speciation

This is an additive evolutionary process where changes in characteristics are compounded over time so that individuals are no longer compatible due to many differences, leading to the formation of new species.

Transcription-Translation-Mutation

An enzyme, DNA polymerase, DNA Pol d in eukaryotes and DNA Pol III in prokaryotes, replicates DNA. Both of these enzymes are highly processive and have proofreading functions, so mistakes are very infrequent and the fidelity of the codeis maintained. Duri

Variation (genetic, heritability)

Genetic variation leads to different phenotypes; due to this fact, multiple differences in traits can be seen between organisms of the same species. Certain traits are more appropriate than others in a given scenario, however all have the potential to be

adaptive radiation

This is a process in which speciation of one or a few species is utilized to fill a number of ecological niches. This process typically occurs with great rapidity and efficiency.

Coevolution

genetic change in one species selects fir subsequent change in another species

Mutation

Based on the central dogma of genetics, a change in the DNA may cause a change in phenotype through a change in protein expression. Mutations may be silent (no phenotypic change) or may show an obvious phenotype.

Founder's Effect

This phenomena may be observed when a few members of a large and diverse population are isolated from it. Because not all individuals in the large population are represented in this new population, the new population is less diverse. This is illustrated s

DNA-RNA(Structure, Function, Location

DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, RNA stands for Ribonucleic Acid. In 3 of 4 cases the nucleotides are identical with the exception of DNA lacking 1 hydroxy group. Thymine and Uracil are also a bit different. It is important that DNA does not get dama

Autosomal Cross (Phenotypes, ratios)

In a monohybrid cross of two heterozygous parents, a genotypic ratio of 1:2:1 is observed, while a phenotypic ratio of 3:1 is seen in the offspring. This is due to the fact that a dominant allele masks the phenotype of the recessive allele.

Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an attempt to explain an event or natural phenomena, it may be amended as data is examined and after enough scrutiny may become a theory.Hypotheses answer the question "Why". They may be untested or have only limited data to support them.

drugs

The nervous system utilizes chemical substances called neurotransmitters to transmit signals to the body, which bind to receptors on the recipient cell surface. These compounds act on the cell to induce a function that can be beneficial or detrimental to

synaptic transmission

In order to propagate a message, a signal must move from neuron to neuron. Because dendrites are not actually touching another neuron but are in very close proximity and divided by a synaptic cleft, the transmitting neuron's axon terminals secrete a chemi

Surface-Area-Volume

The amount of three dimensional space an object occupies may be correlated to the two dimensional space an object exposes to the environment. This is important when attempting to predict heat loss and gain. The more volume an object has the more surface a

heat transfer

Heat is transferred from hotter (more energetic) to cooler (less energetic) areas, not vice versa. Heat can therefore be said to flow down a gradient. Heat may be transferred through conduction, convection, or radiation.

convection

the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion

conduction

the direct transfer of heat from one substance to another substance that it is touching

evaporation

the process by which water changes from liquid form to an atmospheric gas

radiation

energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles

temperature and metabolism

So as to adequately maintain the body's temperature, homeotherms utilize the flow of heat in order to warm and cool blood.

vasoconstriction

rapid constriction of the blood vessels to decrease blood flow to the area

vasodilation

Widening of the blood vessels that allows for increased blood flow

counter-current exchange

when adjacent fluids flow in opposite directions and maximise transfer rates of heat/solutes

Overall input/output of CR (O2, CO2, glucose)

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 36 ADP + 36 Pi -> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + 36 ATP

Chemiosmosis (function, process, H+ gradient)

Chemiosmosis pushes hydrogen ions across a membrane, this is typically tied to the ETC and is used to form a gradient by which ATP can be synthesized. The gradient formed provides the energy for ATP synthesis.

Mitosis

The mitotic phase is a relatively short phase during the cell cycle, it consists of five parts: prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. This is subsequently followed by cytokinesis. During these subphases the chromatin condenses, micro

Electron Transport System (function, process, input, output)

The ETC utilizes the transfer of electrons from NADH or FADH2 along carrier molecules to oxygen to push protons across a membrane to create a hydrogen gradient. Hydrogen molecules flow down the gradient through an ATP synthase which makes ATP.

vesicles

Some cellular products are dangerous even deadly for a cell if they were to float freely around the cytosol. The acid hydrolases harbored inside lysosomes for example digest macromolecules and would certainly wreak havoc left unchecked. To accommodate for

10 percent rule

Biological mechanisms of energy conversion are universally coarse and much energy is wasted, in fact only 10% is successfully converted to usable mass and utilized per trophic level. The remaining 90% is converted to heat and lost to metabolic processes.

Natural Selection

Natural selection is the mechanism by which characteristics (or phenotypes) are chosen for inheritance. In a given environment, certain traits are more appropriate for survival and proliferation, consequently these traits become more common in a populatio

krebs cycle

The Krebs Cycle, also called the Citric Acid Cycle, processes pyruvic acid into a 2-carbon acetyl group, which is bound with coenzyme-A to produce Acetyl-CoA. This is subsequently joined with oxaloacetic acid to produce citric acid. This molecule undergoe

Calvin Cycle (function, process, input, output)

In autotrophic organisms, once energy has been stored in the form of ATP or NADPH; it must be converted to organic compounds (specifically glucose) to be utilized by the organism. This series of reactions (also called dark reactions) is independent of lig

Chemiosmosis (function, process, H+ gradient)

Chemiosmosis pushes hydrogen ions across a membrane, this is typically tied to the ETC and is used to form a gradient by which ATP can be synthesized. The gradient formed provides the energy for ATP synthesis.

diploid v. haploid

In human cells there are typically two copies of each somatic chromosome, one paternal and one maternal. These are called homologous chromosomes because they are often very similar. In germ cells (haploid cells) there is only one copy of each chromosome b