Biosc 0150 Foundations of Biology I Review Worksheet 1 What is phenomena What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis How do scientists Review Chapter 1 What is life Introduction to biology relate them to predictions Phenomena are not things supernatural or out of this world They are simply observations any observation they are the discovery Our book s definition of theory is an explanation for a very general class of phenomena or observations The definition of hypothesis is a proposed explanation At times these terms can be easily mixed up so it is a good thing to be able to differentiate them now Once someone has proposed a question he she can then make a hypothesis to then be tested Many hypotheses can be made We only then call it a theory once that particular hypothesis has been tested with considerable evidence As a result a theory is usually a more broad or general explanation than the original hypothesis It is incredibly difficult to create a theory that is generally accepted ex Theory of relativity whereas hypotheses are made and tested constantly A theory is basically a successful hypothesis Remember nothing is of absolute truth in science and that is why even gravity is still only a theory STEPS a Ask a question about a phenomenon b Make observations about the phenomenon c Hypothesize an explanation about the phenomenon d Predict a logical consequence of the hypothesis e Test predictions f Create a theory based on numerous experiments 2 Using the given phylogenetic tree answer the following questions Figure Tree of life a Which taxon is the closest relative to Spirochetes Support your answer Proteobacteria since they are sister taxa share the most recent common ancestor b Are Plants closer related to Ciliates or Slime Molds Support your answer Ciliates because they share more recent common ancestor c Are Flagellates closer related to Enamoebae or animals Support your answer Flagellates are more ancestral lineage to clade consisiting Entamoebae and animals Since Entamoebae diverged earlier that animals they might resemble flagellates more closely then animals if the ancestral characters were not significantly altered in time sharing plesiomorphic ancestral characters Adel Anthony Kathleen Megan Dr Swigonova Page 1 of 14 Biosc 0150 Foundations of Biology I Review Worksheet d Which is more related to Flagellates Aquifex or Methanobacterium Support your answer Based on the topology of the tree and the position of the root between Achaea and Bacteria Metanobacterium and Flagellates are closer relatives because they share more recent common ancestor 3 When a tiger and a lion mate and reproduce the offspring is known as a liger a very large hybrid of the two species Ligers are perfectly healthy and live long lives however they are sterile Under what species would you categorize the liger into You would not categorize the liger under any species In order for something to be considered a species the organisms must have the ability to interbreed and produce viable offspring The liger is sterile so it cannot produce viable offspring thus it cannot be categorize as specie 4 A student is asked to give an example of natural selection He states Imagine the next ice age has ensued and over the span of few years a population of wolves develop a thick coat of fur to counter the harsh ice age cold The teacher tells him his statement is not completely correct Where did he go wrong Explain how he could have given a better answer A population does not develop a trait in response to some condition The student could have said the wolves within the population differed in thickness of coat variation in traits and that the wolves with thicker coats were better adapted for the cold weather so they reproduced more than the wolves with the thinner coats so eventually the thicker coat frequency was more common that the thinner coat 5 Both Charles Darwin and were the founders of the theory of evolution by natural selection which says that populations individual organisms change from generation to generation rather than remaining unchanged through time Answer Alfred Russel Wallace populations 6 Can the theory of evolution be applied to a single organism in a population Explain why or why not Answer No Evolution by natural selection is only seen when a population of organisms evolve over time enabling them to survive better in their environment Organisms with traits that allow them to survive are the organisms that are likely reproduce most The offspring of these organisms will then have genes that allow them to survive and reproduce better than other organisms and these genes will be passed on from generation to generation A single organism cannot change its genes traits within its lifetime therefore evolution cannot be applied to a single organism However natural selection itself does act on individual organisms as certain less fit organisms are selected out of the population giving rise to evolution 7 A farmer has raised a horse on organic corn and vitamins to ensure the horse grows big and strong The horse is visibly more fit than other horses and is able to reproduce more efficiently after five years of consistently feeding this horse such a wonderful diet What has occurred a Natural Selection b Evolution c Artificial Selection d None of the Above The horse is simply healthy and more fit than the other horses but only in his case For natural selection artificial selection to occur it must be within a population that vary in characteristics that are heritable and these heritable traits must help individuals survive or reproduce better Adel Anthony Kathleen Megan Dr Swigonova Page 2 of 14 Biosc 0150 Foundations of Biology I Review Worksheet 8 A student tries to argue that fungi are more related to plants rather than animals based on physical properties such as appearance Explain why this is incorrect and try to come up with why fungi are more related to animals rather than plants The simplest answer to this question is simply looking at the phylogenetic tree in the book or provided in this guide and seeing that in fact plants are more related to animals than fungi From what the student learned in the chapter a suitable explanation for the relationship between animals and fungi is to say that they have more similar genetic material than animals and plants There are many more similarities though that the student will eventually learn such as the absence of chloroplasts and certain