What are the main steps of the water cycle?

Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, runoff, infiltration, groundwater flow.

What is conservation biology?

The science focused on protecting biodiversity and preventing species extinction.

What is ocean acidification?

CO₂ dissolves in seawater, lowering pH and harming corals and shellfish.

What is deforestation?

Large-scale removal of forests causing habitat loss, increased CO₂, and soil erosion.

Examples of human impacts on the environment

Pollution, deforestation, climate change, overfishing, urbanization.

Who is Carolus Linnaeus?

Father of taxonomy; developed binomial nomenclature.

How do you properly write a scientific name?

Genus species; Genus capitalized, species lowercase, italicized or underlined.

What is the correct order of classification?

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

What does a node represent on a phylogenetic tree?

A common ancestor.

What is a dichotomous key?

A tool using paired statements (couplets) to identify organisms.

Homologous vs. analogous traits

Homologous = shared ancestry; Analogous = similar function, evolved independently.

Define monophyly, paraphyly, polyphyly

Monophyly = ancestor + all descendants; Paraphyly = ancestor + some descendants; Polyphyly = unrelated groups.

What is parsimony?

The simplest evolutionary explanation is preferred.

What is the Hardy-Weinberg equation?

p² + 2pq + q² = 1 and p + q = 1.

What do p², 2pq, and q² represent?

p² = homozygous dominant; 2pq = heterozygous; q² = homozygous recessive.

What are the 5 Hardy-Weinberg assumptions?

No mutation, no natural selection, no gene flow, random mating, large population.

Where does evolution occur?

In populations, not individuals.

What is genetic drift?

Random changes in allele frequencies.

What is the bottleneck effect?

Drastic population reduction causing loss of genetic diversity.

What is sexual selection?

Traits evolve because they increase mating success.

What characteristics do all cells share?

DNA, cell membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes.

What is unique to prokaryotes?

No nucleus, no membrane-bound organelles, circular DNA.

Difference between bacteria and archaea

Bacteria have peptidoglycan; archaea do not.

Gram-positive vs. Gram-negative

Gram+ = thick peptidoglycan, purple; Gram– = thin peptidoglycan + outer membrane, pink.

Examples of Gram+ and Gram– bacteria

Gram+: Staphylococcus aureus; Gram–: E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium.

What does EMB agar do?

Selects for Gram– bacteria; differentiates lactose fermenters.

Three bacterial shapes

Coccus, bacillus, spirillum.

What is an inoculation loop?

Tool used to transfer microbes.

Are protists prokaryotes or eukaryotes?

Eukaryotes.

What does SAR stand for?

Stramenopiles, Alveolates, Rhizarians.

Why are protists polyphyletic?

They do not share a single common ancestor.

Three nutritional modes of protists

Photoautotroph, heterotroph, mixotroph.

What are holdfast, stipe, and blade?

Algal structures: anchor, stem-like, leaf-like.

What are cilia, pseudopodia, and flagella?

Structures for movement.

What are some protist cell walls made of?

Silica (diatoms), cellulose (algae), or none.