BiologyThe Westminster Schools

Spring, 2008Mr. Vermillion

TermII

Units Five and Six: Media Guides

Classical Genetics Human Genetics and Chromosomes DNA Protein Synthesis Human Reproduction Microevolution Speciation

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Development: Sex and the Single GeneVideo (15 mins)

1. Embryos develop according to instructions in the ________.

2. “Jason Peter” was genetically a _____________, appeared to be a ____________.

3. Humans have _______ pairs of chromosomes and one pair determines ____________.

4. Two X chromosomes determine ___________ and a X and a Y chromosome determine ________________.

5. The outward physical appearance is known as ______________________.

6. Marilyn Seville (swimmer/diver) was genetically ____________, but phenotypically ____________.

7. The sry gene determines __________.

8. Embryos without the sry gene will become ___________.

9. The sry is a _________ gene. It turns on several other genes.

10. What would be a better way to determine “Olympic” gender? _________________

Testicular feminization (Source: MedLinePlus)

Definition   

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is when a person has one X and one Y sex chromosome (making them genetically male), but is resistant to androgens (male hormones). As a result, the individual has some or all of the physical characteristics of a woman, despite having the genetic makeup of a man.

The syndrome is divided into two main categories: complete and incomplete. Complete AIS results in someone who looks outwardly female. In the incomplete AIS syndrome, the degree of sexual ambiguity varies widely from individual to individual.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors   

The syndrome is caused by various genetic mutations on the X chromosome. The mutations make a developing male baby unable to respond to androgens. (Androgens are responsible for male physical characteristics.)

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If the androgen insensitivity is complete, this prevents the development of the penis and other male body parts. The child is born appearing to be a girl. The complete form of the syndrome occurs in as many as 1 in 20,000 live births.

Evolution: It’s in the GenesVideo (15 mins)

1. What some symptoms of sickle cell anemia (SCA)?

2. Is the gene associated with SCA a dominant or recessive gene?

3. Under what conditions can a carrier of the sickle cell gene could considered having an adaptive trait?

4. How many amino acids in the hemoglobin are altered in sickle cell?

5. What other genetic condition might help a person afflicted with SCA?

6. How do SCA genes illustrate the interaction of genes with the environment?

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Darwin’s Dangerous Idea Part 1Video (60 mins)

1. What was young Darwin’s prospective profession?

2. Why was the idea of natural selection considered revolutionary science?

3. What was Darwin’s explanation of mountain building?

4. What was the key to understanding geological chance?

5. If species don’t adapt to changing environments, what may happen to them?

6. In the tree of life model, the trunk represents the ancient ______ _____

7. According to Darwin, all species on earth are _________.

8. How are Darwin’s finches different from each other? Why?

9. For evolution, both geological and biological, _____ and ______ are important.

10. In understanding hummingbird biology, why are bill lengths important?

11. What do modern biologists have access to that Darwin didn’t?

12. What was Malthus’ contribution?

13. Why is man (humans) no exception to nature?

14. How does HIV provide a real life model of evolution?

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Darwin’s Dangerous Ideas Part 2Video (50 mins)

1. The process of natural selection feeds on _________.

2. How is it possible to “trick” the resistant HIV?

3. Similarity in a group of organism’s structures suggests an ancient _________ _________.

4. To many, the eye is a sign of an _____________ _________________.

5. Is the human eye perfect? Why or why not.

6. What is the origin of the vertebrate eye’s blind spot?

7. Describe a primitive cup eye.

8. What can a cup eye detect?

9. How does the addition of a lens affect the image?

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Great Transformations Part IVideo (25 minutes)

1. What are some basic human needs (questions)?

2. Compared to the age of the earth, how old are humans (one hour clock model)?

3. What is puzzling concerning whales?

4. What was unique about the fossil whale skull?

5. To what did this characteristic link early whales?

6. 40 mya what was the Sahara desert region like?

