Evolution and Ecology

1. Define ecology – Ecology is the study of science that deals with the interaction between ecosystem and
components. It also deals with how an organism is related to another and their
environment.
2. Define evolution – Evolution is the process by which organisms or living things changes, adapt and
diversify overtime for better chances of survival.

3. Complete this table of the levels of organization in biology and ecology.

Biological Description Ecological Description

Levels of
Organization
Cell A cell is the basic functional unit of life. Organism
They are the building blocks of every
living thing.
Tissue A tissue is a group of cells forming
structures that functions for a specific
purpose.
Organ An organ is composed of cells that are
bind together and formed into tissues that
perform specific function in our body. (i.e.
hearth, kidney, lungs, etc.)
Organ Systems Several organs working together and
performing a specific function to make a
bodywork is called organ systems.
Levels of
Organization
Any form of living thing that resides on
Earth. May it be an animal, plant, etc.
They can be unicellular or multicellular.
Population A population is a group of people and
living things that are inhabitants of a
specific place.
Community A community is also composed of
different people or living organisms that
share something in common like values,
beliefs, religion, etc.
Ecosystem Are an area, place, or habitat wherein
living and non-living organisms interact.
Biosphere The biosphere is the area of the Earth
where life exists. Several ecosystems can
also be found here. This includes, air,
water, or land.

4. What determines when organisms are in the same species?

 Organisms are in the same species if they are capable of reproducing of its own kind.

5. Define habitat – The natural place or environment where living organisms such as animals, plants and
humans live and survive.
a. What is an abiotic factor?
Temperature, air, water, sunlight, etc. are examples of an abiotic factor. In short, the non-living
components of the ecosystem.

b. What is a biotic factor?

Plants, animals, fishes, etc. are examples of biotic factors. In short, the living components of the
ecosystem.

6. Label the optimal range, zones of physiologic stress (x2), and zones of intolerance (x2).

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 Zones of Zones of
Physiologic Physiologic
Optimal range
stress stress
Zones Zones
Of Of
Intolerance Intolerance

Evolution

7. There are three types of adaptations seen in living organisms. Define each:

a. Physical adaptations
The physical feature of an organism is involved in physical adaptation. These features were
developed overtime for them to adapt to changes and for survival.
b. Behavioral adaptations
Activities that help an animal or other living organism to survive is involved in behavioral
adaptation. These behaviors can be inborn or learned.
c. Physiologic adaptations
Organism’s internal features may change and develop over time and these are called
physiologic adaptation. These are changes in living organisms inside the body.

8. Explain genetic diversity – This refers to the variation genetic composition of living organisms like humans,
plants, species, a population or community, etc. Their genes’ likeness and unlikeness are reflected.

9. Define natural selection – The process wherein living organisms or individuals change and adapt to
change. This may also include the reproduction of individuals as well as their survival.

10. How is Sickle-cell anemia an example of natural selection in the human race? What advantage does it provide?
 Sickle-cell is an example of natural selection since it gives an advantage to people to increase their
survival rate. It is known to lower the death rates of people infected by malaria.

a. What geographic areas tend to have more people with the disease?
 Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide. It is most common among people whose
ancestors come from Africa; Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy; the
Arabian Peninsula; India; and Spanish-speaking regions in South America, Central America, and
parts of the Caribbean. (Source: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/sickle-cell-
disease/#frequency)

The factors that “encourage” natural selection include:

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 b. Physiological Stress
 This causes changes in the physical features or appearance of an individual or a living organism
due to disturbances in the surroundings or the environment.

c. Predation
 Is a flow of energy or an interaction between two organisms where a predator eats or competes with
its prey.

d. Competition
 When organisms are battling for the same territory or resources, the competition will likely to
happen.

e. Sexual Selection
 Sexual selection is when a female organism mates with a male organism, vice versa. It is the ability of
one sex to successfully mate with its opposite sex.

11. Define divergent speciation – Divergent speciation occurs when organisms or living things are
separated for a long period of time wherein due to separation, they’ll develop
differences depending on the current environment they’re living in.
Describe an example: A group of monkeys separated; half were in a cold area while others are in a tropical
country. Monkeys in cold areas usually develop thicker hairs on their body.

a. How are homologous structures evidence of divergent speciation?

 This suggests common origins since an organism’s or living thing’s skeletal structures or features
are similar.

12. Define convergent speciation – Occurs when two different organisms with different origins
develop
or inherits similar features.
a. Describe an example: Dolphins, sharks and whales are of different origin but develops similar
features or appearance since they’re all living in the same habitat.

