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Explain the inheritance of traits which are determined by one or more genes, including dominance, recessive, sex linkage, phenotypes, genotypes and incomplete dominance
- dominance - if two alleles of an inherited pair differ, determines the organism's appearance
- recessive - has no noticeable effect on the organism's appearancephenotype - physical traits
- genotype - genetic makeup
- sex linkage - a gene located on a sex chromosome
- incomplete dominance - an appearance between the phenotypes of the two parents
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Solve problems that illustrate monohybrid and dihybrid crosses
- monohybrid - a mating of individuals differing at one genetic locus
- dihybrid - a mating of individuals differing at two genetic loci
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Compare sexual and asexual reproduction
- sexual:
- creation of offspring by the fusion of gametes
- increases genetic variability
- asexual: offspring are genetically identical to lone parent
- no need for mate
- quicker and less energy in the production of gametes
- produces genetically uniform populations
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Explain how the coding of DNA controls the expression of traits by genes
- the sequence of nucleotide bases in DNA contains 3-base codons that code for amino acids for protein synthesis
- traits arise from the actions of a wide variety of proteins
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Define mutations and explain their causes
- any change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA
- caused by errors during DNA replication or recombination
- chemical or physical mutagens
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Explain the process of DNA replication
- begins at origins of replication
- semi-conservative - two strands of parental DNA separate and each becomes a template for the assembly of a complementary strand from a supply of free nucleotides
- the nucleotides are lined up one at a time along the template strand in accordance to base pairing rules
- enzymes link the nucleotides to form the new DNA strands
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Describe evidence, past and present, that supports the theory of evolution, including diagramming relationships that demonstrate shared characteristics of fossil and living organisms
- the fossil record - the ordered sequence of fossils as they appear in the rock layers, marking the passage of geologic time biogeography - geographic distribution of species, we find species where they are because they evolved from ancestors that inhabited those regions
- comparative anatomy - the comparison of body structures in different species, certain anatomical similarities among species are signs of evolutionary history
- comparative embryology - comparing early stages of development in different animal species reveals additional homologies not visible in adult organisms
- molecular biology - if two species have genes with DNA sequences that match closely, biologists conclude that these sequences are homologous and must have been inherited from a relatively recent common ancestor
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Explain the theory of natural selection, including adaptation, speciation and extinction
- individuals whose inherited traits are best suited to the local environment are more likely than less fit individuals to survive and reproduce
- the individuals that function best should leave the most surviving offspring
- when challenged with a new environmental problem a population either adapts through natural selection, dies off in extinction or populations that do survive may change enough to become a new species in speciation
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List major events that affected the evolution of life on Earth (eg climate changes, asteroid impacts)
- asteroid impacts: have caused the destruction of vast areas of inhabitants that lead the to the mass extinction of many kinds of organisms
- volcanic eruptions: ash can blanket land and water that blocks light needed for light, ash also effects chemical makeup of oceans
- rapid climate change: likely from massive volcanic explosions, decrease in overall temperature affecting plant and animal life
- continental drift: movement of continents altered global distribution of species
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