Back to notes
How does overuse of antibiotics lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria?
Press to flip
Overuse of antibiotics kills non-resistant bacteria, allowing resistant strains to survive and reproduce, leading to 'superbugs' that are difficult to treat.
What advantage did the darker peppered moths have post-Industrial Revolution?
They had an advantage of camouflage against the darkened trees, reducing predation and increasing their reproduction rates.
What is a consequence of not understanding natural selection in the context of antibiotic use?
Misunderstanding natural selection could lead to inappropriate antibiotic use, fostering antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
What is a common misconception about evolution?
The misconception is that evolution is an active process where organisms consciously change over time, such as apes evolving into humans.
Why is it incorrect to think of evolution as organisms consciously deciding to change?
Because evolution occurs through natural selection acting on random mutations, not through conscious decisions by organisms.
How do environmental changes affect natural selection in a population?
Environmental changes can select for certain traits that provide a survival advantage. Individuals with these traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Why is understanding natural selection important for biology?
It is crucial for understanding how species adapt over time to different environments, and it is a fundamental concept in studying life systems on Earth and potentially other planets.
What does the example of the peppered moth demonstrate about natural selection?
It demonstrates how natural selection can lead to significant changes in a population based on environmental pressures without any conscious change from the organisms.
What happened to the population of peppered moths after the Industrial Revolution?
The population shifted to predominantly darker moths because darker moths were less visible to predators against the pollution-darkened trees, allowing them to survive and reproduce more successfully.
In what way does the study of flu viruses illustrate natural selection?
It illustrates how variations and mutations that evade immune detection are selected for, leading to new dominant flu strains each year.
What role does the human immune system play in the evolution of viruses through natural selection?
The immune system pressures viruses to change as mutations that go unrecognized by the immune system are more likely to survive and spread.
What is an example of evolution through natural selection occurring in real time?
The flu virus changes every year as variations exist within the virus population, and mutations allow new, slightly different strains to survive against immune system adaptation.
Why is 'natural selection' a preferred term over 'evolution'?
Natural selection specifically describes the process where environmental factors select for certain variations, leading to evolutionary changes over time.
What role do random mutations play in natural selection?
Random mutations create genetic variations, and when these mutations confer an advantage in a given environment, they are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations under natural selection.
How does the concept of 'survival of the fittest' relate to natural selection?
It refers to the process where traits that enhance survival and reproduction become more common in the population over generations.
Previous
Next