13. Define artificial selection – Artificial selection is controlled by humans since they’re the ones
responsible for choosing or selecting desirable traits that an organism or living thing can inherit.

a. Describe an example: Humans breeding dogs, they mix and match dog breeds

15. Identify each type of biodiversity:

a. Ecosystem – covers and identifies the variety of ecosystems available in a certain geographical
area.
b. Genetic – it is the measurement of the number of genes present in a certain geographical area.

c. Species – identifies the total number of different species around us

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16. Within the biodiversity of the Earth, how many species are actually discovered? How many are
hypothesized to exist? 1.5 million were identified, but an estimation of 8.7 million total is hypothesized to
Exist (based on the PowerPoint presentation)
a. The majority of known species are __insects____
Classification

17. The three-domain system is based on differences in cellular structure. Define each of these:

a. Prokaryote – Does not have nucleus and organelles. They are smaller than eukaryotes and are
unicellular. Prokaryotes are bacteria cells.
b. Eukaryote – In contrast to prokaryotes, eukaryotes have nucleus and organelles. They are larger in
terms of size and some can be unicellular or multicellular. Eukaryotes are found in
animals, plants, and fungus cells.

18. List the kingdoms in the five-kingdom classification system.

 Monerans- consist of once-celled organisms that don’t have a nucleus. This includes prokaryotes.
 Protists- basically include eukaryotes. It can be multicellular or unicellular organisms that have
a nucleus and organelles such as consumers and producers.
 Fungi- These unique organisms are important in every ecosystem as decomposers. They are neither
plant nor animal but are multicellular eukaryotes.
 Plantae- are multicellular-celled organisms that are capable of making their own through the process
called photosynthesis.
 Animalia- This is also composed of multicellular organisms that rely on other organisms directly or
indirectly for their food consumption. The intake foods and are capable of digesting it.

19. List the taxon that humans belong in for each of the different levels of classification. Give at least one
reason why they are placed in each taxon.

Taxon Reason
Humans are multi-celled organisms having a cell with a
Domain Eukarya
nucleus and have organelles.
Humans are multicellular organisms capable of producing
Kingdom Animalia
foods for consumption and digests it.
Phylum Chordata Humans have backbone
Humans are capable or bearing and give birth to a young.
Class Mammalia
Capable of producing milk and have hair.
Humans rely on their vision. They have large and complex
Order Primates brains. They have a forward-facing eye and walk upright on
two legs.
Humans are capable of communicating, empathizing, and
Family Hominidae
adapting cultures through language.

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20. The final two taxa are used to determine scientific name. What is the scientific name of the modern human?
(Use the correct format)
 Homo sapiens

21. Two animals with many classification levels in common are considered to be _very closely related_.

Population Growth Patterns

22. What shape does a logistic growth pattern take? Draw it on the graph
Growth rate
to the right.
increasing

 The shape of an “S”.

Growth rate
decreasing

23. What causes the population growth to slow down?

Density-Dependent Factors – These factors can either have a positive or negative impact on the
Population. This limiting factor often includes and caused by diseases.

Density-Independent Factors – These factors are forces which affect population

often in ecology since these are natural disasters and climate change.

24. At what point do logistic growth curves eventually stabilize?

 When logistic growth reaches the maximum density-dependent factor, the curve eventually
stabilizes.

25. What shape does an exponential growth pattern take? Draw it on the
graph to the right.

 The shape of “J”

a. What is missing that allows the population to grow so rapidly?

 Exponential growth does not experience growth-limiting
factors that allow the curve to grow rapidly.

26. Define and label overshoot. overshoot dieback

 As the population continually grow, it will eventually exceed
its carrying capacity.

27. Define and label dieback.

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  As population overshoots, and exceeds in carrying capacity,
Population drops usually in the form of mass-starvation.

Community Interactions

28. Describe and give an example of each of the following types of community interactions:

Predator-Prey
 Predator-prey occurs when an organism uses or consumes another organism for survival,
especially for food consumption.

Competitive Exclusion
 When different organisms or different species play or have similar roles in the environment, the
competition will likely to happen.

 Intraspecific competition
 When members of organisms from the same species compete, it is called intraspecific competition.

 Interspecific competition
 When organisms from different species compete, it is called interspecific competition.

29. How do plants and animals avoid competing with their own species with resource partitioning?
 Resource partitioning is when organisms avoid competition with their own species. In plants, their
seeds are usually planted or sent far away from one another to avoid competition in using the land
or soil while animals usually protect and covers their territory so other animals will not be able to
invade their land and there will not be a competition in terms of their available resources.

30. Define and give an example of each of the following types of symbiosis:

 Mutualism – occurs when organisms work together and benefit from each other.
 Ex. Bees and flower, bees acquire nectar from flower and bees helps in pollination
 Commensalism – occurs when two organisms interact but only one benefits while the other is
unaffected.
 Ex. When animals use trees as protection, they benefit while the tree is unharmed
 Parasitism – occurs organisms interact where an organism benefits while the other is harmed
 Ex. Humans and mosquitoes, mosquitoes consume human blood for food but
mosquitoes can cause harm to humans.

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