7. What did Basilosaurus have that modern whales lack?

8. What does this indicate concerning early whales?

9. Aside from bones, what other evidence connects whales to land mammals?

10. How do aquatic mammals use their spines? Terrestrial mammals?

11. What did the Pennsylvanian and Greenland fossils reveal concerning tetrapod evolution?

12. What adaptive advantage did these Devonian tetrapod fish have over other fish?

13. What was the Cambrian explosion? When did it occur?

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“Great Transformations” VideoQuiz

1. In a 1 hour compression of life’s history, animals occur in the ________ _____ ________. Human history makes up ________ of a __________.

2. How does the spine of a swimming mammal move in comparison to a fish’s spinal movements?

3. The __________ explosion occurred approximately ________ mya.

4. What is the name given to the set of “master control” genes? ________________

5. Why did Ed Lewis share the 1995 Nobel Prize with Levin?

6. Name two skeletal adaptations associated with human bipedalism.

a.

b.

Extinctions Part 1Video

1. What % of species has gone extinct?

2. What changes may bring about extinction?

3. What happen approximately 65 mya?

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4. Over the most recent 500 million years how many mass extinctions have occurred?

5. What ended the Permian? How do we know?

6. What period followed the Permian?

7. How is an ecosystem similar to a “house of cards”?

8. What type of animals survived the end of the Permian?

9. Who were the clear winners during the Triassic?

10. Describe the typical Triassic mammal.

11. Who was Roy Chapman Andrews? What did he contribute to science?

12. How did small Triassic mammals survive?

13. What ended the “Age of the Dinosaurs”?

14. After post KT ecosystem recovery, what happen to the mammals?

15. What mammalian event occurred about 35 mya?

16. What mammalian event occurred about 6-7 mya?

The Evolutionary Arms Race Part 1Video (approx. 30 mins)

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1. What aquatic non-gentle creature lives in Oregon?

2. How does it kill?

3. How does a co-evolution model account for this?

4. For the snake, does toxin resistance have a cost? What is it?

5. What predators do humans still have to fear?

6. What new predator have the Russian prisons produced?

7. How is TB spread?

8. How has TB evolved?

9. How are Russian prisons excellent incubators for TB?

10. What are second line drugs?

11. How could the young medical student, Anna, be saved?

12. Why are prisons the best place to use the expensive second line drugs?

13. How does DRTB travel?

14. What is the yearly death toll of TB? How does this compare with HIV?

15. What does DNA analysis tell us abut the Tansk strain?

Why Sex? Part 1Video (55 mins)

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1. What single tread connects all life on Earth?

2. Describe the South Texas lizard’s reproductive strategy.

3. What are 2 “short comings” of sexual reproduction from the female’s point of view?

4. What is the “Red Queen “hypothesis?

5. Why were the sexually reproducing desert fish a moving target for parasites?

6. What does sex provide for the offspring?

7. Why can males be considered a “genetic insurance policy”?

8. Why should females be choosy in mate selection?

9. Darwin had a problem with the peacock. What was it?

10. What mechanism often leads to great morphological differences between males and females?

11. What are two modes of behavior often displayed in males and females?

12. Victorian males who had accepted natural selection had a problem with another aspect of Darwin’s evolution explanations. What was it?

The Mind’s Big Bang, Part IVideo Guide

1. The oldest known rock art is about _______ years old and resides in caves in ________.

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2. Where does the human story begin?

3. What tool was the Paleolithic “Swiss Army Knife”?

4. For what period of time were these tools produced? What does this suggest concerning the producers creativity?

5. When did human evolution begin?

6. Went were the first stone tools invented?

7. Some humans began migrating out of Africa about 2 mya. What happened to them?

8. When did some our ancestors leave Africa?

9. In a sense we are all ______________.

10. Why are garbage dumps such a wonderful thing (from some scientist’s view)?

11. Could shell beads have been used as trade items? Explain.

12. Could beads have become the basis for a primitive manufacturing economy? Explain.

The Estrogen Effect: Assault on the MaleVideo: BBC, 53 minutes

1. What was the problem(s) displayed by the Lake Apopka alligators?

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2. What problems (2) were found within the European human male population?

3. What are Sertoli cells? (Where are they found and what is their function)?

4. What long term effects did the male offspring of DES treated mothers present?

5. What was the source of the xenoestrogens in Lake Apopka?

6. What are xenoestrogens?

7. At about the same time what was happening within the European fish populations?

8. What percentage of England’s domestic water comes from sewage laden low land rivers?

9. What seems to be the link between accelerated growth in breast cancer tissue cultures and plastics?

10. What is the name of this chemical? What are some of its uses?

11. Does filtering remove xenoestrogens from the water?

12. How does collaboration move science forward? Give an example from this film.

13. Will environmental changes brought about by humans eventually destroy the potential for males of all species to reproduce? Explain.

Natural SelectionVideo (20 mins)

1. What is continental drift?

2. What do paleomagnetic studies (dip) reveal about the history of England?

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3. Why do maps of continental blocks seem to fit together?

4. Why is Antarctica an important link in the study of fossils?

5. About 200,000,000 years ago the Earth’s land masses were in the form of a ___________________?

6. What do fossil trees indicate concerning Arizona’s former climate?

7. What accounts for Australia’s unique fauna?

8. Why are islands of special value to biologists?

9. Where do the Fair Isles mice to appear to have originated?

10. How are these mice an example of the Founder’s Effect?

11. How does isolation affect genetics?

12. What advantage does a large sized organism have in cold climates?

13. What does electrophorisis reveal concerning mouse genetic variation?

Quiz Name__________Death of the Dinosaurs

1. (1) What was George Cuvier’s contribution to science?

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2. (3) What are three possible causes of a mass extinction?

3. (1) What was missing from Darwin’s theory?

4. (1) What is “hunted” at Mt. Palomar?

5. (1) What sea creatures (coiled shells) disappeared at the end of the cretaceous?

6. (3) Name three substances found in the KT boundary layer that are evidence for an impact?

7. (1) Who is Glenn Penfield?

8. (1) Who is Allen Hildebrand?

9. (1) What did Forentine Morez discover in the Haitian KT boundary?

10. (1) Where were the lost samples of Chixulub Pemex rock found?

Bonus (1) What is the frog problem?

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In Search of Human OriginsEpisode 1, The Story of Lucy

1. Where was Lucy found (geographically).

2. Describe Lucy’s environment.

3. Describe the current environmental conditions of Lucy’s home range. Account for any differences.

4. What evidence supports Lucy’s bi-pedalism (give at least two)?

a.

b.

5. Compare Lucy’s brain size to your’s.

6. Is there any evidence for a “nuclear family” (mom, dad and the kids)? Explain.

7. Do you think Lucy was capable of logical thought? Why?

8. If you could ask Lucy three questions and she could answer them, what would they be?

a.

b.

c.

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In Search of Human Origins II – Surviving in Africa Name_______________And Austraopithecus: Skull Comparison

1. Name three important regions of the skull that provide clues to how humans have evolved.

2. What is the masseter muscle used for?

3. What are two advantages of having hands free from obligatory locomotion?

4. Were early humans “red in tooth and claw”? Explain.

5. What researchers are most associated with Olduvai Gorge?

6. The first stone tools were probably used for?

7. About 2 mya a new species of Homo arose in Africa. What is its binomial? How does it translate?

8. What was its life style?

9. About 1.5 mya, a new species of Homo arose. What is its binomial?

10. Describe its lifestyle.

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Name_______________In Search of Human Origins – IIIAnd Neanderthal: Brutish but Bright

1. True or false. The Neanderthal’s brain was slightly larger than modern human’s brains.

2. What was the life style of the Neanderthals (hunters, gathers, farmers)?

3. The earliest Homo sapiens remains were found in what part of which continent?

4. How old are they? (referring to #3)

5. What are the two competing hypotheses concerning the origin of modern humans?

A.

B.

6. How long did the Neanderthal population live in Europe?

7. Describe two cultural differences between Neanderthals and early modern humans.

A.

B.

8. What worldwide event occurred about 40 – 50 yag.?

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